Stephen Coonts is on a roll. Each new effort is even better than the last. While he has yet to gain the popularity of Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum, his audience grows with each outstanding thriller. Coonts's main man, Admiral Jake Grafton, is a twenty-first-century Jack Ryan, using wit and resourcefulness to defeat enemies of the free world. In Liberty, Grafton learns that a rogue Russian general has sold four nuclear warheads to a radical Islamic terrorist group bent on detonating them inside the United States. Guerin Barry's resonant voice and crisp delivery enliven the fast pace of this story. Dialects are authentic and well presented. However, some of the dialogue is a bit stiff. Nonetheless, Liberty should be near the top of the listening lists of all adventure lovers.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2003
Duration: 15 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Part of the joy of Tom Clancy novels is one's belief that the stories could come true. His latest entry stretches that some as we find international terrorists building a nuclear bomb which is used to set Americans and Russians against one another. Jay Robertson reads with a newscaster's voice, crisp and clear with a light touch of drama. However, he does little to help listeners identify Clancy's huge cast of characters, and dialects seem difficult for him as he occasionally slips in and out of character. Nonetheless, patient listeners are rewarded as the plot unfolds. This will be a welcome addition to any library justifying the price of the multi-cassettte volumes.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
John Sanford is back with another psychological thriller in his Prey series. Surgeon, psychopath and serial killer Bekker is on the loose again after the easiest jailbreak in recent memory. Ken Howard's reading moves along with all the brooding energy a reader could want from a suspense book. His narration is deep, clear and well-suited to the gravelly voices of retired detective Lucas Davenport and the other cops. While Howard manages good dialects and shifts in character, his female voices leave a lot to be desired. For the most part, the abridgment gleefully throws logic and characterization overboard in favor of thrills, but the basic flavor of many characters is still fairly well maintained.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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