Due Date

By: Lee Isserow

Narrated by: Elaina Stevenson

This week is going to turn Nina's life upside-down.

Returning home from work, she discovers her door ajar, signs of a struggle, and her pregnant wife missing.

The kidnappers call. They issue a ransom, and she gives in to their demands, following their instructions to the letter. But it becomes increasingly clear that this kidnapping isn't about the money, isn't about her or her partner.

It's about the impending due date.

©2016 Lee Isserow (P)2016 Lee Isserow

Very Good

I listen to this book on my way home from seeing family and it was very engaging!

This book literally stopped me in my tracks!

Due Date – quite literally – stopped me in my tracks.

I was in the supermarket, listening to the heart-stopping climax when I realised I had become frozen to the spot, so engrossed in the story that I’d forgotten to keep shopping.

A lot is packed into this short story yet it doesn’t feel rushed, building gradually to the horrific finale that adds a final dramatic twist. The terror begins immediately when first person narrator Nina returns home to find the house open and her pregnant wife, Lisa, kidnapped. There is the usual demand for money and for no police involvement, leaving Nina fearful for the lives of both her partner and her unborn child.

As Nina scrambles to find the money by the impossible deadline, Lisa discovers the identity of her kidnappers and the ante is upped even further.

Elaina Stevenson reads beautifully, filling the story with all the desperation, love and loathing of each character. More importantly, she also presents the inner strength of the two heroines. She plays with pace and tone to match the scene, strengthening each moment appropriately.

Isserow is a marvellous writer who not only made me forget where I was, but he manages to celebrate love within a nightmare situation. Most striking however, is his normalisation of the central relationship, which could be played out by any couple of any persuasion. Their sexuality is neither here nor there and, after the initial surprise, it becomes irrelevant. Bravo!
There’s so few writers and readers out there who make me want to devour more of their works. Audible lists Due Date as Stevenson’s only foray into audiobook narration but Isserow has a number of short stories to his name on Audible, most which he narrates himself. If Due Date is anything to go by, his other titles will be worth exploring.

If you enjoy short stories, check out my other reviews on my audiobook site at SaidNotRead dot wordpress dot com where you’ll find reviews and articles about great audiobooks like Due Date.