Stay Close

By: Harlan Coben

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Megan is a suburban soccer mom who, once upon a time, walked on the wild side. Now she’s got two kids, a perfect husband, a picket fence, and a growing sense of dissatisfaction. Ray used to be a talented documentary photographer, but at the age of 40 he finds himself in a dead-end job posing as a paparazzo, pandering to celebrity-obsessed rich kids. Broome is a detective who can’t let go of a cold case—a local husband and father who disappeared 17 years ago—and spends the anniversary every year visiting a house frozen in time, the missing man’s family still waiting, his slippers left by the recliner as if he might show up at any moment to step into them.

Three people living lives they never wanted, hiding secrets that even those closest to them would never suspect, will find that the past never truly fades away. Even as the terrible consequences of long-ago events crash together in the present and threaten to ruin lives, they will come to the startling realization that they may not want to forget the past at all. And as each confronts the dark side of the American dream—the boredom of a nice suburban life, the excitement of temptation, the desperation and hunger that can lurk behind even the prettiest façades—they will discover the hard truth that the line between one kind of life and another can be as whisper-thin as a heartbeat.

Master of domestic suspense Harlan Coben delivers his trademark combination of pause-resistant thrills and unrivaled insight into the dark shadows that creep into even the happiest communities.

©2012 Harlan Coben (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Narration is annoying

Narrator is to breathy... Need to rely on the drama of the words and story... Not his sing song tone....
Really love Cohen.... New narrator please!!!

Wonderfully Done

Loved the story and the narration was beautifully done. I really enjoyed how the story seemed to be acted out as it was read. great job

Great fast paced book

Where does Stay Close rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best books I have listened to. I love Scott Brick, but didn't know the author. The book is well written, characters deep and believable. I certainly recommend this to anyone, the story is great, you get lost in it, will defo get more of his books.

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Scott Brick brings out the emotions of the characters, he does it with so effortlessness that I cannot imagine anyone else reading this book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I heard it in three sittings - and that was only because my phones battery ran out one of the times.

Hiding your past complicates the present

First, the title never did stick to the plot, in my mind.

However, the background is unusual and unwinds in pieces throughout the story. The main characters have past secrets and different ways of coping with them. Deaths are tied to a date and location exposing a previously unidentified serial killer. The outcome seems inevitable, but there are many possible villains so the actual reveal waits until the very end.

Scott Brick always does an excellent narration.

Started a tad slow.....

Liked mystery of 17 year reappearance of Megan who decided she could not continue her life of lies and wanted to find truth. Great ending!

Good storyteller makes up for fair story.

The hypnotic voice of Scott Brick carries you through a less than credible thriller by author Harlan Coban. Easy enough to listen to but fails to pull you in with either a realistic, tightly woven yarn or compelling, fully developed characters. i listened to the whole book but finished feeling like I had not really spent the time as well as I could have. Just okay.

Overall Entertaining

In reading other reviews many readers/listeners stated this book wasn’t up to the author usual standards. I found the story entertaining and enjoyed listening to this book

Kind of a vanilla type story for me.

The book was an enjoyable read but not the type I cannot stop listening to at any given time. I would pick up interest and then lose interest at any given time. Not my favorite but nice read all the same.

Excellent!

Scott Brick could read the dictionary and make it dramatic and exciting. He's the Morgan Freeman of audiobooks.

I loved this book and couldn't stop listening to it. So much so, that I took my break early so I could listen to it uninterrupted all afternoon.

Great story. Didn't see THAT ending coming for sure, but I won't spoil it. Let's just say that everyone has secrets and someone always knows. There is no hiding.

Thriller, mystery, intrigue--all in one

I am a Harlan Coben and Scott Brick fan. At no time does the tension let up. The characters are 4 dimensional and the descriptive metaphors just keep coming.