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The Basement  By  cover art

The Basement

By: Stephen Leather
Narrated by: Luke Daniels
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Publisher's summary

New York City. With a population of almost 19 million people, it’s easy to remain anonymous - even if you’re a serial killer, torturing and murdering beautiful young women. The killer has another victim right now, locked in a basement somewhere in the city. For NYPD detectives Turner and Marcinko, it’s their job to sift through those 19 million and narrow their list to the one before it’s too late. And they’re sure they have the right man in their sights.

Fusing alternating viewpoints with devastating precision, Leather’s top-notch thriller dives deep into the mind of a demented killer as tension mounts immeasurably. Turner and Marcinko’s prime suspect is screenwriter wannabe Marvin Waller. He is becoming increasingly frustrated by his lack of success and the cops think he might be channeling his anger into murder, yet he doesn’t seem to be at all concerned that they are hot on his trail. As Turner and Marcinko close in on Waller they have to wonder: is he the killer? And if he isn’t - who is? Only time will tell - and time is one thing they do not have.

An unrelenting vice-grip of suspense and fear, The Basement is the ultimate shocker with a shattering climax that will leave you battered, bruised, and broken.

©2011 Stephen Leather (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about The Basement

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Battered, bruised, and broken is right

The summary promised a police thriller that would leave the listener “battered, bruised, and broken” and boy did this novella deliver! Arrogant aspiring writer Marvin got under my skin so much as his POV walks us through all the ways he’s smarter than us- I just wanted to strangle him. And yet, the POV during the prisoner scenes was even more demented and unnerving. Great writing provides characters you love to hate and I simply could not tear my ears away.

The summary promises a “shattering” ending and even knowing to be on the lookout for a twist, it’s still surprising when it comes. I listened again with new perspective and respect the set up to the reveal.
The writing credibly portrayed criminal law and police procedure, from Terry Stops to the science of polygraph exams. Trigger warnings for female sexual and mental abuse, in part from the sharp writing and narration. This was one darkly entertaining novella.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • GV
  • 04-14-16

Slightly disturbing, yet weirdly captivating

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

He brings the story to life and makes it more real and disturbing, yet captivating too. Still, I'm glad it wasn't longer.

Any additional comments?

I knew fairly fast I was being tricked, but never saw this end coming.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Nice twist at the end.

Great story & kept me interested. But the end was a twist then done, finished.......

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

I only out one because there aren’t zeros

It is terrible. I just wanted to see who did it so I fast forwarded a half an hour at a time and listened just a minute then fast forwarded again. And the ending was stupid

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

I couldn’t finish it

I couldn’t finish it, just too cruel and the story line was just as demeaning and cruel!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A TRUE Thriller and a must read

The characters, story, narration, everything about this book is great. Perfect length to make the pacing from being rushed or sluggish.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fun read

Saw this title on sale and decided to give it a shot. Really liked it. Fun, short read with an interesting twist.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wasn’t expecting that ending!

This author did a great job of making you believe it was someone else that was in charge of the events that took place in that basement! I enjoyed the book and the surprise. 🌸

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Not even the great Luke Daniels could save it

I hated this book, after two in half hours of I skipped to the final 20 minutes when the character broke into the house, found his way to the basement, observed another victim through the crack of the door before having a gun pointed at him. It ends there and you assume what happened next was not good for the intruder/would be hero.There it is, save yourself the time with this heap unless you enjoy constant character switching without warning, and sometimes without the narrator changing his voice.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Did Not See That Coming!

What an ending... Narrated well and - Did not see that coming at all!

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