Editors Select: April 2026

All in the family

Amin Ahmad gives new meaning to “The Family.” At the center of this thriller is a rich South Asian family. From Mumbai (the patriarch prefers “Bombay”) to the famous Apthorp building on New York’s Upper West Side to Jackson Heights, this story has all kinds of drama, sprinkled with neurosis, a serial killer, and too much money. It’s a very social story if you like weddings, family gatherings, and clubs. The narration is stellar, with a cast that includes Audible Hall of Fame narrator Vikas Adam.

PRK is back—clear your schedule

I was in a bit of a listening rut before I downloaded London Falling, Patrick Radden Keefe’s first full-length book since Empire of Pain. Now, I barely remember what a listening rut is, let alone anything else I had on my to-do list. All that matters is this story—of an enigmatic teenager’s fatal fall from a luxury high-rise into the Thames below—and the voice that’s telling it, which renders this exquisitely structured, context-rich, and sensitive narrative both legible and ultra-compulsive. You may come for the unsolved mystery in a glittering city, the peek under the hood of international wealth and corruption, or the deep insights that render the specific universal (and aren’t we all a little worried about troubled young men these days?). But I guarantee you’ll stay for the author’s narration, which, like his nonfiction, is the best in the biz. A new bar is set!

Grab your tissue box

At this point, just about everything TJ Klune writes is an immediate add-to-library. And from everything I’ve heard about We Burned So Bright, I’m already preparing myself for the ugliest of ugly cries. Following Dan and Rodney, two husbands on a monthlong, end-of-the-world road trip after 40 years of marriage, this listen is going to make you feel. Klune has always had a knack for writing queer characters and dialogue that feel incredibly real, and I am so ready for the emotional highs, lows, and love of Dan and Rodney’s final journey. Plus, with Kirt Graves set to narrate, I already know that we’re going to get a beautiful performance that’ll absolutely destroy me.

An ambitious anthology

My love for thriller anthologies runs deep, so imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon Deadly Ambition. Six authors, six twisted tales of ambition gone wrong, and every story hits differently. Liane Moriarty's "The Price of Honey" had me cackling at the funeral scene—billionaire drama at its finest. Andrea Mara's "The Roommate" left me gagging when a buried secret became prime-time TV. A.R. Torre's marriage-saving scheme? Absolutely unhinged. Lauren Oliver's neighborhood murder mystery kept me guessing, while Lauren Ling Brown's artist tale proved creativity can be deadly. Tim Weaver closed it out strong with a Hollywood rumor that had me on edge. Each narrator brought distinct energy, elevating already stellar writing. This collection proves ambition isn't just about reaching higher, it's about what you're willing to sacrifice to get there.

A love letter to friendship

Has a book ever made you late for work? Love by the Book was the one for me. There's a scene midway through that stopped me in my tracks while getting dressed. I sat at the edge of my bed, shed a few tears, then immediately called my best friend in California despite the three-hour time difference. Jessica George's debut, Maame, is one of my all-time favorite listens, and her equally remarkable sophomore novel follows Remy, an author adrift after her tight-knit friend group splinters, and Simone, a fiercely independent woman suddenly cut off from the only family she's ever needed. When these two very different women find each other, what unfolds is the most gorgeous, funny, and deeply moving celebration of platonic love and female friendship I've ever listened to. Narrator Isabel Adomakoh Young is a marvel, giving the novel's multiple women voices so distinct and recognizable, I felt like I knew them all personally. If this book doesn't make you want to pick up the phone and call your best friend, nothing will.

Brush your shoulders off

Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Amir Levine, bestselling author of Attached, is back with a guide for creating a solid foundation in order to build trusting, healthy bonds with others—and most importantly, yourself. In Secure, Levine compassionately guides listeners through the ins and outs of various attachment styles, and presents the revolutionary concept that your relationship approach can evolve over time. With neuroscience-backed insights, listeners can expect to improve their emotional regulation, coping habits, and connections. Secure is a must-listen for anyone who struggles with navigating uncomfortable situations such as rejection, feedback, and confrontation.

Two stories, one haunting connection

Kylie Lee Baker has a way of pulling you into a world that feels both distant and unsettlingly close, and Japanese Gothic is no exception. Set across two timelines, we follow Sen, who is determined to carry on the legacy of the samurai while coping with a father transformed by war, and Lee, a college student drifting through grief who travels to Japan hoping for a reset. Their stories feel worlds apart at first, until the connection between them begins to surface in ways that are eerie and impossible to ignore. Natalie Naudus’s performance captures every bit of tension beautifully, grounding both timelines while letting the unease slowly build. Don’t let the pretty cover fool you, this one gets dark quick!

Those were the days

As a big fan of Diabolical Lies, the podcast hosted by debut author Caro Claire Burke and Katie Gatti Tassin, I was absolutely going to listen to this novel. But aside from its focus on a tradwife social media influencer, I knew little else about the story—and that’s how I recommend anyone approach it. Burke has crafted a delectable mystery that feels like something between a domestic thriller, a Black Mirror episode, and a Truman Show-like fever dream, peppered with a wry humor that reflects her sharp insight as a culture writer—the kind of tone narrator Rebecca Lowman captures oh so well. There’s no putting this down once you begin, which is good, because you’ll want to avoid spoilers at all costs.

Lena Dunham’s new memoir is an artful, outstretched hand

Whether you’re a fan, critic, or something in-between, the facts remain: Lena Dunham is a master storyteller of the ineffable human experience. The core question at the heart of Famesick—Dunham’s new memoir chronicling everything from the shadow side of fame to her enduring search for love—is this: What is the true cost of being an ambitious woman? As always, listening to Dunham feels like overhearing the poignant, hushed-tone confessional of two best friends at the coffee shop beside you. Like you almost shouldn’t have heard that, but in the end, you’re glad you did.

Add me to the group chat

Danielle Allen's Curve series has always delivered on body-positive romance, laugh-out-loud banter, and seriously sexy spice, and Big Girl Blitz does all of that and more. Jazz and Lamar's slow-burn romance is irresistible, but it's the tender relationship between Jazz and her Aunt Addison that makes the final installment in this trilogy the most emotionally rich. Allen is really the best in the business when it comes to writing dialogue. I felt like I was a member of the group chat with Jazz and her besties Nina and Aaliyah as they playfully volleyed back-and-forth about her burgeoning romance with Lamar. Wesleigh Siobhan has been the voice of this entire series, and she delivers another astounding performance. Who needs a male narrator when you have Wesleigh? Her male voice is second to none! Big Girl Blitz is the perfect send-off to a series that has made this midsize woman feel seen and loved.

A must-hear about the other Underground Railroad

On the very long list of things we should have learned about in school, add this tale of an Underground Railroad that allowed enslaved people to escape south, across the Rio Grande, to Mexico. A musical history in the mold of Hamilton, Mexodus was created and is amazingly performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson. With mind-blowing skill, they use hip-hop, beat box, and even accordion to tell the story of Henry, an enslaved man on the run, and Carlos, a traumatized vet, who must decide how much they’re willing to trust each other to survive. It’s being performed live in New York this spring, but the audio recording captures all the stage show’s poetry and profoundness. A history lesson you will remember forever.

A delightfully chaotic mix-up

The premise of two people with the same name arriving for the same job is brilliantly awkward, wonderfully messy, and had me hooked from the get-go. The dual narration by Harriet Cains and Arty Froushan is so well-done, bringing such distinct personalities to each Charlie that I never got confused about whose perspective I was hearing, and their chemistry translates beautifully through audio. The story exudes that perfect small-town charm where everyone's in your business but you love them anyway. I wanted to pack my bags and move there. If you're looking for a feel-good rom-com with heart, humor, and narrators who'll make you fall in love with both characters, add this one to your library.

Heartbreaking stories of modern masculinity

Long-form narrative reporting is no easy skill. Not only does a journalist need to find subjects who will allow them to pry into every facet of their lives, the writer must then transform an overwhelming amount of facts into something that reads like great fiction. Journalist Jordan Ritter Conn has managed to craft empathetic portraits of four singular men—a gay Mohawk MMA fighter, a Black trans man in the Midwest, a studly West Point graduate with alcoholism, and a law student grappling with the effects of childhood sexual trauma—to a stunning degree. Narrator Daniel Henning captivates as he voices all the threads of these diverse stories. With so much focus on the complexity of contemporary masculinity in recent years, this is a valuable deep dive into the jealousies, competitive impulses, and fragility of what it means to “be a man" in the 21st century.