Dark, thrilling tales
are basically my jam all year long, but in October everyone else gets on board. The more the merrier on the spooky train—though we all need a dose of something light and frothy once in a while to mix things up. (Contrarian that I am, I’m about to queue up this adorable weiner dog-starring cozy and get my winter on early!)Luckily, this month offers scares from mild to wild, with surprising storylines and provocative ideas that far transcend any seasonal cliché. For that, I’m always in the spirit.
—Kat, Audible editor
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Tribulation
- By: Adam Jahnke
- Narrated by: Josh Charles, Tom Clark, Trevor Goble, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,152
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,046
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,047
Tribulation is a twisted mystery about an end-of-days religious cult manipulating space and traveling across planes of existence on electricity and radio signals. Cult members willingly accept seven brutal years of torture, known as their “tribulation,” to atone for their earthly sins and come out on the other side saved (or thoroughly brainwashed?). The hero of this thriller, Stacy Carlson, must uncover the mystery of the Tribulation cult after her husband Greg is kidnapped by its leader, Brother Elijah (Josh Charles), through a bizarre AM radio broadcast.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent!
- By Patty on 10-22-19
Just try pausing this twisted cult thriller
It doesn’t need to be October for me to settle in with a creepy cult story—tales of dangerous, charismatic leaders and their followers always have me hungry to know why, who, and most importantly, WTF?!! So I’m fully in for this new Audible Original, an immersive full-cast production starring Josh Charles (The Good Wife, Dead Poets Society) as the mysterious leader of an end-of-days cult called Tribulation. Its members sign up for seven years of torture in exchange for salvation, a value proposition our hero Stacy is healthily skeptical about. But when Stacy sets off to rescue her husband from the cult with a conspiracy theorist named Reid, things get weird—with delightfully eerie sound design and space/time shenanigans aplenty.
Join the Cult
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Call Me God
- The Untold Story of the DC Sniper Investigation
- By: Jim Clemente, Tim Clemente, Peter McDonnell
- Narrated by: Maureen O'Connell
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,820
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,189
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,170
Inside Michael’s craft supply store, cashier Ann Chapman rings up another customer. Then it happens. A loud crack; a gust of wind; the light in register five goes dark. Over the next 23 days, the entire DC area will be thrust into a reign of terror unprecedented in American history. Sniper attacks targeting and murdering everyday citizens will bring the entire region to its knees as a nation still reeling from the recent attacks of 9/11 and the anthrax scare is forced to confront a new type of brutal assault - this time in their own backyard.
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5 out of 5 stars
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much like the GSK Audio book
- By Moranda Haines on 10-30-19
The DC sniper attacks united America in fear
I’m from Virginia, but I was living in New York when a series of random sniper attacks terrorized the DC area in 2002. I remember how scared I was for my family—no matter how illogical the fear, statistically—and how that paranoia felt mixed up in the high tension of the post 9/11 era. Now, the full story of what really happened in those tragic weeks is finally being told. Featuring both heartbreaking survivor accounts and gripping interviews with law enforcement, including legendary retired FBI agents Jim and Tim Clemente, Call Me God takes a nuanced look at a case that briefly united a country in fear.
Listen In
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Forward
- Stories of Tomorrow
- By: Veronica Roth, Blake Crouch, Amor Towles, and others
- Narrated by: Evan Rachel Wood, Rosa Salazar, Jason Isaacs, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,486
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,289
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,285
For some, it’s the end of the world. For others, it’s just the beginning. With brilliant imagination, today’s most visionary writers point to the future in a collection curated by bestselling author Blake Crouch. These stories range from darkly comic to deeply chilling, but they all look forward. Featuring stories by Andy Weir, Amor Towles, Veronica Roth, N. K. Jemisin, Paul Tremblay, and Blake Crouch; with narration by Evan Rachel Wood, David Harbour, Jason Isaacs, Rosa Salazar, Steven Strait, and Janina Gavankar.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Very weird ride
- By John W on 02-15-20
Techno-anxiety even terror-phobes can handle
I deeply respect the taste of editor Emily, who among other things introduced me to Rhys Bowen (more on her later!). But while I eat up dark, twisty stories like Halloween candy, Emily has a little more…anxiety about them. So when she told me—multiple times, as is her wont—how the new Forward Collection stokes her fascination with the dystopian sci-fi of Black Mirror without keeping her tossing and turning all night, I was intrigued. As she says, It walks that perfect line that allows me to engage my inner nerd while keeping my inner stress-case at bay.
Plus, the stories were written by some seriously heavy hitters (Blake Crouch, N.K. Jemisin, Paul Tremblay, AND MORE 😱) and performed by an all-star cast. It’s now at the top of my queue—so you can stop bugging me, Em, k?
Deep-Dive In
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Love and Death Among the Cheetahs
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Jasmine Blackborow
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,756
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,464
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,456
I was so excited when Darcy announced out of the blue that we were flying to Kenya for our extended honeymoon. Now that we are here, I suspect he has actually been sent to fulfill another secret mission. I am trying very hard not to pick a fight about it, because after all, we are in paradise! Darcy finally confides that there have been robberies in London and Paris. It seems the thief was a member of the aristocracy and may have fled to Kenya. Since we are staying in the Happy Valley, we are well positioned to hunt for clues and ferret out possible suspects.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Not Georgie's Finest
- By Dylan on 10-09-19
A wild ride for Her Royal Spyness
When we last left Lady Georgiana Rannoch, she was getting married. Now, Georgie is finally Mrs. Darcy O’Mara. The honeymooners head for Kenya, where Georgie is happy to rub shoulders with the aristocratic Happy Valley set. But their tastes are decadent in more ways than one (the real group, which settled in colonial Kenya and Uganda in the 1930s, was actually known for wild sex parties!). When one of them winds up dead…and partially eaten…Georgie wonders if wild animals are really to blame? Narrator Jasmine Blackborow returns for her second outing, while Bowen takes on the challenge of not whitewashing the era’s despicable racist attitudes while maintaining the series’ signature camp. New terrain, indeed.
Off We Go
Coming Soon
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The Night Fire
- A Ballard and Bosch Novel: Harry Bosch, Book 22
- By: Michael Connelly
- Narrated by: Christine Lakin, Titus Welliver
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 13,429
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 12,140
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12,053
Back when Harry Bosch was just a rookie homicide detective, he had an inspiring mentor who taught him to take the work personally and light the fire of relentlessness for every case. Now that mentor, John Jack Thompson, is dead, but after his funeral his widow hands Bosch a murder book that Thompson took with him when he left the LAPD 20 years before - the unsolved killing of a troubled young man in an alley used for drug deals.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great Story, Excellent Narration !!
- By R. Pontiflet on 10-30-19
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Death Beside the Seaside
- A Lady Hardcastle Mystery, Book 6
- By: T E Kinsey
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,905
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,708
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,696
July 1910. Lady Hardcastle and her tireless sidekick Flo have finally embarked on a long-overdue seaside break. But just as they’re wavering between ice creams and donkey rides, their fellow guests start to go missing - and the duo find themselves with a hysterical hotel manager and a case to solve. The first to disappear is Dr Goddard, a scientist doing something terribly top-secret for the government.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Least favorite of the series (insert sad face)
- By Bex on 11-25-19
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Blue Moon
- Jack Reacher, Book 24
- By: Lee Child
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11,979
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10,746
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10,698
Reacher is on a Greyhound bus, minding his own business, with no particular place to go and all the time in the world to get there. Then, he steps off the bus to help an old man who is obviously just a victim waiting to happen. But you know what they say about good deeds. Now, Reacher wants to make it right. An elderly couple have made a few well-meaning mistakes, and now they owe big money to some very bad people. One brazen move leads to another, and suddenly Reacher finds himself a wanted man in the middle of a brutal turf war between rival Ukrainian and Albanian gangs.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Judge for yourself...
- By shelley on 10-29-19
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To the Land of Long Lost Friends
- No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Book 20
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Lisette Lecat
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 874
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 783
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 778
Mma Ramotswe reconnects with an old friend who has been having problems with her daughter. Though Precious feels compelled to lend a hand, she discovers that getting involved in family affairs is always a delicate proposition. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni finds himself embroiled in familial drama as well, when one of his clients asks for help evicting an unwanted houseguest who turns out to be the man's own brother. Elsewhere, Charlie and Fanwell are also involved in tricky matters of the heart, as Queenie-Queenie, Charlie's girlfriend, seems to have transferred her affections to Fanwell.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Marvelous! I love this series!!
- By Wayne on 03-14-20
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The Night Fire
- A Ballard and Bosch Novel: Harry Bosch, Book 22
- By: Michael Connelly
- Narrated by: Christine Lakin, Titus Welliver
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 13,429
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 12,140
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12,053
Back when Harry Bosch was just a rookie homicide detective, he had an inspiring mentor who taught him to take the work personally and light the fire of relentlessness for every case. Now that mentor, John Jack Thompson, is dead, but after his funeral his widow hands Bosch a murder book that Thompson took with him when he left the LAPD 20 years before - the unsolved killing of a troubled young man in an alley used for drug deals.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great Story, Excellent Narration !!
- By R. Pontiflet on 10-30-19
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Death Beside the Seaside
- A Lady Hardcastle Mystery, Book 6
- By: T E Kinsey
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,905
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,708
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,696
July 1910. Lady Hardcastle and her tireless sidekick Flo have finally embarked on a long-overdue seaside break. But just as they’re wavering between ice creams and donkey rides, their fellow guests start to go missing - and the duo find themselves with a hysterical hotel manager and a case to solve. The first to disappear is Dr Goddard, a scientist doing something terribly top-secret for the government.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
Least favorite of the series (insert sad face)
- By Bex on 11-25-19
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Blue Moon
- Jack Reacher, Book 24
- By: Lee Child
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11,979
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10,746
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10,698
Reacher is on a Greyhound bus, minding his own business, with no particular place to go and all the time in the world to get there. Then, he steps off the bus to help an old man who is obviously just a victim waiting to happen. But you know what they say about good deeds. Now, Reacher wants to make it right. An elderly couple have made a few well-meaning mistakes, and now they owe big money to some very bad people. One brazen move leads to another, and suddenly Reacher finds himself a wanted man in the middle of a brutal turf war between rival Ukrainian and Albanian gangs.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Judge for yourself...
- By shelley on 10-29-19
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To the Land of Long Lost Friends
- No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Book 20
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Lisette Lecat
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 874
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 783
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 778
Mma Ramotswe reconnects with an old friend who has been having problems with her daughter. Though Precious feels compelled to lend a hand, she discovers that getting involved in family affairs is always a delicate proposition. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni finds himself embroiled in familial drama as well, when one of his clients asks for help evicting an unwanted houseguest who turns out to be the man's own brother. Elsewhere, Charlie and Fanwell are also involved in tricky matters of the heart, as Queenie-Queenie, Charlie's girlfriend, seems to have transferred her affections to Fanwell.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Marvelous! I love this series!!
- By Wayne on 03-14-20
About the Editor
Kat is an Audible editor and podcast addict who likes to mix up her diet of thrillers and true crime with comedy, weird literary fiction, and the occasional nonfiction blockbuster to sound smarter at parties. Follow her on Twitter @katbhandari.