The Survivor

By: Gregg Hurwitz

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Nate Overbay, a former soldier suffering from PTSD and ALS, goes to an 11th-floor bank and climbs out the bathroom window onto the ledge, ready to end it all. But as he’s steeling himself to jump, a crew of gunmen bursts into the bank and begins viciously shooting employees and customers. With nothing to lose, Nate climbs back inside, confronts the robbers, and with his military training, starts taking them out, one by one. The last man standing leaves Nate with a cryptic warning: “He will make you pay in ways you can’t imagine.” Soon enough, Nate learns what this means.

He is kidnapped by Pavlo, a savage Ukrainian mobster and mastermind of the failed heist. Now blocked from getting into the bank vault to retrieve the critical item inside, Pavlo gives Nate a horrifying ultimatum: Either break in and acquire the item or watch Pavlo slowly kill the people Nate loves most - his estranged wife, Janie, and his teenaged daughter, Cielle. Nate lost them both when he came back from Iraq broken and confused. Now he’s got one chance to protect the people he loves, even if it’s the last thing he is able to do.

©2012 Gregg Hurwitz (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Gritty and Endearing

Where does The Survivor rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book has many redeeming points. Loved the family dynamics. Felt pained at what the main character had already suffered and then at his diagnosis. Loved the way he pushed on and the reasons.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

Scott Brick is one of a kind. I would listen to almost anything read by him.

excellent listen, highly recommend

excellent book, started slow for me but I'm impatient. his orphan x books are what turned me on to this book.

Great AudioBook

Being a truck driver, I sometimes hope to run accross a great audiobook. Here's one great audiobook story. Thanks.

What would Nate Overbay do? What would any of us do? ... can do?

Good Book, I looked forward to my commute

Good Book, I looked forward to my commute so I could listen to this book.

good but standard

likeable hero, hateable bad guys. well crafted and paced. interesting to give the hero a fatal disease. makes it no surprise, and more acceptable when he dies.

Redemption Tale

The subject matter hits at the heart of what most men want. Men want their families to healthy, happy and comfortable. Modern thought intimates this is a result of the generational and cultural conditioning of modern middle-aged men, but I believe this desire is a basic design attribute. Providing for and protecting our families is what men do.

Good story and character development

Had a softer touch than hurwitz normal novels but it was good Balance of action. I can certainly see a movie in the future.

It Takes Awhile...and Then Kaboom!

This Hurwitz/Brick classic begins hot, then cools off for many pages, until finally catching fire in the last three hours. The villains are as evil as ever -- what would do without Eastern Europe? The hero is struggling to stay alive long enough to save his family -- a ticking timebomb in his body. His daughter and her boyfriend are annoying. But not unbearably so. Until Orphan X returns, this will do just fine!

Entertaining, not always predictable.

It was an engaging story, not perfect and some odd characters that didn’t always make sense. But in general entertaining and good company on a walk!

Intense violence, action packed...

Way too violent for my tastes, but plot had me tightly held before it hit, and I did finish it late into the night. I quite enjoyed the story, although it was improbable and I consciously had to accept the over the top premise and... Language is clean, no sexual messiness, writing skills decent. Nice family guy with PTSD versus the Russian mafia to protect his family. Scott Brick always does a great job on narration. My husband would love this... me... way too many images I really hope I will forget.