The Anatomy of Desire

A Novel

By: L. R. Dorn

Narrated by: Santino Fontana, Shelby Young, Marin Ireland, JD Jackson, Dan Bittner, Vikas Adam, Gabra Zackman, Fred Berman, Darrell Dennis, Oliver Wyman, Jonathan Davis, Hillary Huber, Lisa Flanagan, Sharahn LaRue

Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award finalist for Multi-Voice Performance!

Performed docuseries style by a star-studded full cast including Santino Fontana, Shelby Young , Marin Ireland, JD Jackson, Dan Bittner, Vikas Adam, Gabra Zackman, Fred Berman, Darrell Dennis, Oliver Wyman, Jonathan Davis, Hilary Huber, and Lisa Flanagan

For fans of riveting true crime docuseries a la Serial and Making a Murderer, The Anatomy of Desire is a modern tale of crime and punishment exploring unbridled ambition, blinding passion, and the dark side of desire

Claire Griffith has it all, a thriving career, a gorgeous boyfriend, glamorous friends. She always knew she was destined for more than the life her conservative parents preached to her. Arriving in Los Angeles flat broke, she has risen to become a popular fitness coach and social media influencer. Having rebranded herself as Cleo Ray, she stands at the threshold of realizing her biggest dreams.

One summer day, Cleo and a woman named Beck Alden set off in a canoe on a serene mountain lake. An hour later, Beck is found dead in the water, and Cleo is missing. Authorities suspect foul play, and news of Cleo’s involvement goes viral. Who was Beck? An infatuated follower? Were she and Cleo friends or lovers? Was Beck’s death an accident...or murder?

Told in the form of an immersive investigative docuseries, L. R. Dorn’s brilliant reimagining of Theodore Dreiser’s classic crime drama, An American Tragedy, captures the urgency and poignance of the original and rekindles it as a very contemporary and utterly mesmerizing pause-resister.

©2021 L. R. Dorn (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Couldn’t stop listening

Excellent story. A real page turner. Contemporary version on a classic murder mystery. A must read for anyone in the Eastern Sierras.

Not a fan of podcast

I may be old-fashioned, but I haven't gotten used to this kind of audiobook. This book was just okay for me. It took 3 tries to finish it. At times, it was difficult to understand which character was speaking. I think the readers are supposed to understand from the voice because there were not always mentioned who was speaking. it was just confusing sometimes.

Absolutely loved this!

The story was very good and I loved how it was read. So different from other audiobooks! It’s like a podcast. So well done!

If you enjoy True Crime podcasts listen to this

This book was excellent on Audible. I could not imagine not doing the audio book as it was so interesting to hear each character as it flips a lot like a podcast. The book was a quick listen. Finished in two days, would have finished in one but ran out of time. I highly recommend listening to this one it was great!

Excellent Story Evolves in Inyo

We really enjoyed listening to the audible version of this crime thriller.

This 'radio broadcast' presentation adds another dimension to the story of youthful desire and lust.

The superb cast, added extra life to the story making it feel like you were there, gasping at the details of a modern love affair.

Highly recommended.

A very different "True Crime" experience

I don't write a review for every audiobook I listen to; but felt compelled to do so with this one. This is an updated version of "An American Tragedy" by Theodore Dreiser. It involves the relationship between Cleo, a social media influencer, her girlfriend Rebecca.. Shortly after they were seen together at a lake, Rebecca is found dead & Cleo is nowhere to be found. It's a story of love, betrayal, and a world where being #1 in the public cybersphere is what counts. Personal lives are laid bare; the amount of importance the media & public opinion have are scrutinized for all of us to evaluate.

Presented in a documentary style series format, I found this to be unique and different for this genre. The performances were excellent; and my attention was riveted from the get-go. The story is engaging and is layered with the same complexity that makes up the human condition. Because of the unusual style the book is written in; I must say I think the Audiobook is the only format that will do this novel justice. It truly was like listening to a podcast or watching an episode of a True Crime show. I don't think "reading' this novel would capture the intensity & flavor of this book.

Unique, fresh, engaging....and a story that will make you still wonder and analyze when it's over. Definitely worth the credit.

New, Different and great listen

Wow, something a bit different. This was my first Dorn book and I was not disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and more so because of the narration. Multiple voices playing the parts was refreshing! While not a cliffhanger, I personally left "still wondering" and I like that extra thought provoking aspect. I will look at others by this author.

Something new and fresh in the genre!

I really enjoyed this book. It is a new and fresh Idea in a genre that has seen everything, and I really like that. it kept me guessing and to be honest, I am still guessing. it doesn't wrap things up in a nice bow in the last chapter. It leaves you to draw your own conclusion. I usually would hate that, but here I am not mad about it. The story is solid and the characters are well developed. it wasn't the best book I've read this year or even this month, but it kept my interest and it was worth the credit.

Audio Theatre

Listening to this book felt like I was watching a play. I’m very familiar with the area where this story takes place so it was easy to visualize the scenes. Excellent delivery by the readers and a truly unique “book” experience. Bravo to the author for a fresh take on an old story! Looking forward to seeing what they produce next!

Great Performances - "An American Tragedy"

I liked the adaptation for An American Tragedy to track with analogous present day realities. I enjoyed the build up but did expect a couple more twists to set it apart from your average storyline. Altogether I would recommend this Title as the podcast like delivery made it much more engaging than it would've been otherwise.