• The CBS Murders

  • A True Account of Greed and Violence in New York's Diamond District
  • By: Richard Hammer
  • Narrated by: Jim Goad
  • Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (52 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The CBS Murders  By  cover art

The CBS Murders

By: Richard Hammer
Narrated by: Jim Goad
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.95

Buy for $19.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Winner of the Edgar Award: The gripping account of a gruesome mass murder in gritty 1980s New York and the relentless hunt for a coldblooded killer.

On a warm spring evening in 1982, 37-year-old accountant Margaret Barbera left work in New York City and walked to the West Side parking lot where she kept her BMW. Finding the lock on the driver’s side door jammed, she went to the passenger’s side and inserted her key. A man leaned through the open window of a van parked in the next spot, pressed a silenced pistol to the back of Margaret’s head, and fired. She was dead before she hit the pavement.

It was a professional hit, meticulously planned - but the killer didn’t expect three employees of the nearby CBS television studios to stumble onto the scene of the crime. “You didn’t see nothin’, did you?” he demanded, before shooting the first eyewitness in the head. After chasing down and executing the other two men, the murderer sped out of the parking lot with Margaret’s lifeless body in the back of his van.

Thirty minutes later, the first detectives arrived on the scene. Veterans of Midtown North, a sprawling precinct stretching from the exclusive shops of Fifth Avenue to the flophouses of Hell’s Kitchen, they thought they’d seen it all. But a bloodbath in the heart of Manhattan was a shocking new level of depravity, and the investigation would unfold under intense media coverage. Setting out on the trail of an assassin, the NYPD uncovered one of the most diabolical criminal conspiracies in the city’s history.

Richard Hammer’s blow-by-blow account of “the CBS Murders” is a thrilling tale of greed, violence, and betrayal, and a fascinating portrait of how a big-city police department solved the toughest of cases.

©1987 Richard Hammer and John Richard Wales (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The CBS Murders

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    26
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    16
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    20
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The Title

I just didn't find it entertaining. The title is a bit of a misconception. This story isn't about the murder of reporters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Very interesting event and book.

Intriguing and well written. Recommended but be prepared for the depths to which humans will sink to enrich themselves.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

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

Riveting true crime, worthy of a movie!

I had this one in my Audible Library for awhile, and decided to check it out. I was so engrossed in this story! It details one man’s insatiable greed, leading to ponzi schemes, double dealings and murder. I’d recommend this listen!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Greed and Murder

This was a thorough account of fraud, greed and murder in the early 1980s. I had not heard of this case before. When I saw the book on sale, I had to pick up a copy. Author Richard Hammer expertly recounts the tale of a gifted con man who got greedy. That greed ruined lives, companies and cost the lives of five people. It took several years, but the mastermind was caught and ultimately convicted. Find out what happened in this thrilling account. The audio book version is straightforward. A great read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Great detailed story well told

This is my second book I have listened to by this author. His style of writing is intelligent and crisp. Both narrators for his two books are perfect.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!