The Express

By: R.K. Howard

Narrated by: Alex Hyde-White, Punch Audio

Length: 56 mins

Publisher's Summary

Are you ready for one hell of a bumpy ride?

A man's daily commute becomes a hellish nightmare in this harrowing account of a horrific bus crash that transforms a fateful ending into a painful beginning for an unlucky lot forced to endure.

Based on an age-old premise with a fresh perspective that visits the undesirable side of life after death.

©2016 R.K. Howard (P)2016 R.K. Howard

A short story that

Just didn't stick with me. Don't get me wrong - it wasn't a bad read - it just wasn't a great read either. Perhaps I am expecting too much from a short story, but a great book sticks in my head for a bit when I'm done with it and this one didn't. I was provided this book in exchange for a review. While this one was slightly above average, I would certainly listen to another book by RK Howard, I would just try a regular book as opposed to a short story.

I hate to sit on the fence , but I don't have a choice here, while I can't say don't read it, I'm not going to recommend either. In keeping with my promise to give a honest review that's the best I've got.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

a quick tale that is reasonably enjoyable

A man just wants to get home after a long day of work.  His daily commute on the express bus goes from mundane to strange, then horrific as he learns the meaning of life.  There are lessons to be learned, and if you don’t learn them, and learn them well, the consequences are unforgiving and permanent.

The Express is short (under and hour) and to the point.  The Devil is in the details as they say.  There is a folksy kind of tone to the story, almost a 1940’s novel with an “Oh Boy, this isn’t swell” kind of mood.  But the setting is modern until it turns dark, very dark.  Somehow the narrator is able to speak to us from way beyond time and warns us of our own possible fate.

The simple plot is straightforward and entertaining with little in the way of surprises or twists, just one man’s fall into the abyss.  For a quick listen without too much brain power this could be a nice escape.

The story is performed by Alex Hyde-White.  His sonorous voice is perfect for the folksy character both in tone and mood.  There is a lighthearted feel to his voice that keeps the dark story from being depressing.  There is only the one character telling us the entire story with no other character voices.  He excellent and wonderful to listen to.  A voice you might want to follow.

The Express is a quick tale that is reasonably enjoyable.  Nothing earth-shattering or new, but entertaining enough.  Give it a listen if you are in the mood for one man’s decent into darkness.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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4 of 6 people found this review helpful

The Express

Boy Howdy this is a good short story!Alex Hyde-White takes us on a bus ride to terror and hell.Be nice to those who need a hand out more than you!A great ride!
I was given this book free for an honest review

Interesting While Also Horrific And Sad

“The Express” is a very short story about a hellish account of what happens to a man after the bus he commutes to work on crashes. I don’t think I can say anymore without spoilers so I’ll just say it is worth your time if you like horror stories.

Finally, this audio book was provided by the author at no cost in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of Audio Book Blast.

A wild ride to a scary place!

My rating: 4.5 stars
Audiobook narrator rating: 4.5 stars

Sometimes I like to not read book descriptions in order to be completely surprised by the book. I mean, I knew that the book was a ‘horror’ book and some other genre-specific things, but no idea about the plot.

Needless to say, we take a wild ride to a scary place. The horror aspect of the book was captured very well and made me feel uncomfortable at times (which is intended).

I liked the narrator’s thoughts and his little one-liners throughout the book. It was told from a conversational story point and fit very well with the tone of the book. The book was interesting and certainly ‘bumpy’ ride. His puns were quite funny. Overall, this painted a nice [scary] picture of the afterlife in hell…

The narrator did a good job. There was no need for him to change his voice for other characters since it was more of a monologue type of thought process. He spoke in a conversational tone.

I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Short but very Sweet

What made the experience of listening to The Express the most enjoyable?

Fast paced fun thrill ride that is a little creepy but interesting.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrator did a great job--he kept me interested till the end.

What does Alex Hyde-White and Punch Audio bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The emotion, the feeling that you're right there. This story will surround you, like no paper back book would.

Any additional comments?

"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom."

Very interesting and unique, in a great way! :)

This short story was very different from anything I've ever read before. From the first word I was so interested, I actually listened to the whole thing twice in a row. The story is told in a very unique way, and I'm not sure how to explain it. It's a horror story, but written in a way that feels like something completely new. There is even a little bit of humor thrown in. Alex Hyde-White was the narrator of the audiobook, and he was fantastic! I would love to hear more from this guy, I absolutely love hearing his voice. I really enjoyed this audiobook, and I highly recommend it. I'm planning to check out more of the authors work, and I hope it's very similar to this book!
**This book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Hellishly Fresh Take On An Old Theme

Author R. K. Howard takes you on a trip. You have no idea where you’re going, but you enjoy the story being told as it is being told because… well because it is so expertly delivered in first-person, you really have no choice but to listen intently and nod where appropriate. It is THAT good. The protagonist’s telling is so raw and intimate and earthy, that it feels more like an event that you’re witnessing (a little too closely for comfort) than a journal of someone else’s experience. No such gaps exist.

I applaud Howard for choosing THE voice for his protagonist. Alex Hyde-White nailed every mood, pitch, pace, twist, and deep seeded frightful message. He is the perfect accompaniment to this masterpiece. I plan to look for more work from both Howard and Hyde-White.

Please check my other reviews—you will see that most books, gifted or not, do not receive 5-STARS from me. I give honest feedback. This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks AudioBlast.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

All aboard!!

This is a short thrill story. Its very fast paced. I had the bright idea of listening to this at night alone in my room, in the dark, while laying in bed. I would not recommend that. its a creepy spine chilling book. Not scary, just creepy. the main character was very well written.
It reminded me of growing up being told by my grandparents, “be good or you will go to hell!”

I would love to get into more detail, but it is a short book, and i don’t want to give up to much. but i do wish, it was a bit longer. maybe more things that happened.

This book was given to me by Audiobook Boom! for my honest unbiased review

A fun short listen

When I heard RK Howard's The Aparting I immediately wanted to hear another story. This one doesn't have as quite as clever a plot but it manages Stephen King caliber character building and the performance by Alex Hyde-White really sells it. Overall I'd recommend it

I received this audiobook from the author for free via audiobookblast in exchange for an unbiased review.