Vertical Run

A Novel

By: Joseph R. Garber

Narrated by: Stephen Lang

Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller

“A breathless read” (USA Today) featuring “some of the most ingenious military-techno twists this side of Tom Clancy” (San Francisco Chronicle).

David Elliot is about to have a very bad day at the office.

Each morning in his 45th floor executive suite, David savors the quiet moments before the workday begins. Until today, when his boss walks in and aims a gun at him, murder glinting in his eye. For the rest of the day, David will be trapped in a midtown tower with a team of ruthless and professional mercenaries. 

Everyone he meets - and knows - will try to kill him. They expect him to be dead by lunchtime. But they’re wrong.  

This is the “killer” workday redefined, a high-stakes and whiplash-paced drama that plays out with an electrifying intensity. You’ll never see the office the same way again. 

©1995 Joseph R. Garber (P)1995 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, a Division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.

Great Book...but Audible blew it.

Would you try another book from Joseph R. Garber and/or Stephen Lang?

Yes - Yes
Great narrator. He was not the problem.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Marge

How could the performance have been better?

Audible butchered this story through its abridging....almost shameful. My wife happened to be reading the book as I listened to it and without her, I would not of known the true ending. No spoiler, but the book ends with the contents of a memo which wraps up the entire ending and alludes to the whereabouts and/or fate of three characters. Audible abridged it so poorly, they cut out the details for two of the characters and only gave you the fate of the main character....horrible job. Leaves you wondering and a little confused at the end. Really leaves me suspect of audible and what I missed in other books. This book is being made to a movie and the mistake in the abridging will become even more apparent as more people read it and listen to it by Audible. REALLY disappointing.

Did Vertical Run inspire you to do anything?

Re-read other books that were abridged by Audible. The abridging in this one was REALLY careless.

Any additional comments?

When abridging the text for the audible performance changes the core plot of the book, then its the listeners that get cheated. And this one cheated me.

Vertical Run

A non stop action thriller that will keep you guessing. It is well read and acted by Stephen Lang and rates as one of the best audio books I have ever heard, and is an excellent abridgement of the book.

Vertical Run

This is an exceptional tale with and exceptionally cast narrator. We listened to the UNABRIDGED version and after a ten hour road trip we were unable to get out of the car until the last word was spoken. We also listened to the abridged version and AUDIBLE should find and offer the complete recording as it is a story best told with all of the plot and character complexities.This is at the top of our" all time favorites". NOT FOR CHILDREN UNDER AGE 14.

The absolute BEST!

I've read and re-read Vertical Run many times and believe this is the FINEST audio book ever produced. Stephen Lang brings tension and dark humor to the novel that I find positively captivating.

Joseph Garber is a bit like Thomas Harris, in that he isn't a prolific writer. But his writing makes me want this story to continue (he left the door open for that possibility) and to read any future books.

I could not recommend this book more highly. A+++!

Wish it was unabridged

If you could sum up Vertical Run in three words, what would they be?

Great book overall

What other book might you compare Vertical Run to and why?

What about Stephen Lang’s performance did you like?

Great job with the smart-alec guardian angel's voice. I wish Stephen Lang did the unabridged version of the book as well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Any additional comments?

A tight page-turner!

I haven't heard the audiobook, but I read the paperback a few years ago. The book took me on a great ride, and I didn't want to stop reading until the last page. I am looking forward to his new book "Whirlwind" to come to audio format.

Gripping

well paced story with an excellent job by the narrator. one you will return to again and again.

How is this novel not a movie?

Found this one by accident years ago. On cassette originally. Have listened over twenty times now and it's great every time! Do yourself a favor and download!

One of the Greatest Audiobooks Ever!

This was one of the first audio books I ever listened to and it still ranks as my most repeated listened ones. I am normally not a fan of abridgments - but this is the exception. Stephen Lang does an amazing job and the book is quick moving. This is a perfect book to listen to and while it is over 20 years old now, other then some technology differences - it still could go into present day.

Just as I remembered, Excellent 5 stars!

I read this book at its release. Stephen Lang does masterful job with perfect dialects for each character making it a fun second partaking.

Untold Classic

An awesome story of a hunted man, arrives at his New York office to find his boss, some men he'd never met and everyone else he knows trying to kill him except a sardonic "Guardian Angel" in his head. The point of view drags you in, you'll love or hate the characters and it'll keep you thinking until the very end. An untold classic that has aged slightly but is still relevant with well timed flash-backs to the main character's past. Listened to this on my dad's Cassette copy years ago and had to own a copy for myself.

Short but sweet

Excellent tale of one man seemingly hunted down by everyone for no apparent reason. Some good storytelling, and I liked Stephen Lang's style of narration - well recommended!

this in an engaging and well read thriller

This novel is a well set-out mystery/thriller - an ordinary man sets off to work - and strangers attempt to kill him. It is well written as he pieces the parts together. But, what makes it special for me was Stephen Lang's mesmerising reading, he brings the characters alive with accents and tones. I could not switch it off - and a lovely twist at the very end.

This is my favourite book

We have listened to this book dozens of times.It was one of our first purchases years ago on cassette tape which we still have.
We just wish the author had written more books.
To us it’s like the Life of Pi,we have read the book,listened to the audiobook,watched the film and seen a production on stage.

what a story

originally found on cassette 20 years ago revisited still epic narrated perfectly edgy as fuck

an excellent read

what a story! absolutely fabulous. no idea why the movie option wasn't taken up. a cracker!