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The Ruins
- Narrated by: Patrick Wilson
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
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The Ruins
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The Troop
- Written by: Nick Cutter
- Narrated by: Corey Brill
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 220
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 201
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Story4 out of 5 stars 202
Once every year, Scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a weekend camping trip - a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story around a roaring bonfre. The boys are a tight-knit crew. There’s Kent, one of the most popular kids in school; Ephraim and Max, also well-liked and easygoing; then there’s Newt the nerd and Shelley the odd duck. For the most part, they all get along and are happy to be there - which makes Scoutmaster Tim’s job a little easier.
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1 out of 5 stars
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If you're into detailed animal abuse
- By Emilie on 2020-07-28
Written by: Nick Cutter
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The Elementals
- Written by: Michael McDowell
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
After a bizarre and disturbing incident at the funeral of matriarch Marian Savage, the McCray and Savage families look forward to a restful and relaxing summer at Beldame, on Alabama's Gulf Coast, where three Victorian houses loom over the shimmering beach. Two of the houses are habitable, while the third is slowly and mysteriously being buried beneath an enormous dune of blindingly white sand. But though long uninhabited, the third house is not empty. Inside, something deadly lies in wait.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant Ghost Story
- By Listener on 2021-02-09
Written by: Michael McDowell
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Little Heaven
- A Novel
- Written by: Nick Cutter
- Narrated by: Corey Brill
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 42
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
From electrifying horror author Nick Cutter comes a haunting new novel, reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian and Stephen King's It, in which a trio of mismatched mercenaries is hired by a young woman for a deceptively simple task: check in on her nephew, who may have been taken against his will to a remote New Mexico backwoods settlement called Little Heaven. Shortly after they arrive, things begin to turn ominous.
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5 out of 5 stars
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unreal
- By Alex Harper on 2021-04-18
Written by: Nick Cutter
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Those Across the River
- Written by: Christopher Buehlman
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 22
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
Failed academic Frank Nichols and his wife, Eudora, have arrived in the sleepy Georgia town of Whitbrow, where Frank hopes to write a history of his family's old estate - the Savoyard Plantation - and the horrors that occurred there. At first, the quaint, rural ways of their new neighbors seem to be everything they wanted. But there is an unspoken dread that the townsfolk have lived with for generations. A presence that demands sacrifice.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great story. Chilling setting
- By Roseann Larstone on 2020-10-21
Written by: Christopher Buehlman
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Kin
- Written by: Kealan Patrick Burke
- Narrated by: Chet Williamson
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Story4 out of 5 stars 11
On a scorching hot summer day in Elkwood, Alabama, Claire Lambert staggers naked, wounded, and half-blind away from the scene of an atrocity. She is the sole survivor of a nightmare that claimed her friends, and even as she prays for rescue, the killers - a family of cannibalistic lunatics - are closing in.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great
- By Reader on 2022-10-26
Written by: Kealan Patrick Burke
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Hell House
- Written by: Richard Matheson
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 99
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
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Story4 out of 5 stars 85
For over 20 years, Belasco House has stood empty. Regarded as the Mt. Everest of haunted houses, its shadowed walls have witnessed scenes of unimaginable horror and depravity. All previous attempts to probe its mysteries have ended in murder, suicide, or insanity.
But now, a new investigation has been launched, bringing four strangers to Belasco House in search of the ultimate secrets of life and death. A wealthy publisher, brooding over his impending death, has paid a physicist and two mediums to establish the facts of life after death once and for all. For one night, they will investigate the Belasco House and learn exactly why the townsfolk refer to it as the Hell House.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Mostly just gross and unsettling
- By Erica on 2019-01-25
Written by: Richard Matheson
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The Troop
- Written by: Nick Cutter
- Narrated by: Corey Brill
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 220
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 202
Once every year, Scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a weekend camping trip - a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story around a roaring bonfre. The boys are a tight-knit crew. There’s Kent, one of the most popular kids in school; Ephraim and Max, also well-liked and easygoing; then there’s Newt the nerd and Shelley the odd duck. For the most part, they all get along and are happy to be there - which makes Scoutmaster Tim’s job a little easier.
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1 out of 5 stars
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If you're into detailed animal abuse
- By Emilie on 2020-07-28
Written by: Nick Cutter
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The Elementals
- Written by: Michael McDowell
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
After a bizarre and disturbing incident at the funeral of matriarch Marian Savage, the McCray and Savage families look forward to a restful and relaxing summer at Beldame, on Alabama's Gulf Coast, where three Victorian houses loom over the shimmering beach. Two of the houses are habitable, while the third is slowly and mysteriously being buried beneath an enormous dune of blindingly white sand. But though long uninhabited, the third house is not empty. Inside, something deadly lies in wait.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant Ghost Story
- By Listener on 2021-02-09
Written by: Michael McDowell
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Little Heaven
- A Novel
- Written by: Nick Cutter
- Narrated by: Corey Brill
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 42
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
From electrifying horror author Nick Cutter comes a haunting new novel, reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian and Stephen King's It, in which a trio of mismatched mercenaries is hired by a young woman for a deceptively simple task: check in on her nephew, who may have been taken against his will to a remote New Mexico backwoods settlement called Little Heaven. Shortly after they arrive, things begin to turn ominous.
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5 out of 5 stars
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unreal
- By Alex Harper on 2021-04-18
Written by: Nick Cutter
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Those Across the River
- Written by: Christopher Buehlman
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 24
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 22
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
Failed academic Frank Nichols and his wife, Eudora, have arrived in the sleepy Georgia town of Whitbrow, where Frank hopes to write a history of his family's old estate - the Savoyard Plantation - and the horrors that occurred there. At first, the quaint, rural ways of their new neighbors seem to be everything they wanted. But there is an unspoken dread that the townsfolk have lived with for generations. A presence that demands sacrifice.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great story. Chilling setting
- By Roseann Larstone on 2020-10-21
Written by: Christopher Buehlman
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Kin
- Written by: Kealan Patrick Burke
- Narrated by: Chet Williamson
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Story4 out of 5 stars 11
On a scorching hot summer day in Elkwood, Alabama, Claire Lambert staggers naked, wounded, and half-blind away from the scene of an atrocity. She is the sole survivor of a nightmare that claimed her friends, and even as she prays for rescue, the killers - a family of cannibalistic lunatics - are closing in.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great
- By Reader on 2022-10-26
Written by: Kealan Patrick Burke
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Hell House
- Written by: Richard Matheson
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 99
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
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Story4 out of 5 stars 85
For over 20 years, Belasco House has stood empty. Regarded as the Mt. Everest of haunted houses, its shadowed walls have witnessed scenes of unimaginable horror and depravity. All previous attempts to probe its mysteries have ended in murder, suicide, or insanity.
But now, a new investigation has been launched, bringing four strangers to Belasco House in search of the ultimate secrets of life and death. A wealthy publisher, brooding over his impending death, has paid a physicist and two mediums to establish the facts of life after death once and for all. For one night, they will investigate the Belasco House and learn exactly why the townsfolk refer to it as the Hell House.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Mostly just gross and unsettling
- By Erica on 2019-01-25
Written by: Richard Matheson
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The Reddening
- Written by: Adam Nevill
- Narrated by: Conner Goff
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
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Story4 out of 5 stars 16
Lifestyle journalist Katrine escaped past traumas by moving to a coast renowned for seaside holidays and natural beauty. But when a vast hoard of human remains and prehistoric artifacts is discovered in nearby Brickburgh, a hideous shadow engulfs her life. Helene, a disillusioned lone parent, lost her brother, Lincoln, six years ago. Disturbing subterranean noises he recorded prior to vanishing, draw her to Brickburgh's caves. A site where early humans butchered each other across 60,000 years. Upon the walls, images of their nameless gods remain.
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3 out of 5 stars
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meh
- By Anne on 2021-03-06
Written by: Adam Nevill
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The Deep
- Written by: Nick Cutter
- Narrated by: Corey Brill
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 69
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 62
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Story4 out of 5 stars 63
A strange plague called the "Gets" is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget - small things at first, like where they left their keys... then the not-so-small things like how to drive, or the letters of the alphabet. Then their bodies forget how to function involuntarily - and there is no cure. But now, far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, deep in the Marianas Trench, an heretofore unknown substance hailed as "ambrosia" has been discovered - a universal healer, from initial reports.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Forgetable but hes a great descriptive wtiter
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-07-07
Written by: Nick Cutter
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The Fireman
- A Novel
- Written by: Joe Hill
- Narrated by: Kate Mulgrew
- Length: 22 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 96
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 81
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 81
No one knows exactly when it began or where it originated. A terrifying new plague is spreading like wildfire across the country, striking cities one by one: Boston, Detroit, Seattle. The doctors call it Draco Incendia Trychophyton. To everyone else it's Dragonscale, a highly contagious, deadly spore that marks its hosts with beautiful black and gold marks across their bodies - before causing them to burst into flames. Millions are infected; blazes erupt everywhere. There is no antidote. No one is safe.
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4 out of 5 stars
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overall good
- By Nick r on 2019-11-04
Written by: Joe Hill
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Burnt Offerings
- Valancourt 20th Century Classics
- Written by: Robert Marasco
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- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 22
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
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Story4 out of 5 stars 20
Ben and Marian Rolfe are desperate to escape a stifling summer in their tiny Brooklyn apartment, so when they get the chance to rent a mansion in upstate New York for the entire summer for only $900, it's an offer that's too good to refuse. There's only one catch: behind a strange and intricately carved door in a distant wing of the house lives elderly Mrs. Allardyce, and the Rolfes will be responsible for preparing her meals. But Mrs. Allardyce never seems to emerge from her room, and it soon becomes clear that something weird and terrifying is happening in the house.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderfully Nostalgic Timeless 70"s Classic
- By Mystery McCarthy on 2021-03-15
Written by: Robert Marasco
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The Hollow Places
- Written by: T. Kingfisher
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 87
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 76
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Story4 out of 5 stars 76
"Pray they are hungry." Kara finds these words in the mysterious bunker that she’s discovered behind a hole in the wall of her uncle's house. Freshly divorced and living back at home, Kara now becomes obsessed with these cryptic words and starts exploring the peculiar bunker - only to discover that it holds portals to countless alternate realities. But these places are haunted by creatures that seem to hear thoughts...and the more you fear them, the stronger they become.
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3 out of 5 stars
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It was Good
- By Amy Merritt on 2020-12-31
Written by: T. Kingfisher
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Carrion Comfort
- Written by: Dan Simmons
- Narrated by: Mel Foster, Laural Merlington
- Length: 39 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 99
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 85
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
Caught behind the lines of Hitler's Final Solution, Saul Laski is one of the multitudes destined to die in the notorious Chelmno extermination camp. Until he rises to meet his fate and finds himself face to face with an evil far older, and far greater, than the Nazis themselves. Compelled by the encounter to survive at all costs, so begins a journey that for Saul will span decades and cross continents, plunging into the darkest corners of 20th century history to reveal a secret society of beings who may often exist behind the world's most horrible and violent events.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A marvelous revisit to a classic story.
- By Candace on 2018-09-29
Written by: Dan Simmons
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The Luminous Dead
- A Novel
- Written by: Caitlin Starling
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
- Length: 14 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 29
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Story4 out of 5 stars 28
When Gyre Price lied her way into this expedition, she thought she’d be mapping mineral deposits and that her biggest problems would be cave collapses and gear malfunctions. She also thought that the fat paycheck - enough to get her off-planet and on the trail of her mother - meant she’d get a skilled surface team, monitoring her suit and environment, keeping her safe. Keeping her sane. Instead, she got Em. Em sees nothing wrong with controlling Gyre’s body with drugs or withholding critical information to “ensure the smooth operation” of her expedition.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A great story and narrator
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Heart-Shaped Box
- Written by: Joe Hill
- Narrated by: Stephen Lang
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 165
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 146
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 145
Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre. But nothing he possesses is as unlikely or as dreadful as his latest discovery, a thing so terrible-strange, Jude can't help but reach for his wallet. For a thousand dollars, Jude will become the proud owner of a dead man's suit, said to be haunted by a restless spirit. But what UPS delivers to his door in a black heart-shaped box is no imaginary or metaphorical ghost. It's the real thing.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Jury Still Out
- By Heather Little on 2018-05-30
Written by: Joe Hill
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Gone to See the River Man
- Written by: Kristopher Triana
- Narrated by: Dani George
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 30
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 29
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Story4 out of 5 stars 29
These people will give anything for the idols they worship, be they rock stars, actors or authors. Or even serial killers. Lori is just such a fanatic. Her obsession is with Edmund Cox, a man of sadistic cruelty who butchered more than 20 women. She’s gone so far as to forge a relationship with him, visiting him in prison and sending him letters on a regular basis. She will do anything to get close to him, so when he gives her a task, she eagerly accepts it. She has no idea of the horror that awaits her.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Kept me hooked until the end
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Written by: Kristopher Triana
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Barrowlands
- Iconoclasts, Book 0
- Written by: Mike Shel
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 1 hr
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 21
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 19
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
No one enters the doom-haunted Barrowlands without royal sanction. But Hesk Atterley has. Accompanied by seedy companions and a hunger for riches, what he finds may change his life forever...if it doesn't kill him first.
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5 out of 5 stars
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10/10 performance
- By Mythical Mike on 2022-01-23
Written by: Mike Shel
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The Hellbound Heart
- Abridged Edition Read by the Author
- Written by: Clive Barker
- Narrated by: Clive Barker
- Length: 2 hrs and 53 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Story5 out of 5 stars 45
Frank Cotton's insatiable appetite for the dark pleasures of pain led him to the puzzle of Lemarchand's box, and from there, to a death only a sick-minded soul could invent. But his brother's love-crazed wife, Julia, has discovered a way to bring Frank back-though the price will be bloody and terrible . . . and there will certainly be hell to pay....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Loved It!
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-06-01
Written by: Clive Barker
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Sundial
- Written by: Catriona Ward
- Narrated by: Katherine Fenton
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 21
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
All Rob wanted was a normal life. She almost got it, too: a husband, two kids, a nice house in the suburbs. But Rob fears for her oldest daughter, Callie, who collects tiny bones and whispers to imaginary friends. Rob sees a darkness in Callie, one that reminds her too much of the family she left behind. She decides to take Callie back to her childhood home, to Sundial, deep in the Mojave Desert. And there she will have to make a terrible choice.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Very Good Psychological Horror
- By Cindy on 2023-02-07
Written by: Catriona Ward
Publisher's Summary
The Ruins follows two American couples enjoying a pleasant, lazy beach holiday together in Mexico. On an impulse, they go off with newfound friends in search of one of their group, the young German who, in pursuit of a girl, has headed for the remote Mayan ruins, site of a fabled archeological dig.
This is what happens from the moment the searchers, moving into the wild interior, begin to suspect that there is an insidious, horrific "other" among them.
What the critics say
"A stunning horror thriller." (Publishers Weekly
"The book of the summer....Smith intends to scare the bejabbers out of you, and succeeds." (Stephen King)
"If you love ABC's Lost and the novels of King and Thomas Harris, you'll love this book." (USA Today)
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What listeners say about The Ruins
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Daniela
- 2021-03-06
A worthy matured successor to Lord of the Flies
The complexity sneaks up on you in such a way that when the classic horror truly begins, it is overshadowed by the horror of the human mind. In any other scenario, the classic horror elements would be terrifying enough, and even more so than the typical horror story if you focus on those elements on their own. But the fear comes from the deep dive we take into the minds of the protagonists. Most simply, this is Art.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Listener
- 2021-02-22
Unique Story, Well Told
Love the way this story unfolds. If you were to summarize the story to a friend, it would sound pretty implausible, maybe even absurd. But the author tells it in such a way that it's easy to suspend disbelief, and the characters are developed in such a way that it's easy to invest yourself in their survival. Excellent, albeit unconventional, horror/suspense/survival story. Narration was great, too.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- K. Betz
- 2021-02-05
Do NOT Recommend
How this got on a best seller list is beyond me. The writing and story are quite poor. The plot and dialogue really just run in circles. The threat is goofy. This is not a traditional horror story and it is not scary. It's more about survival and the weakness of humans. I usually love a good survival story, but as these characters are stupid beyond comprehension, there's not much ingenuity or tension. There's no real "how are they going to get out of this?!" because we expect the Darwin Award winners to die. The female characters in particular are written as stupid, catty and selfish. While the situation deteriorates quickly, a whole lot of nothing happens for most of the story. I also found Patrick Wilson's narration rather flat, but I suppose he could only do so much with the material. I would not recommend to anyone. I am baffled that this has so many positive reviews.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ali from the Hunted Shelves
- 2020-01-27
The Ruins Ruined me Goooooood
I love this book and this was an amazing listen. It’s so dynamic and gripping. You will never regret it.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-02-07
Most poorly-written female characters of all time.
I tried. I really tried to make it through this book! Body and survival horror all in one is one of my favorite genres, but the two female characters are so unbelievably poorly written. I lost count of how many times they cried or were being irrational/dead weight and had to be told what to do by the male characters.
I also normally love Patrick Wilson, but his narration was quite underwhelming and monotone throughout.
I have honestly never written a bad review of anything ever, but I hope this prevents some people from reading this book and being as disappointed as I was!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amanda
- 2022-09-26
Great story but…
Though the story is great and I liked listening to the narrator, they really should have thought about the cutoff points for the chapters. I know that the physical book doesn’t have any chapters, but it does have spaces where they could of cut off rather than cutting in the middle of a sentence. It interrupts the story if you are only listening from ‘chapter’ to ‘chapter’ and not the whole thing in one go. Other than that, I like the story better than the movie. It really dives deep into the psyche of each character in a survivor scenario.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Aurielle Burbank
- 2022-09-09
This was a book that needed to be 1/3rd shorter.
dragging out the peril and the death didn't make it more impactful, and the hope for survival instead of being empathetic made me hate the characters. I couldn't relate to most of them and couldn't care less about their struggle since there was little character development. the most intriguing part was when they were seeing lights in the cave but that was all explained by the vines I guess? Lame.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-06-25
Survival Horror, a perfect vacation book
I am filing this book under, "good vacation reads", it's not too heavy, or too wordy, just a nice light and compelling story that any seasoned horror/occult fan would enjoy.
Spoilers:
The story invites us to join a group of identifiable characters who are enjoying a typical tropical vacation. Then they make the very poor decision to embark on a journey to visit ancient ruins. One of them is wearing flimsy sandals, another has two bottles of tequila and a hangover...
The author details the groups decline in morale along with psychological and physical degradation in terrifying detail.
After the book was done I lay awake for a few nights thinking of what I would do in such a situation... would I be the hero? The final girl? What would I do to survive?Part of me still wants to know what lay beyond the dark, cold chambers beneath the temple. What exactly was the driving force behind those evil vines?
PS - I also saw the movie and that alternate ending keeps me wondering.. what would happen if the vines escaped?!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Josh
- 2021-11-05
Don’t let the film deceive you
This book was incredible. Tense, nail-biting, and included body horror (for those that are squeamish).
The film adaptation threw me off completely and it just goes to show that the book is usually much better.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Ashley
- 2021-08-11
eerie and stays with you
really good survival horror. effective, heart wrenching, relentless. body horror heavy so if that's not your thing, be warned
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Fredrick J.
- 2017-03-07
Singularly Harsh
It cannot be understated how bleak this novel is. I see "user" reviews are generally more negative than industry reviews and I think that's a lot to do with how little hope there is to be found here. This is not a fun read, even less so on a second go. The characters are tragically human, in an impossible situation, made worse by the otherworldly element. There will be characters you outright hate but they are never unrealistic. I know people like each of them. You may be like one or more of them and that may not help you like the character more! But this is a story about being doomed, and if there's another piece of writing as good at that feeling, I haven't read it. Patrick Wilson does ~aight as a narrator but I swear he recorded this with a sinus infection. If you consider yourself brave, please give this one a chance.
23 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- Judy
- 2007-11-17
Why, Mr. King?
I purchased this audio book based primarily on the fact that Stephen King recommended it. Until now I have been happy to listen to almost any book while driving, but I'm now at approximately the half-way point and don't think I can keep on listening all the way to the end of this one. I find it particularly annoying that whereas the men portrayed in the book are courageous, inventive and intelligent; the women always think and act like three-year-old children.
17 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- Bill Burton
- 2007-10-14
Terrible
There goes 14 hours of my life I will never get back!
I don't usually write reviews but felt I should warn others not to waste their money especially since "This is Audible" radio show has been touting this book again because it was released in paperback.
Book and narrator were equally boring!
9 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- T. Webb
- 2006-10-29
waste
If you want to throw your money away buy this book, otherwise keep looking. The names misleading-I thought the book would be fun from the discription but found the only thing in ruin was my time. Boring, drawn out and inane. I drive truck for a living and listen to alot of books on tape and this was one of the worst I have listened to. No ruined citys or temples, no ghosts demons or even monsters. I wont give away the storyline but buy this at your own risk.
9 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Danielle
- 2017-08-21
Shh.....
This book was about 8 hours too long. The author seemed to be stretching out every detail beyond capacity to attempt to make the book more memorable or iconic than it could ever hope to be. The conflict between characters was consistently forced and unrealistic and often started with a phrase such as: "He/she knew he/she shouldn't be reacting this way, but...." meaning it didn't even make sense to the author but happened anyway in a failed attempt to raise tension. In addition, as soon as the horror aspects finally kicked in, the author felt compelled to make details of normal activities as disgusting and crude as possible...."the semen squirted/sprayed....his shit came out like squeezing toothpaste from a tube...." seriously??? There's a time and a place for gross detail and bodily functions that are unrelated to plot is not one of them. It was all downhill from there. The author apparently also decided that saying "Shh" to someone was the ONLY way comfort them in any situation from relationship trouble, to facing their mortality with starvation....to being in mind and soul-splitting agony from a terrible injury. One star was generous. This was in the top 10 of the worst books I've heard on audible so far. Patrick Wilson narrated well, though. That's something.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- LB
- 2016-01-04
Survival Meets Supernatural
Where does The Ruins rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Oh, I can't really rank that. The book holds a special place for me.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
Of course. Constant suspense plus the evolution of the antagonist is increasingly terrifying.
Which scene was your favorite?
No specific scene is my favorite. But if I had to choose anything I'd like to point out is that Mathias is a main character unlike the movie's interpretation of the novel. He is my favorite character, a touchstone for sanity.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I listened to this book in two days since I can listen to them at work. So I followed the story very closely. In my opinion it felt too short. But I guess you could only survive on a hilltop for so long.
Any additional comments?
The whole execution of survival meeting supernatural is expertly done. I cannot imagine any other story that could pull off a similar setup without copying from this. Truly original in a dying genre. (Horror)
8 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- Richard A. Bamberg
- 2006-10-06
Turn Back Is RIGHT!!!!
This book is not only boring, but the author couldn't even come up with an out once he got his characters into deep dodo. I listened to the first 8 hours and then scanned the rest. The weakest audible book I've come across in 4 yeaers of listening to audible.com and probably the weakest in nearly 20 years of listening to novels on audio.
Please Stop, Turn Back Before It's Too Late.
You'll be sooorrrryyyyy.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- Christopher Wolfe
- 2006-12-10
Brutal
Like many reviewers of this book, this is the first book I've gotten from Audible in 4 years that was bad enough to compell me to write a review.
It could have been a short story, but through repetition and monotony it is a novel.
If I heard one more time the inner dialogue of one of the characters, as they do or say something stupid and unnecessary, describing how they knew they shouldn't but couldn't help themselves....
6 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- Lyssa
- 2006-09-17
waste of a lot of time
This was the worst book I have ever downloaded. It had such promise - got off to a great start. I kept on listening to the very end, hoping that something might happen. No such luck! Don't waste your time.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- Miles
- 2008-05-23
My Review
I listen to MANY horror and science fiction audiobooks. I picked this book out because I wanted to see the movie, but decided to listen to the book first. I've read many of the reviews for this audiobook and I can't get over how polarized they are. Either people love it or hate it. I guess I'm no different. I hated it.
I found the story to be completely boring and extremely predictable. There is almost no character development at all in the book. Instead of story and character development we are treated to juvenile one-dimensional women and overly macho one-dimenional men. There's even a section in the book where the characters discuss who is going to play them in the movie. Yeesh.
Without giving anything away, the 'evil force' was never scary.
I will say that I found the sadistic nature of the Mayans to be very objectionable.
For those of you who liked it, more power to you. However, I need more from my fiction than this author was willing to give. I need interesting characters and interesting situations. The author had the interesting situation, it's everything else that falls apart.
This was my first experience with this narrator, but I found him to be easy to listen to and he had very good tempo. He's the reason I'm rating this book with more than one star.
Based on listening to the book, I've decided to not see the movie.
5 people found this helpful