Audiobooks Like Bring Up The Bodies

Simon Vance narrates Hilary Mantel's Man Booker winner with the measured authority the Tudor court requires — his voice gives Cromwell's cold efficiency a legible interior life, and the 15-hour runtime allows the political orchestration of Anne Boleyn's fall to unfold with the deliberateness of real history. Nine picks share a similar length and two feature Vance's narration, with the list leaning toward literary historical fiction where the moral complexity of power is the real subject.

10 audiobooks for fans of Bring Up The Bodies

  1. 1
    The Miniaturist cover

    The Miniaturist

    The Miniaturist • Book 1

    by Jessie Burton, Unknown Author

    Narrated by Davina Porter

    3.63 ABR Score (155.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.62 Goodreads (153.6K) ★ 4.07 Audible (1.7K)
    13h 17m listening time • Released 2014

    Davina Porter's narration transforms this atmospheric Dutch Golden Age mystery into pure immersion—her voice captures the claustrophobia and intrigue so completely you'll forget you're listening rather than watching.

  2. 2
    The Distant Hours cover

    The Distant Hours

    by Kate Morton, Unknown Author

    Narrated by Louise Brealey

    3.95 ABR Score (85.4K ratings)
    ★ 3.89 Goodreads (85.3K) ★ 4.38 Audible (87)
    21h 30m listening time • Released 2023

    Louise Brealey's narration transforms this multigenerational mystery into something genuinely haunting—her voice shifts subtly across decades and characters, making the slow unraveling of Milderhurst Castle's secrets feel like you're uncovering them yourself.

  3. 3
    The Face of Battle cover

    The Face of Battle

    Six of Crows series

    by John Keegan

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.03 ABR Score (9.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.12 Goodreads (8.7K) ★ 4.37 Audible (788)
    11h 45m listening time • Released 2011

    Simon Vance's measured, authoritative narration transforms Keegan's battlefield analysis into gripping immersion—you'll hear the chaos and humanity beneath the history.

  4. 4
    The Stockholm Octavo cover

    The Stockholm Octavo

    by Karen Engelmann

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    3.53 ABR Score (4.1K ratings)
    ★ 3.44 Goodreads (4.0K) ★ 3.83 Audible (69)
    12h 35m listening time • Released 2013

    Simon Vance's performance transforms this intricate 18th-century Stockholm puzzle into pure immersion—his ability to shift between dozens of characters makes the interconnected mystery feel like eavesdropping on a living world.

  5. 5
    The Rose Code cover

    The Rose Code

    by Kate Quinn

    Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

    4.85 ABR Score (406.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.44 Goodreads (381.4K) ★ 4.8 Audible (25.2K)
    16h 2m listening time • Released 2021
  6. 6
    The Frozen River cover

    The Frozen River

    by Ariel Lawhon

    Narrated by Jane Oppenheimer, Ariel Lawhon

    4.71 ABR Score (610.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.38 Goodreads (594.0K) ★ 4.7 Audible (16.2K)
    15h 5m listening time • Released 2023

    The dual narration captures Martha Ballard's fierce intelligence against a corrupt town that underestimates her—a historical mystery that hinges on one woman's refusal to let power bury the truth.

  7. 7
    Homegoing cover

    Homegoing

    by Yaa Gyasi

    Narrated by Dominic Hoffman

    4.69 ABR Score (421.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.47 Goodreads (410.6K) ★ 4.67 Audible (10.9K)
    13h 11m listening time • Released 2016
  8. 8
    Code Name Hélène cover

    Code Name Hélène

    by Ariel Lawhon

    Narrated by Barrie Kreinik, Peter Ganim

    4.69 ABR Score (90.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.41 Goodreads (82.5K) ★ 4.76 Audible (7.8K)
    17h 17m listening time • Released 2020
  9. 9
    A Land Remembered cover

    A Land Remembered

    by Patrick D. Smith

    Narrated by George Guidall

    4.69 ABR Score (20.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.48 Goodreads (14.8K) ★ 4.79 Audible (5.4K)
    14h 59m listening time • Released 2011

    George Guidall's gravelly voice turns this multigenerational Florida saga into something hypnotic—you'll hear the dust and sweat of frontier life settle into your bones over nearly 15 hours.

  10. 10
    The Alice Network cover

    The Alice Network

    by Kate Quinn

    Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

    4.67 ABR Score (694.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.32 Goodreads (642.8K) ★ 4.63 Audible (51.3K)
    15h 7m listening time • Released 2017

How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

Read our full ranking methodology →