Audiobooks Like Dead Wake

If you loved Dead Wake by Erik Larson, these audiobooks share similar qualities — same genre, sometimes the same narrator, comparable length, and the kind of ratings that signal a great listen. Fans of Scott Brick's narration will find familiar voices here too.

10 audiobooks for fans of Dead Wake

  1. 1
    The Devil in the White City cover

    The Devil in the White City

    by Erik Larson

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    4.21 ABR Score (796.0K ratings)
    ★ 4 Goodreads (764.6K) ★ 4.34 Audible (31.4K)
    14h 58m listening time • Released 2003

    Scott Brick's narration transforms this dual narrative into pure suspense: his voice captures both the architect's visionary grandeur and the killer's chilling menace with such distinct intensity that you'll forget you're listening to nonfiction.

  2. 2
    This Tender Land cover

    This Tender Land

    by William Kent Krueger

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    4.62 ABR Score (236.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.39 Goodreads (223.8K) ★ 4.64 Audible (12.9K)
    14h 19m listening time • Released 2019

    Scott Brick's weathered narration transforms this Depression-era journey into something haunting and deeply human, turning what could be a heavy historical tale into an unforgettable emotional gut-punch.

  3. 3
    In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin cover

    In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

    by Erik Larson

    Narrated by Stephen Hoye

    3.94 ABR Score (231.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.9 Goodreads (221.9K) ★ 4.19 Audible (9.3K)
    12h 52m listening time • Released 2011
  4. 4
    Salt cover

    Salt

    by Mark Kurlansky

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    3.77 ABR Score (80.5K ratings)
    ★ 3.75 Goodreads (77.3K) ★ 4.16 Audible (3.2K)
    13h 48m listening time • Released 2021

    Scott Brick's measured, curious delivery transforms what could be dry history into genuine narrative pleasure—you'll hear the intrigue in how salt shaped empires, trade routes, and wars across millennia.

  5. 5
    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.

  6. 6
    In the Heart of the Sea cover

    In the Heart of the Sea

    by Nathaniel Philbrick

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    4.24 ABR Score (123.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.17 Goodreads (119.9K) ★ 4.43 Audible (3.6K)
    10h 3m listening time • Released 2005

    Scott Brick's measured, gripping narration transforms this true whale-hunt survival story into pure disaster cinema. It's the kind of audiobook that makes a commute disappear.

  7. 7
    The Song of Achilles cover

    The Song of Achilles

    by Madeline Miller

    Narrated by Frazer Douglas

    4.66 ABR Score (2.1M ratings)
    ★ 4.3 Goodreads (2.0M) ★ 4.61 Audible (40.8K)
    11h 15m listening time • Released 2012

    Frazer Douglas's tender, controlled performance makes this reimagining of the Iliad feel intimate and devastating—he captures the quiet ache of a love that rewrites mythology.

  8. 8
    Brethren cover

    Brethren

    Foundation of the Dragon Series • Book 1

    by Robb Pritchard

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    3.75 ABR Score (400 ratings)
    ★ 4.22 Goodreads (395) ★ 3.6 Audible (5)
    11h 58m listening time • Released 2024

    Scott Brick transforms this Celtic revenge saga into something primal and inescapable—his gravel-voiced intensity makes the desperation feel suffocating, especially in those mine sequences where the audio design traps you right alongside the protagonist.

  9. 9
    Black Sam: Prince of Pirates cover

    Black Sam: Prince of Pirates

    by Mat McLeod, James Lewis

    Narrated by Alex Hyde-White, Roy Dotrice, Scott Brick, Stefan Rudnicki, William Dufris, Jayne Entwistle, Simon Vance, R.C. Bray

    3.47 ABR Score (324 ratings)
    ★ 3.65 Goodreads (96) ★ 3.79 Audible (228)
    10h 54m listening time • Released 2015

    An ensemble cast of eight narrators brings genuine texture to this pirate origin story, with each voice anchoring a distinct perspective in a world where desperation and idealism collide.

  10. 10
    Cilka's Journey cover

    Cilka's Journey

    The Tattooist of Auschwitz • Book 2

    by Heather Morris

    Narrated by Louise Brealey

    4.72 ABR Score (223.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.4 Goodreads (219.0K) ★ 4.8 Audible (4.3K)
    11h 3m listening time • Released 2019

    Louise Brealey's measured, unflinching narration transforms this haunting true story into something unbearable and necessary—she lets the quiet devastation of survival speak louder than any dramatic flourish ever could.

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 →