Audiobooks Like Die Trying

Johnathan McClain narrates Reacher with a laconic precision — the character's tactical thinking comes through as cool assessment rather than boast, and McClain's voice carries the physical confidence without making it theatrical. At fourteen hours this is a long Reacher, which means the kidnapping premise has room to develop genuine suspense rather than staying purely mechanical. Nine of these recommendations are highly rated, and the list leans toward action thrillers that move with the same relentless forward momentum.

10 audiobooks for fans of Die Trying

  1. 1
    First Thrills cover

    First Thrills

    First Thrills • Book 1

    by Lee Child, Bill Cameron, Marc Paoletti, Kelli Stanley, CJ Lyons, Rebecca Cantrell, J.T. Ellison, Karen Dionne, Grant McKenzie, Rip Gerber, Cynthia Robinson, Daniel Palmer, Unknown Author

    Narrated by Jim Bond, Nick Podehl, Luke Daniels, Joyce Bean, Dick Hill

    3.63 ABR Score (4.8K ratings)
    ★ 3.58 Goodreads (4.6K) ★ 3.49 Audible (131)
    12h 3m listening time • Released 2010
  2. 2
    Savage Son cover

    Savage Son

    Terminal List • Book 3

    by Jack Carr

    Narrated by Ray Porter

    4.88 ABR Score (65.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.5 Goodreads (36.5K) ★ 4.87 Audible (28.7K)
    12h 56m listening time • Released 2020

    Ray Porter transforms Carr's revenge thriller into pure adrenaline. His ability to shift between Reece's measured lethality and the chaos around him makes this the best entry in the series yet.

  3. 3
    In the Blood cover

    In the Blood

    Terminal List • Book 5

    by Jack Carr

    Narrated by Ray Porter

    4.86 ABR Score (52.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.49 Goodreads (27.6K) ★ 4.87 Audible (24.7K)
    12h 8m listening time • Released 2022

    Ray Porter's relentless delivery transforms Carr's geopolitical thriller into something almost unbearably gripping—his voice makes Reece's obsession feel like your own.

  4. 4
    The Devil's Hand cover

    The Devil's Hand

    Terminal List • Book 4

    by Jack Carr

    Narrated by Ray Porter

    4.83 ABR Score (53.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.45 Goodreads (31.0K) ★ 4.85 Audible (22.0K)
    14h 37m listening time • Released 2021

    Ray Porter's gravelly delivery transforms Carr's geopolitical thriller into something almost hypnotic—he makes every tactical detail and moral compromise feel inevitable, turning a sprawling post-9/11 reckoning into pure momentum.

  5. 5
    Only the Dead cover

    Only the Dead

    Terminal List • Book 6

    by Jack Carr

    Narrated by Ray Porter

    4.82 ABR Score (32.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.54 Goodreads (24.0K) ★ 4.85 Audible (8.6K)
    15h 29m listening time • Released 2023

    Ray Porter's gravelly intensity transforms this geopolitical thriller into something that feels alarmingly plausible. By book six, Carr's Reece has earned the kind of narrator who makes conspiracy feel inevitable.

  6. 6
    Red Sky Mourning cover

    Red Sky Mourning

    Terminal List • Book 7

    by Jack Carr

    Narrated by Ray Porter

    4.79 ABR Score (30.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.48 Goodreads (20.4K) ★ 4.84 Audible (9.8K)
    15h 43m listening time • Released 2024

    Ray Porter transforms Carr's geopolitical thriller into pure propulsive force—his measured intensity and command of multiple voices make the sprawling conspiracy feel inevitable and terrifying rather than convoluted.

  7. 7
    True Believer cover

    True Believer

    Terminal List • Book 2

    by Jack Carr

    Narrated by Ray Porter

    4.78 ABR Score (76.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.35 Goodreads (43.6K) ★ 4.8 Audible (32.9K)
    15h 44m listening time • Released 2019

    Ray Porter's narration transforms Reece's moral descent into something hypnotic—his voice carries the weight of each kill with enough restraint that you feel the damage accumulating. A thriller that uses silence as effectively as gunfire.

  8. 8
    Hellbent cover

    Hellbent

    Orphan X • Book 3

    by Gregg Hurwitz

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    4.73 ABR Score (38.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.44 Goodreads (25.3K) ★ 4.75 Audible (12.8K)
    12h 30m listening time • Released 2018

    Scott Brick's measured intensity perfectly calibrates the tension in this revenge thriller—his voice makes Evan's calculated fury feel earned rather than explosive, which is exactly what sets Hurwitz apart from other action writers.

  9. 9
    Into the Fire cover

    Into the Fire

    Orphan X • Book 5

    by Gregg Hurwitz

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    4.73 ABR Score (28.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.43 Goodreads (19.1K) ★ 4.79 Audible (9.3K)
    11h 58m listening time • Released 2020

    Scott Brick's relentless intensity transforms this fifth Orphan X into pure propulsive momentum—his voice becomes the weapon, making every tense standoff and moral reckoning land with genuine weight.

  10. 10
    Imitation in Death cover

    Imitation in Death

    In Death • Book 17

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    4.71 ABR Score (37.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.39 Goodreads (32.8K) ★ 4.82 Audible (4.7K)
    14h 8m listening time • Released 2008

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 →