Audiobooks Like The Distant Hours

10 audiobooks for fans of The Distant Hours

1. 1

   

   Bring Up The Bodies

   Thomas Cromwell • Book 2

   by Hilary Mantel, Unknown Author

   Narrated by Simon Vance

   ★ 4.40 ABR Score (109.1K ratings)

   ★ 4.3 Goodreads (105.7K) ★ 4.54 Audible (3.3K)

   14h 34m listening time • Released 2012

   Simon Vance's narration transforms Mantel's intricate political prose into pure suspense—you'll hear the machinery of power and betrayal click into place across 14 hours you won't want to pause.

   Listen Free on Audible
2. 2

   

   Dawnlands

   The Fairmile • Book 3

   by Philippa Gregory

   Narrated by Louise Brealey

   Louise Brealey's captivating narration brings the same atmospheric, intricate storytelling to *Dawnlands*, weaving together multiple timelines and mysteries with the same meticulous character work that made *The Distant Hours* so immersive. Both audiobooks reward patient, engaged listeners with richly layered narratives where the past gradually illuminates the present.

   ★ 4.11 ABR Score (9.4K ratings)

   ★ 4.06 Goodreads (9.0K) ★ 4.55 Audible (393)

   19h 43m listening time • Released 2022

   Louise Brealey's performance transforms this intricate Jacobean thriller into something hypnotic—her ability to shift between conflicted family members caught in impossible political choices makes the 19-hour listen feel inevitable rather than epic.

   Listen Free on Audible
3. 3

   

   Dark Tides

   The Fairmile • Book 2

   by Philippa Gregory

   Narrated by Louise Brealey

   Louise Brealey's masterful narration brings the same atmospheric, layered storytelling to *Dark Tides*, weaving together multiple timelines and family secrets with the Gothic intrigue that made *The Distant Hours* so captivating. Both mysteries unfold through richly detailed historical settings where the past continuously reshapes the present, creating that immersive, page-turning experience that rewards careful listening.

   ★ 4.08 ABR Score (18.4K ratings)

   ★ 3.85 Goodreads (17.3K) ★ 4.53 Audible (1.2K)

   17h 22m listening time • Released 2020

   Louise Brealey's sharp, layered performance transforms Gregory's tangled mystery of secrets and inheritance into something genuinely unputdownable—she makes you distrust every character's motives at once.

   Listen Free on Audible
4. 4

   

   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.

   Listen Free on Audible
5. 5

   

   Cilka's Journey

   The Tattooist of Auschwitz • Book 2

   by Heather Morris

   Narrated by Louise Brealey

   Louise Brealey's commanding narration brings the same atmospheric depth to Cilka's Journey, a haunting historical mystery that, like The Distant Hours, weaves past and present through a compelling female protagonist uncovering hidden truths. Both audiobooks leverage their narrator's skill to create immersive, emotionally resonant stories where mystery emerges from intimate character revelation rather than plot mechanics alone.

   ★ 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.

   Listen Free on Audible
6. 6

   

   Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942

   The Pacific War Trilogy • Book 1

   by Ian W. Toll

   Narrated by Grover Gardner

   ★ 4.74 ABR Score (14.5K ratings)

   ★ 4.61 Goodreads (10.4K) ★ 4.82 Audible (4.2K)

   22h 6m listening time • Released 2011

   Grover Gardner's measured, authoritative narration transforms Toll's meticulous battle accounts into a gripping you-are-there experience—22 hours that feel essential, not exhausting.

   Listen Free on Audible
7. 7

   

   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

   Listen Free on Audible
8. 8

   

   The Reformatory

   by Tananarive Due

   Narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt

   ★ 4.68 ABR Score (81.3K ratings)

   ★ 4.43 Goodreads (78.1K) ★ 4.79 Audible (3.2K)

   20h 51m listening time • Released 2023

   Listen Free on Audible
9. 9

   

   The Huntress

   by Kate Quinn

   Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

   ★ 4.60 ABR Score (231.6K ratings)

   ★ 4.3 Goodreads (217.5K) ★ 4.66 Audible (14.1K)

   19h 4m listening time • Released 2019

   Listen Free on Audible
10. 10

    

    Pachinko (National Book Award Finalist)

    by Min Jin Lee

    Narrated by Sandra Oh, Min Jin Lee

    ★ 4.51 ABR Score (642.9K ratings)

    ★ 4.34 Goodreads (641.5K) ★ 4.64 Audible (1.4K)

    17h 48m listening time • Released 2024

    Listen Free on Audible