Audiobooks Like The Poet

Buck Schirner narrates this Michael Connelly standalone with a journalist's restless tenacity — there's a sense of someone pushing forward into darkness they don't fully understand, which suits a protagonist who's chasing grief as much as a serial killer across 15 hours. Six picks share Connelly's authorship, five carry award recognition, and the list stays in that zone where the procedural details and the personal cost are equally weighted.

10 audiobooks for fans of The Poet

  1. 1
    The Law of Innocence cover

    The Law of Innocence

    The Lincoln Lawyer • Book 6

    by Michael Connelly

    Narrated by Peter Giles

    4.63 ABR Score (93.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.35 Goodreads (78.6K) ★ 4.6 Audible (15.3K)
    12h 27m listening time • Released 2020
  2. 2
    The Lincoln Lawyer cover

    The Lincoln Lawyer

    A Lincoln Lawyer Novel • Book 1

    by Michael Connelly

    Narrated by Adam Grupper

    Michael Connelly's signature blend of procedural detail and moral complexity carries over seamlessly in The Lincoln Lawyer, delivering the same taut, noir-tinged atmosphere through a more intimate narrator-protagonist perspective. Adam Grupper's measured performance captures the cunning confidence of defense attorney Mickey Haller with the same narrative tension that Buck Schirner brought to The Poet.

    4.60 ABR Score (279.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.23 Goodreads (258.9K) ★ 4.57 Audible (20.2K)
    11h 36m listening time • Released 2005

    Connelly's Mickey Haller debut is a legal thriller with genuine moral complexity — a defense attorney who operates from the back of a Lincoln Town Car and discovers his client is guilty.

  3. 3
    Blood Work cover

    Blood Work

    Harry Bosch Universe • Book 7

    by Michael Connelly

    Narrated by Dick Hill

    4.44 ABR Score (71.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.16 Goodreads (62.4K) ★ 4.48 Audible (9.5K)
    12h 41m listening time • Released 2008

    Dick Hill's measured, deliberate narration transforms this redemption-through-obsession thriller into something more introspective than you'd expect—a retired FBI profiler hunting his heart donor's killer becomes a meditation on second chances and what we owe strangers.

  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
    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.

  6. 6
    Prodigal Son cover

    Prodigal Son

    Orphan X • Book 6

    by Gregg Hurwitz

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    4.59 ABR Score (22.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.35 Goodreads (17.7K) ★ 4.69 Audible (5.2K)
    14h 15m listening time • Released 2021

    Scott Brick's narration transforms this spy thriller into something addictive—his measured intensity makes every revelation land harder, and the character work hits deeper than typical action fare.

  7. 7
    Lone Wolf cover

    Lone Wolf

    Orphan X • Book 9

    by Gregg Hurwitz

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    4.54 ABR Score (16.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.33 Goodreads (13.4K) ★ 4.68 Audible (2.9K)
    13h 31m listening time • Released 2024

    Scott Brick's delivery transforms this ninth Orphan X into a masterclass in restraint—his measured intensity makes Evan's calculated violence feel inevitable rather than gratuitous, elevating what could be pulp into genuine suspense.

  8. 8
    The Brass Verdict cover

    The Brass Verdict

    The Lincoln Lawyer • Book 2

    by Michael Connelly

    Narrated by Peter Giles

    4.48 ABR Score (109.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.24 Goodreads (99.0K) ★ 4.47 Audible (10.0K)
    11h 54m listening time • Released 2008
  9. 9
    The Overlook cover

    The Overlook

    Harry Bosch • Book 13

    by Michael Connelly

    Narrated by Len Cariou

    4.24 ABR Score (61.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.02 Goodreads (57.2K) ★ 4.34 Audible (4.3K)
    6h 37m listening time • Released 2007
  10. 10
    Void Moon cover

    Void Moon

    Harry Bosch Universe • Book 9

    by Michael Connelly

    Narrated by L.J. Ganser

    4.23 ABR Score (41.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.02 Goodreads (36.8K) ★ 4.33 Audible (4.8K)
    10h 59m listening time • Released 2009

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 →