Audiobooks Like Violets Are Blue

10 audiobooks for fans of Violets Are Blue

1. 1

   

   Escape

   Billy Harney • Book 3

   by James Patterson, David Ellis

   Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

   ★ 4.54 ABR Score (18.5K ratings)

   ★ 4.33 Goodreads (16.2K) ★ 4.7 Audible (2.3K)

   8h 53m listening time • Released 2022

   Ballerini's rapid-fire delivery transforms this into a propulsive cat-and-mouse game where you can't tell if Billy or the billionaire is actually winning. Patterson and Ellis keep the twists coming fast enough that you'll blow through all 9 hours in two sittings.

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2. 2

   

   The Red Book

   Billy Harney • Book 2

   by James Patterson, David Ellis

   Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

   ★ 4.54 ABR Score (23.4K ratings)

   ★ 4.28 Goodreads (19.5K) ★ 4.67 Audible (3.9K)

   8h 35m listening time • Released 2021

   Edoardo Ballerini's gravelly delivery cuts through Chicago's corrupt machinery like a blade, making this crime thriller pulse with authentic dread. Patterson and Ellis craft a detective who can't trust anyone, and the audiobook format amplifies that paranoia perfectly.

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3. 3

   

   The 20th Victim

   Women's Murder Club • Book 20

   by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

   Narrated by January LaVoy

   ★ 4.40 ABR Score (40.3K ratings)

   ★ 4.07 Goodreads (36.9K) ★ 4.58 Audible (3.3K)

   8h 26m listening time • Released 2020

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4. 4

   

   22 Seconds

   Women's Murder Club • Book 22

   by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

   Narrated by January LaVoy

   ★ 4.39 ABR Score (42.1K ratings)

   ★ 4.11 Goodreads (38.9K) ★ 4.54 Audible (3.2K)

   8h 16m listening time • Released 2022

   January LaVoy brings razor-sharp intensity to this Women's Murder Club installment, cutting through Patterson's signature twists with a narrator who sounds genuinely cornered. If you've stayed with the series, this one finally delivers the high stakes it's been building toward.

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5. 5

   

   25 Alive (WMC #25): A Women's Murder Club Thriller

   Women's Murder Club • Book 25

   by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

   Narrated by January LaVoy

   ★ 4.34 ABR Score (30.2K ratings)

   ★ 4.16 Goodreads (29.0K) ★ 4.52 Audible (1.2K)

   6h 40m listening time • Released 2025

   January LaVoy's narration anchors this series milestone with such sharp authority that you forget you're listening rather than reading—the procedural twists land harder that way.

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6. 6

   

   1st To Die

   Women's Murder Club • Book 1

   by James Patterson

   Narrated by Suzanne Toren

   ★ 4.32 ABR Score (366.9K ratings)

   ★ 4.1 Goodreads (360.3K) ★ 4.31 Audible (6.5K)

   8h 56m listening time • Released 2001

   Patterson's Women's Murder Club debut is relentlessly paced police procedural — four women in different fields of law enforcement who solve cases together.

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7. 7

   

   Killer Instinct

   Instinct • Book 2

   by James Patterson, Howard Roughan

   Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

   ★ 4.26 ABR Score (11.9K ratings)

   ★ 4.01 Goodreads (10.4K) ★ 4.52 Audible (1.4K)

   7h 27m listening time • Released 2019

   Edoardo Ballerini's crisp, propulsive delivery transforms this Patterson thriller into something that actually breathes—sharp enough to keep you hooked through a terror plot that genuinely unsettles.

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8. 8

   

   Instinct (previously published as Murder Games)

   Instinct • Book 1

   by James Patterson

   Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

   ★ 4.25 ABR Score (29.1K ratings)

   ★ 4.01 Goodreads (24.2K) ★ 4.38 Audible (4.9K)

   7h 7m listening time • Released 2017

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9. 9

   

   Private Berlin

   Private • Book 5

   by James Patterson, Mark T. Sullivan

   Narrated by January LaVoy, Ari Fliakos

   ★ 4.16 ABR Score (21.2K ratings)

   ★ 3.98 Goodreads (19.7K) ★ 4.34 Audible (1.6K)

   8h 2m listening time • Released 2013

   LaVoy and Fliakos trade off protagonists with such distinct energy that the dual investigation feels like two thrillers colliding—you'll forget you're listening to a split narration.

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10. 10

    

    NYPD Red 2

    NYPD Red • Book 2

    by James Patterson, Marshall Karp

    Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Jay Snyder

    ★ 4.09 ABR Score (25.5K ratings)

    ★ 4.15 Goodreads (25.5K) ★ 4.5 Audible (22)

    7h 7m listening time • Released 2023

    The dual narration by Ballerini and Snyder crackles with tension, perfectly capturing the fractured chemistry between Zach and Kylie while the Booktrack soundtrack amps up every twist in this Manhattan crime thriller.

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