Best Missing Person Audiobooks

The highest-rated missing person audiobooks, ranked by listeners. Browse 50 titles with top narrators.

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When someone goes missing, the world fractures. A disappearance forces investigators—and readers—into obsessive searching, where every detail matters and nothing can be trusted. You're hunting for answers alongside detectives, families, and amateur sleuths who refuse to let the mystery die. The tension comes from not knowing: Is the missing person alive? Guilty? A victim? What really happened that day? This trope delivers the dread of uncertainty paired with the pull of unsolvable puzzles.

You'll find this heavily in thrillers and mysteries, though it crosses into literary fiction too. The 232 books here range from cold cases reopened decades later to disappearances unfolding in real-time. Some focus on the investigation itself; others explore the psychological aftermath for those left behind. What they share: the central absence that drives everything forward, making readers desperate to fill in the blanks.

These are the highest-rated missing person audiobooks, ranked by listener ratings. A great narrator can elevate an already compelling trope — turning tension into an immersive experience.

  1. 1
    The Running Grave cover

    The Running Grave

    Cormoran Strike • Book 7

    by Robert Galbraith, J.K. Rowling

    Narrated by Robert Glenister

    ★ 4.91 BLT Score (119.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.59 Goodreads (113.0K) ★ 4.83 Audible (6.2K)
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  2. 2
    Forgotten in Death cover

    Forgotten in Death

    In Death • Book 53

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.76 BLT Score (32.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.47 Goodreads (27.5K) ★ 4.79 Audible (4.9K)
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  3. 3
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo cover

    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

    Millennium Series • Book 1

    by Stieg Larsson

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    ★ 4.67 BLT Score (3.5M ratings)
    ★ 4.18 Goodreads (3.5M) ★ 4.56 Audible (42.2K)
    More about this pick

    Larsson's genre-defining trilogy opener introduced Lisbeth Salander — one of fiction's most indelible heroines — in a propulsive blend of family saga, serial killer mystery, and corporate corruption.

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  4. 4
    Lethal White cover

    Lethal White

    Cormoran Strike • Book 4

    by Robert Galbraith

    Narrated by Robert Glenister

    ★ 4.67 BLT Score (203.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.25 Goodreads (188.1K) ★ 4.69 Audible (15.0K)
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  5. 5
    The Last Man cover

    The Last Man

    Mitch Rapp • Book 13

    by Vince Flynn

    Narrated by George Guidall

    ★ 4.65 BLT Score (53.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.37 Goodreads (41.7K) ★ 4.67 Audible (12.0K)
    More about this pick

    George Guidall's measured, intelligent delivery transforms this Mitch Rapp thriller into something grittier and more morally complex than standard spy fiction. His voice catches every layer of ambiguity in a story where nobody's clean.

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  6. 6
    Then She Was Gone cover

    Then She Was Gone

    by Lisa Jewell

    Narrated by Helen Duff

    ★ 4.61 BLT Score (1.1M ratings)
    ★ 4.04 Goodreads (1.0M) ★ 4.56 Audible (84.7K)
    More about this pick

    Jewell's missing-girl thriller has one of crime fiction's most shocking reveals — a mother reconnects with a man whose daughter eerily resembles her missing child.

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  7. 7
    We Are All Guilty Here cover

    We Are All Guilty Here

    North Falls • Book 1

    by Karin Slaughter

    Narrated by Kathleen Early

    ★ 4.60 BLT Score (144.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.21 Goodreads (133.0K) ★ 4.67 Audible (11.1K)
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  8. 8
    As The Crow Flies cover

    As The Crow Flies

    Walt Longmire • Book 8

    by Craig Johnson

    Narrated by George Guidall

    ★ 4.60 BLT Score (26.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.29 Goodreads (19.1K) ★ 4.71 Audible (7.1K)
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  9. 9
    Daughter of the Morning Star cover

    Daughter of the Morning Star

    Walt Longmire • Book 17

    by Craig Johnson

    Narrated by George Guidall

    ★ 4.60 BLT Score (15.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.39 Goodreads (12.1K) ★ 4.72 Audible (3.4K)
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  10. 10
    Junkyard Dogs cover

    Junkyard Dogs

    Walt Longmire • Book 6

    by Craig Johnson

    Narrated by George Guidall

    ★ 4.58 BLT Score (28.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.26 Goodreads (21.0K) ★ 4.7 Audible (7.1K)
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  11. 11
    Land of Wolves cover

    Land of Wolves

    Walt Longmire • Book 15

    by Craig Johnson

    Narrated by George Guidall

    ★ 4.57 BLT Score (17.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.32 Goodreads (12.6K) ★ 4.7 Audible (4.8K)
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  12. 12
    An Obvious Fact cover

    An Obvious Fact

    Walt Longmire • Book 12

    by Craig Johnson

    Narrated by George Guidall

    ★ 4.53 BLT Score (20.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.26 Goodreads (14.6K) ★ 4.67 Audible (6.0K)
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  13. 13
    Good Girl, Bad Blood cover

    Good Girl, Bad Blood

    A Good Girl's Guide to Murder • Book 2

    by Holly Jackson

    Narrated by Bailey Carr, MacLeod Andrews, Donte Bonner, James Fouhey, Neil Hellegers, Cary Hite, Amy Landon, Raymond J. Lee, Keylor Leigh, Maggi-Meg Reed, Shezi Sardar

    ★ 4.52 BLT Score (799.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.25 Goodreads (796.0K) ★ 4.58 Audible (3.7K)
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  14. 14
    The Forgotten cover

    The Forgotten

    John Puller • Book 2

    by David Baldacci

    Narrated by Ron McLarty, Orlagh Cassidy

    ★ 4.50 BLT Score (81.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.16 Goodreads (70.2K) ★ 4.56 Audible (11.0K)
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  15. 15
    Sharp Objects cover

    Sharp Objects

    by Gillian Flynn

    Narrated by Ann Marie Lee

    ★ 4.49 BLT Score (1.3M ratings)
    ★ 4 Goodreads (1.2M) ★ 4.44 Audible (41.9K)
    More about this pick

    Flynn's debut announced one of crime fiction's sharpest voices — a journalist returns to her hometown to cover a murder and confronts wounds that never healed.

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  16. 16
    The Big Empty cover

    The Big Empty

    Elvis Cole and Joe Pike • Book 20

    by Robert Crais

    Narrated by Luke Daniels

    ★ 4.48 BLT Score (16.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.52 Goodreads (15.3K) ★ 4.56 Audible (907)
    More about this pick

    Luke Daniels brings his A-game to this twisty cold-case thriller, giving Elvis Cole and Joe Pike such distinct, lived-in voices that you'll forget you're listening rather than watching it unfold.

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  17. 17
    Along Came a Spider cover

    Along Came a Spider

    Alex Cross • Book 1

    by James Patterson

    Narrated by Taye Diggs

    ★ 4.46 BLT Score (496.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.13 Goodreads (491.9K) ★ 4.5 Audible (4.5K)
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  18. 18
    The Deep, Deep Snow cover

    The Deep, Deep Snow

    Shelby Lake • Book 1

    by Brian Freeman

    Narrated by January LaVoy

    ★ 4.45 BLT Score (35.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.21 Goodreads (11.3K) ★ 4.55 Audible (23.7K)
    More about this pick

    January LaVoy's narration transforms this small-town mystery into something deeply intimate—her voice carries the weight of Shelby's abandonment trauma while unraveling a decade-spanning investigation that'll gut you.

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  19. 19
    When Maidens Mourn cover

    When Maidens Mourn

    Sebastian St. Cyr • Book 7

    by C.S. Harris

    Narrated by Davina Porter

    ★ 4.42 BLT Score (10.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.24 Goodreads (8.8K) ★ 4.7 Audible (1.2K)
    More about this pick

    Davina Porter's narration transforms this Regency mystery into something immersive and propulsive, capturing both the psychological tension and the genuine affection between Sebastian and Hero as they investigate a murder that hits painfully close to home.

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  20. 20
    The Crossroads cover

    The Crossroads

    Joe Pickett • Book 26

    by C.J. Box

    Narrated by David Chandler

    ★ 4.42 BLT Score (5.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.52 Goodreads (5.0K) ★ 4.72 Audible (338)
    More about this pick

    David Chandler's gravel-voiced narration turns this revenge thriller into something genuinely unsettling—he makes you feel the paranoia of not knowing which enemy pulled the trigger, and the desperation of Joe's family racing against time.

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  21. 21
    The Silkworm cover

    The Silkworm

    Cormoran Strike • Book 2

    by Robert Galbraith, J.K. Rowling

    Narrated by Robert Glenister

    ★ 4.40 BLT Score (319.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.05 Goodreads (296.4K) ★ 4.49 Audible (23.2K)
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  22. 22
    All Good People Here cover

    All Good People Here

    by Ashley Flowers, Alex Kiester

    Narrated by Brittany Pressley, Karissa Vacker, Ashley Flowers

    ★ 4.40 BLT Score (371.5K ratings)
    ★ 3.82 Goodreads (342.8K) ★ 4.5 Audible (28.8K)
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  23. 23
    21st Birthday cover

    21st Birthday

    Women's Murder Club • Book 21

    by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

    Narrated by January LaVoy

    ★ 4.40 BLT Score (45.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.18 Goodreads (42.3K) ★ 4.58 Audible (3.4K)
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  24. 24
    Cross and Sampson cover

    Cross and Sampson

    Alex Cross • Book 35

    by James Patterson, Brian Sitts

    Narrated by Isaiah Mustafa, Dion Graham

    ★ 4.40 BLT Score (6.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.5 Goodreads (6.2K) ★ 4.62 Audible (404)
    More about this pick

    Isaiah Mustafa and Dion Graham split the dual-detective narrative perfectly, each bringing distinct energy to Cross and Sampson's investigation. The dual-narrator format transforms what could be a standard thriller into something more immersive, letting you inhabit both detectives' headspace simultaneously.

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  25. 25
    Love You More cover

    Love You More

    Tessa Leoni • Book 1

    by Lisa Gardner

    Narrated by Kirsten Potter, Katie MacNichol

    ★ 4.39 BLT Score (65.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.18 Goodreads (58.0K) ★ 4.42 Audible (7.3K)
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  26. 26
    Damage Control cover

    Damage Control

    by Robert Dugoni

    Narrated by Christopher Lane

    ★ 4.39 BLT Score (11.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.36 Goodreads (10.7K) ★ 4.51 Audible (1.1K)
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  27. 27
    Tom Clancy Executive Power cover

    Tom Clancy Executive Power

    Jack Ryan • Book 21

    by Jeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews, Tom Clancy

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    ★ 4.38 BLT Score (3.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.49 Goodreads (3.0K) ★ 4.65 Audible (557)
    More about this pick

    Scott Brick's crisp delivery cuts through the moral complexity here—he makes every tense decision feel genuinely impossible, turning a geopolitical thriller into something deeply personal about duty versus family.

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  28. 28
    Guess Again cover

    Guess Again

    by Charlie Donlea

    Narrated by Vivienne Leheny

    ★ 4.38 BLT Score (44.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.16 Goodreads (42.4K) ★ 4.53 Audible (2.0K)
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  29. 29
    The Narrows cover

    The Narrows

    Harry Bosch • Book 10

    by Michael Connelly

    Narrated by Len Cariou

    ★ 4.38 BLT Score (71.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.2 Goodreads (66.6K) ★ 4.51 Audible (5.0K)
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  30. 30
    The Neighbor cover

    The Neighbor

    Detective D.D. Warren • Book 3

    by Lisa Gardner

    Narrated by Emily Janice Card, Kirby Heyborne, Kirsten Potter

    ★ 4.37 BLT Score (57.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.09 Goodreads (52.7K) ★ 4.47 Audible (5.3K)
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  31. 31
    The Broken Girls cover

    The Broken Girls

    by Simone St. James

    Narrated by Rebecca Lowman

    ★ 4.35 BLT Score (139.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.05 Goodreads (130.7K) ★ 4.51 Audible (9.2K)
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  32. 32
    The Lake House cover

    The Lake House

    by Kate Morton, Unknown Author

    Narrated by Caroline Lee

    ★ 4.35 BLT Score (152.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.08 Goodreads (131.8K) ★ 4.45 Audible (21.1K)
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  33. 33
    The Secret of Secrets cover

    The Secret of Secrets

    Robert Langdon Series • Book 6

    by Dan Brown

    Narrated by Paul Michael

    ★ 4.35 BLT Score (150.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.94 Goodreads (140.2K) ★ 4.45 Audible (10.0K)
    More about this pick

    Paul Michael's narration transforms Langdon's Prague chase into a propulsive audiobook experience—his pacing and voice work make the 22-hour runtime feel essential, not indulgent.

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  34. 34
    Darkness Falls cover

    Darkness Falls

    Kate Marshall • Book 3

    by Robert Bryndza

    Narrated by Kristin Atherton

    ★ 4.34 BLT Score (12.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.26 Goodreads (11.6K) ★ 4.59 Audible (542)
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  35. 35
    The 18th Abduction cover

    The 18th Abduction

    Women's Murder Club • Book 18

    by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

    Narrated by January LaVoy

    ★ 4.34 BLT Score (42.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.12 Goodreads (38.6K) ★ 4.55 Audible (3.5K)
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  36. 36
    Fatal Witness cover

    Fatal Witness

    Detective Erika Foster • Book 7

    by Robert Bryndza

    Narrated by Jan Cramer

    ★ 4.34 BLT Score (13.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.35 Goodreads (13.3K) ★ 4.59 Audible (588)
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  37. 37
    Sadie cover

    Sadie

    by Courtney Summers

    Narrated by Dan Bittner, Fred Berman, Gabra Zackman, Rebecca Soler

    ★ 4.34 BLT Score (135.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.03 Goodreads (131.4K) ★ 4.45 Audible (3.6K)
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  38. 38
    The Cuckoo's Calling cover

    The Cuckoo's Calling

    Cormoran Strike • Book 1

    by Robert Galbraith

    Narrated by Robert Glenister

    ★ 4.33 BLT Score (668.5K ratings)
    ★ 3.89 Goodreads (630.7K) ★ 4.45 Audible (37.8K)
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  39. 39
    Collared cover

    Collared

    Andy Carpenter • Book 16

    by David Rosenfelt

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    ★ 4.32 BLT Score (6.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.15 Goodreads (5.2K) ★ 4.65 Audible (1.5K)
    More about this pick

    Grover Gardner's measured, intelligent delivery makes this legal thriller feel genuinely urgent, turning a cold case involving a missing child into something you can't stop listening to.

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  40. 40
    Dream Town cover

    Dream Town

    Archer • Book 3

    by David Baldacci

    Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Brittany Pressley

    ★ 4.31 BLT Score (44.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.09 Goodreads (38.7K) ★ 4.51 Audible (5.7K)
    More about this pick

    Baldacci's 1953 LA noir crackles with the dual narration of Ballerini and Pressley, whose distinct voices separate Archer's gritty investigation from the glamorous chaos around him—perfect for a mystery where everyone's lying.

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  41. 41
    When You Find Me cover

    When You Find Me

    by P.J. Vernon

    Narrated by Amy McFadden, Bahni Turpin

    ★ 4.31 BLT Score (54.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.77 Goodreads (19.9K) ★ 4.49 Audible (34.3K)
    More about this pick

    McFadden and Turpin's dual narration splits a fractured marriage into two unreliable voices, making you question everything—a psychological twist that works best heard, not read.

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  42. 42
    Faithful Place cover

    Faithful Place

    Dublin Murder Squad • Book 3

    by Tana French

    Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

    ★ 4.31 BLT Score (137.7K ratings)
    ★ 4 Goodreads (133.4K) ★ 4.53 Audible (4.3K)
    More about this pick

    Tim Gerard Reynolds captures the raw Dublin vernacular and emotional devastation of French's third novel with such precision that you'll forget you're listening. The slow-burn mystery rewards patient ears with one of crime fiction's most gut-wrenching character studies.

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  43. 43
    Missing You cover

    Missing You

    by Harlan Coben

    Narrated by January LaVoy

    ★ 4.31 BLT Score (83.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.01 Goodreads (69.6K) ★ 4.35 Audible (14.3K)
    More about this pick

    January LaVoy's performance transforms Coben's twisty mystery into something genuinely haunting, especially as Kat's carefully buried past collides with present danger.

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  44. 44
    7th Heaven cover

    7th Heaven

    Women's Murder Club • Book 7

    by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

    Narrated by Carolyn McCormick

    ★ 4.30 BLT Score (75.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.12 Goodreads (73.1K) ★ 4.51 Audible (2.7K)
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  45. 45
    Tell No One cover

    Tell No One

    by Harlan Coben

    Narrated by Ed Sala

    ★ 4.30 BLT Score (197.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.05 Goodreads (192.7K) ★ 4.35 Audible (4.6K)
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  46. 46
    Make Me cover

    Make Me

    Jack Reacher • Book 20

    by Lee Child

    Narrated by Dick Hill

    ★ 4.30 BLT Score (96.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.02 Goodreads (84.8K) ★ 4.34 Audible (11.4K)
    More about this pick

    Dick Hill's deadpan delivery makes Reacher's blunt pragmatism feel like dark comedy—he's the perfect voice for a guy who walks into a conspiracy and treats it like a minor inconvenience.

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  47. 47
    Look For Me cover

    Look For Me

    Detective D.D. Warren • Book 10

    by Lisa Gardner

    Narrated by Kirsten Potter

    ★ 4.30 BLT Score (42.9K ratings)
    ★ 3.98 Goodreads (38.7K) ★ 4.46 Audible (4.2K)
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  48. 48
    Say Goodbye cover

    Say Goodbye

    FBI Profiler • Book 6

    by Lisa Gardner

    Narrated by Ann Marie Lee, Lincoln Hoppe

    ★ 4.29 BLT Score (31.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.12 Goodreads (28.6K) ★ 4.41 Audible (2.7K)
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  49. 49
    Vanished cover

    Vanished

    Callahan & McLane • Book 1

    by Kendra Elliot

    Narrated by Nick Podehl, Amy McFadden

    ★ 4.29 BLT Score (37.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.21 Goodreads (34.1K) ★ 4.32 Audible (3.7K)
    More about this pick

    Nick Podehl and Amy McFadden elevate this kidnapping thriller with crackling chemistry that mirrors the slow-burn tension between the two leads. The dual narration transforms what could be a standard procedural into something genuinely gripping.

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  50. 50
    The God of the Woods cover

    The God of the Woods

    by Liz Moore

    Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

    ★ 4.29 BLT Score (870.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.1 Goodreads (856.0K) ★ 4.35 Audible (14.7K)
    More about this pick

    Saskia Maarleveld's nuanced performance anchors Moore's intricate mystery across decades and class divides, making the audio format essential to untangling a family's buried secrets.

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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 →