Best Serial Killer Audiobooks

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

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Serial killer narratives thrive on a specific kind of dread: the knowledge that a predator is still out there, still hunting, while investigators race to connect the dots before the next body falls. What makes these stories addictive is the dual perspective—you're inside the killer's twisted logic while also watching brilliant detectives close in, creating unbearable tension as both sides make calculated moves. The appeal lies in that chess match between hunter and hunted, the psychological warfare, and the satisfaction of finally understanding how someone so dangerous thinks.

You'll find serial killer plots dominating thrillers and crime mysteries, though they occasionally branch into historical fiction or true crime narratives. Expect meticulous investigations, multiple timelines, and protagonists obsessed with solving cases that have consumed them. These aren't cozy mysteries—they're dark, intense, and often unflinching about violence. The books on this page deliver that gripping, lose-sleep-at-night experience you're looking for.

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

  1. 1
    The Man Who Died Twice cover

    The Man Who Died Twice

    Thursday Murder Club • Book 2

    by Richard Osman

    Narrated by Lesley Manville

    ★ 4.83 BLT Score (369.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.35 Goodreads (361.0K) ★ 4.82 Audible (8.6K)
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  2. 2
    Desert Star cover

    Desert Star

    Renée Ballard • Book 5

    by Michael Connelly

    Narrated by Titus Welliver, Christine Lakin, Peter Giles

    ★ 4.81 BLT Score (96.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.47 Goodreads (86.3K) ★ 4.77 Audible (10.4K)
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  3. 3
    Portrait in Death cover

    Portrait in Death

    In Death • Book 16

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.76 BLT Score (46.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.39 Goodreads (42.3K) ★ 4.83 Audible (4.0K)
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  4. 4
    The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest cover

    The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

    Millennium Series • Book 3

    by Stieg Larsson, Reg Keeland - translator

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    ★ 4.73 BLT Score (810.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.24 Goodreads (779.5K) ★ 4.69 Audible (30.5K)
    More about this pick

    The trilogy's conclusion delivers on every promise — Salander's courtroom showdown is one of crime fiction's most cathartic climaxes.

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  5. 5
    The Girl Who Played with Fire cover

    The Girl Who Played with Fire

    Millennium Series • Book 2

    by Stieg Larsson

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    ★ 4.73 BLT Score (1.0M ratings)
    ★ 4.26 Goodreads (991.2K) ★ 4.66 Audible (32.3K)
    More about this pick

    Larsson's second Millennium novel deepens Lisbeth Salander's backstory in ways that are both shocking and deeply satisfying.

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  6. 6
    Reunion in Death cover

    Reunion in Death

    In Death • Book 14

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.72 BLT Score (36.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.38 Goodreads (32.6K) ★ 4.81 Audible (4.1K)
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  7. 7
    Imitation in Death cover

    Imitation in Death

    In Death • Book 17

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.71 BLT Score (37.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.39 Goodreads (32.8K) ★ 4.82 Audible (4.7K)
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  8. 8
    Apprentice in Death cover

    Apprentice in Death

    In Death • Book 43

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.71 BLT Score (34.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.45 Goodreads (27.5K) ★ 4.76 Audible (6.7K)
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  9. 9
    Seduction in Death cover

    Seduction in Death

    In Death • Book 13

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.70 BLT Score (37.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.35 Goodreads (33.7K) ★ 4.8 Audible (4.0K)
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  10. 10
    Origin in Death cover

    Origin in Death

    In Death • Book 21

    by J.D. Robb, Nora Roberts

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.70 BLT Score (35.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.39 Goodreads (31.9K) ★ 4.79 Audible (3.4K)
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  11. 11
    Random in Death cover

    Random in Death

    In Death • Book 58

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.69 BLT Score (29.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.46 Goodreads (27.1K) ★ 4.78 Audible (2.4K)
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  12. 12
    Devoted in Death cover

    Devoted in Death

    In Death • Book 41

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.69 BLT Score (30.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.41 Goodreads (24.9K) ★ 4.75 Audible (5.6K)
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  13. 13
    Visions in Death cover

    Visions in Death

    In Death • Book 19

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.69 BLT Score (34.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.39 Goodreads (31.4K) ★ 4.78 Audible (3.4K)
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  14. 14
    Judgment in Death cover

    Judgment in Death

    In Death • Book 11

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.68 BLT Score (45.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.37 Goodreads (41.3K) ★ 4.77 Audible (3.6K)
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  15. 15
    Creation in Death cover

    Creation in Death

    In Death • Book 25

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.67 BLT Score (33.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.4 Goodreads (30.2K) ★ 4.77 Audible (3.0K)
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  16. 16
    Echoes in Death cover

    Echoes in Death

    In Death • Book 44

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.67 BLT Score (35.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.43 Goodreads (27.8K) ★ 4.7 Audible (7.4K)
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  17. 17
    Golden in Death cover

    Golden in Death

    In Death • Book 50

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.67 BLT Score (32.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.38 Goodreads (27.5K) ★ 4.75 Audible (4.8K)
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  18. 18
    Conspiracy in Death cover

    Conspiracy in Death

    In Death • Book 8

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.66 BLT Score (47.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.37 Goodreads (43.3K) ★ 4.74 Audible (4.3K)
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  19. 19
    Betrayal in Death cover

    Betrayal in Death

    In Death • Book 12

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.66 BLT Score (40.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.35 Goodreads (36.7K) ★ 4.76 Audible (3.7K)
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  20. 20
    The Dark Hours cover

    The Dark Hours

    Renée Ballard • Book 4

    by Michael Connelly

    Narrated by Titus Welliver, Christine Lakin

    ★ 4.65 BLT Score (94.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.39 Goodreads (83.6K) ★ 4.65 Audible (10.7K)
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  21. 21
    Vengeance in Death cover

    Vengeance in Death

    In Death • Book 6

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.65 BLT Score (51.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.36 Goodreads (47.3K) ★ 4.74 Audible (4.5K)
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  22. 22
    Kill Shot cover

    Kill Shot

    Mitch Rapp • Book 2

    by Vince Flynn

    Narrated by George Guidall

    ★ 4.65 BLT Score (78.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.32 Goodreads (60.7K) ★ 4.65 Audible (17.9K)
    More about this pick

    George Guidall's gravelly precision turns this into a taut CIA thriller where every kill feels consequential. Flynn writes operatives, not heroes, and Guidall captures that moral ambiguity perfectly.

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  23. 23
    Vendetta in Death cover

    Vendetta in Death

    In Death • Book 49

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.64 BLT Score (29.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.36 Goodreads (24.5K) ★ 4.75 Audible (4.9K)
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  24. 24
    Loyalty in Death cover

    Loyalty in Death

    In Death • Book 9

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.64 BLT Score (42.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.33 Goodreads (38.3K) ★ 4.75 Audible (3.9K)
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  25. 25
    Holiday in Death cover

    Holiday in Death

    In Death • Book 7

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.64 BLT Score (50.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.34 Goodreads (45.9K) ★ 4.73 Audible (4.3K)
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  26. 26
    The Sixth Wicked Child cover

    The Sixth Wicked Child

    4MK Thriller • Book 3

    by J.D. Barker

    Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Graham Winton

    ★ 4.64 BLT Score (40.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.48 Goodreads (37.6K) ★ 4.71 Audible (2.4K)
    More about this pick

    Ballerini and Winton's dual narration elevates this already dark thriller into something genuinely immersive—their voices don't just read competing timelines, they make you feel the psychological fracture at the story's core.

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  27. 27
    All the Colors of the Dark cover

    All the Colors of the Dark

    by Chris Whitaker

    Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

    ★ 4.62 BLT Score (490.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.24 Goodreads (474.2K) ★ 4.59 Audible (16.7K)
    More about this pick

    Edoardo Ballerini's narration transforms this missing-girl mystery into something haunting and intimate—he captures the vulnerability of small-town secrets and the quiet ache of impossible choices with devastating precision.

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  28. 28
    The Waiting cover

    The Waiting

    Renée Ballard • Book 6

    by Michael Connelly

    Narrated by Christine Lakin, Titus Welliver, Madison Lintz

    ★ 4.62 BLT Score (76.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.36 Goodreads (71.3K) ★ 4.68 Audible (4.7K)
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  29. 29
    Blood Rites cover

    Blood Rites

    The Dresden Files • Book 6

    by Jim Butcher

    Narrated by James Marsters

    ★ 4.62 BLT Score (168.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.29 Goodreads (140.2K) ★ 4.82 Audible (28.1K)
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  30. 30
    Career of Evil cover

    Career of Evil

    Cormoran Strike • Book 3

    by Robert Galbraith

    Narrated by Robert Glenister

    ★ 4.62 BLT Score (248.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.22 Goodreads (231.1K) ★ 4.64 Audible (17.7K)
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  31. 31
    New York to Dallas cover

    New York to Dallas

    In Death • Book 33

    by J.D. Robb, Susan Ericksen

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.61 BLT Score (39.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.45 Goodreads (34.8K) ★ 4.63 Audible (4.8K)
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  32. 32
    Kindred in Death cover

    Kindred in Death

    In Death • Book 29

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.61 BLT Score (31.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.37 Goodreads (27.9K) ★ 4.71 Audible (3.4K)
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  33. 33
    Fantasy in Death / Indulgence in Death / Treachery in Death cover

    Fantasy in Death / Indulgence in Death / Treachery in Death

    In Death #30-32 • Book 30

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.60 BLT Score (6.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.74 Goodreads (2.7K) ★ 4.66 Audible (3.4K)
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  34. 34
    Festive in Death cover

    Festive in Death

    In Death • Book 39

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.60 BLT Score (32.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.33 Goodreads (27.0K) ★ 4.7 Audible (5.4K)
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  35. 35
    Secrets in Death cover

    Secrets in Death

    In Death • Book 45

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.58 BLT Score (32.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.33 Goodreads (25.9K) ★ 4.67 Audible (6.5K)
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  36. 36
    The Outsider cover

    The Outsider

    Holly Gibney • Book 1

    by Stephen King

    Narrated by Will Patton

    ★ 4.57 BLT Score (451.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.02 Goodreads (386.6K) ★ 4.57 Audible (64.6K)
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  37. 37
    Dark in Death cover

    Dark in Death

    In Death • Book 46

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.57 BLT Score (31.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.31 Goodreads (25.6K) ★ 4.67 Audible (6.4K)
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  38. 38
    Rapture in Death cover

    Rapture in Death

    In Death • Book 4

    by J.D. Robb, Susan Ericksen

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.57 BLT Score (60.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.28 Goodreads (55.1K) ★ 4.67 Audible (5.4K)
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  39. 39
    A Minute to Midnight cover

    A Minute to Midnight

    Atlee Pine • Book 2

    by David Baldacci

    Narrated by Brittany Pressley, Kyf Brewer

    ★ 4.56 BLT Score (65.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.22 Goodreads (56.9K) ★ 4.63 Audible (8.8K)
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  40. 40
    A Killer's Mind cover

    A Killer's Mind

    Zoe Bentley Mystery • Book 1

    by Mike Omer

    Narrated by Brittany Pressley

    ★ 4.55 BLT Score (77.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.22 Goodreads (63.7K) ★ 4.58 Audible (13.3K)
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  41. 41
    When You See Me cover

    When You See Me

    Detective D.D. Warren • Book 12

    by Lisa Gardner

    Narrated by Kirsten Potter

    ★ 4.55 BLT Score (43.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.24 Goodreads (39.7K) ★ 4.67 Audible (4.2K)
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  42. 42
    Relentless cover

    Relentless

    Rogue Team International • Book 2

    by Jonathan Maberry

    Narrated by Ray Porter

    ★ 4.54 BLT Score (5.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.38 Goodreads (1.9K) ★ 4.79 Audible (3.2K)
    More about this pick

    Ray Porter's relentless delivery matches Joe Ledger's unraveling psyche perfectly—18 hours of noir-thriller intensity where the narrator's performance becomes inseparable from the character's descent into controlled fury.

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  43. 43
    Concealed in Death cover

    Concealed in Death

    In Death • Book 38

    by J.D. Robb

    Narrated by Susan Ericksen

    ★ 4.53 BLT Score (33.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.33 Goodreads (27.5K) ★ 4.62 Audible (5.8K)
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  44. 44
    If It Bleeds cover

    If It Bleeds

    Holly Gibney • Book 2

    by Stephen King

    Narrated by Will Patton, Danny Burstein, Steven Weber

    ★ 4.53 BLT Score (147.0K ratings)
    ★ 3.97 Goodreads (129.6K) ★ 4.58 Audible (17.4K)
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  45. 45
    Cross Down cover

    Cross Down

    Alex Cross • Book 31

    by James Patterson, Brendan DuBois

    Narrated by William Christopher Stephens, Kiff VandenHeuvel, Mela Lee, Inger Tudor, Zeno Robinson, Wayne Carr, Peter Giles

    ★ 4.52 BLT Score (26.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.4 Goodreads (25.5K) ★ 4.66 Audible (1.2K)
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  46. 46
    Red Dragon cover

    Red Dragon

    Hannibal Lecter Series • Book 1

    by Thomas Harris

    Narrated by Alan Sklar

    ★ 4.49 BLT Score (381.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.07 Goodreads (375.9K) ★ 4.58 Audible (5.6K)
    More about this pick

    The novel that introduced Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham — Harris's original is more disturbing and more literary than its reputation suggests.

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  47. 47
    Hidden Nature cover

    Hidden Nature

    by Nora Roberts

    Narrated by January LaVoy

    ★ 4.48 BLT Score (42.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.12 Goodreads (38.5K) ★ 4.66 Audible (3.6K)
    More about this pick

    January LaVoy's narration transforms this into a gripping psychological thriller—her control of tension and character voices makes the 15-hour runtime disappear while you're locked in with a cop who refuses to stay down.

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  48. 48
    The Brass Verdict cover

    The Brass Verdict

    The Lincoln Lawyer • Book 2

    by Michael Connelly

    Narrated by Peter Giles

    ★ 4.48 BLT Score (109.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.24 Goodreads (99.0K) ★ 4.47 Audible (10.0K)
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  49. 49
    Last Breath cover

    Last Breath

    Detective Erika Foster • Book 4

    by Robert Bryndza

    Narrated by Jan Cramer

    ★ 4.47 BLT Score (24.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.3 Goodreads (22.2K) ★ 4.6 Audible (2.2K)
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  50. 50
    Memory Man cover

    Memory Man

    Amos Decker • Book 1

    by David Baldacci

    Narrated by Ron McLarty, Orlagh Cassidy

    ★ 4.47 BLT Score (191.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.13 Goodreads (160.2K) ★ 4.43 Audible (31.2K)
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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 →