September 28, 2014 / Leslie

Review – Audiobook: Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta

Those Who Wish Me Dead
by Michael Koryta

Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Hachette / Little Brown | June 2014
Format: Audio, 10½ hours | Print, 400 pages
Audio Listening Level: Intermediate
Rating: 5 of 5

From the Publisher

When fourteen-year-old Jace Wilson witnesses a brutal murder, he’s plunged into a new life, issued a false identity and hidden in a wilderness skills program for troubled teens. The plan is to get Jace off the grid while police find the two killers. The result is the start of a nightmare.

About the Story

Ethan and his wife Allison live in the Montana mountains. He is a survival instructor and also runs a summer camp for troubled teens. One night Jamie, a former survivor school student, shows up at Ethan’s door. She needs a favor. She is now working as a private bodyguard and wants to hide a young witness by enrolling him in Ethan’s wilderness camp for teens. The boy’s parents do not trust the police to keep him safe and have hired her to hide him from a pair of hitmen that want to eliminate the only witness to a murder they committed.

Allison wasn’t so sure this was a good idea, but Ethan wanted to do the right thing and help the boy. He knew could keep him safe in the wilderness. But in no time the hit men, the exceptionally creepy Blackwell brothers, were able to track them and began closing in on the group.

My Thoughts:

This is one of my favorite types of books – a classic thriller that captures my attention from the very first chapter and won’t let go. The suspense was riveting, the plot rich and complex, but never difficult to grasp. The pace never slowed down with one plot turn after another. The setting in the mountainous wilderness is a character in itself, offering its own obstacles including an encroaching forest fire.

I listened to this book knowing little about the plot other than the synopsis – and not knowing what was to come enhanced my enjoyment. The narrative shifts between the different character’s points of view, including a creepy glimpse into the minds of the hitmen. Their eerie conversations, relentless pursuit and joy in killing add to the gripping nature of the story.

Audio Production

The audio was performed by Robert Petkoff who did an excellent job with each and every character. Voices were distinct and it was easy to identify a shift in point of view. My favorite voice was for the Blackwell brothers. They are the stuff nightmares are made of, and the narration drove that home.

I had no trouble following the story, but the shifting narrative requires a little more attention than usual. Nevertheless, I would recommend this to listeners of all levels.

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Source: Review copy from the Hachette Audio through LibraryThing.
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