10 audiobooks for fans of 1st To Die
- 1
Escape
Billy Harney • Book 3
by James Patterson, David Ellis
Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini
Why this book?
Patterson and Ellis craft the same propulsive mystery-thriller momentum that made 1st To Die compelling, with a protagonist caught in an impossible situation that demands constant problem-solving. Edoardo Ballerini's narration delivers the same page-turning intensity as Suzanne Toren's performance, keeping listeners engaged through intricate twists and high personal stakes.
★ 4.54 ABR Score (18.5K ratings)★ 4.33 Goodreads (16.2K) ★ 4.7 Audible (2.3K)More about this pick
Detective Billy Harney investigates a billionaire crime boss down to his last twenty million—and currently behind bars. Edoardo Ballerini captures the gritty Chicago atmosphere and Harney's determination perfectly.
- 2
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 ABR Score (26.7K ratings)★ 4.4 Goodreads (25.5K) ★ 4.66 Audible (1.2K)More about this pick
With Alex Cross critically injured, partner John Sampson takes center stage in a military-style attack investigation brought to life by seven skilled narrators.
- 3
The Black Book
Billy Harney • Book 1
by James Patterson, David Ellis
Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini
Why this book?
Patterson and Ellis deliver the same propulsive, page-turning mystery style that made *1st To Die* compelling, with intricate plots that demand your full attention during the audiobook experience. *The Black Book* maintains that rapid-fire narrative tension while exploring darker moral ambiguities, offering listeners the addictive quality of a detective-driven thriller with added psychological depth.
★ 4.46 ABR Score (58.8K ratings)★ 4.28 Goodreads (43.4K) ★ 4.42 Audible (15.4K)More about this pick
Chicago cop Billy Harney wakes up next to three corpses with no memory of how he got there, launching a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of city politics.
- 4
Cross and Sampson
Alex Cross • Book 35
by James Patterson, Brian Sitts
Narrated by Isaiah Mustafa, Dion Graham
★ 4.40 ABR Score (6.6K ratings)★ 4.5 Goodreads (6.2K) ★ 4.62 Audible (404)More about this pick
Alex Cross and John Sampson investigate separate crimes simultaneously - a bombing in DC and murder in North Carolina. Isaiah Mustafa and Dion Graham split narrative duties as the partners work apart for once.
- 5
Roses Are Red
Alex Cross • Book 6
Narrated by Peter Jay Fernandez
★ 4.36 ABR Score (79.4K ratings)★ 4.1 Goodreads (76.8K) ★ 4.5 Audible (2.6K)More about this pick
Peter Jay Fernandez captures Cross's intensity as he hunts the Mastermind, a criminal genius orchestrating bank robberies with lethal precision across Washington.
- 6
Invisible
Invisible • Book 1
by James Patterson, David Ellis
Narrated by January LaVoy, Kevin T. Collins
★ 4.36 ABR Score (57.7K ratings)★ 4.15 Goodreads (49.2K) ★ 4.39 Audible (8.6K)More about this pick
FBI researcher Emmy Dockery connects hundreds of unsolved kidnappings to one invisible killer, but only her ex-boyfriend agent Books will listen before the pattern turns deadly personal.
- 7
Violets Are Blue
Alex Cross • Book 7
Narrated by Daniel Whitner, Kevin O'Rourke
★ 4.33 ABR Score (73.7K ratings)★ 4.02 Goodreads (71.5K) ★ 4.51 Audible (2.2K)More about this pick
Alex Cross hunts killers who believe they're vampires, committing ritualistic murders that blur the line between delusion and supernatural horror. Whitner and O'Rourke share narration duties in this macabre thriller that tests Cross's rationality.
- 8
Pop Goes the Weasel
Alex Cross • Book 5
Narrated by Michael Kramer
★ 4.32 ABR Score (79.1K ratings)★ 4.05 Goodreads (76.9K) ★ 4.48 Audible (2.2K)More about this pick
British diplomat Geoffrey Shafer plays deadly games with Detective Cross in this twisted cat-and-mouse thriller that races through Washington D.C.'s darkest corners.
- 9
Along Came a Spider
Alex Cross • Book 1
Narrated by Peter Jay Fernandez, Jay O. Sanders
★ 4.31 ABR Score (494.1K ratings)★ 4.13 Goodreads (491.9K) ★ 4.33 Audible (2.1K)More about this pick
Gary Soneji's sadistic chess game with detective Alex Cross unfolds across Washington D.C.'s most brutal crime scenes. Peter Jay Fernandez and Jay O. Sanders alternate perspectives seamlessly, capturing both the hunter's determination and predator's chilling calculation.
- 10
Cat & Mouse
Alex Cross • Book 4
Narrated by Jeff Harding
★ 4.25 ABR Score (85.1K ratings)★ 4.04 Goodreads (83.1K) ★ 4.38 Audible (2.0K)More about this pick
Alex Cross faces dying serial killer Gary Soneji's final revenge while tracking the enigmatic Mr. Smith. Patterson weaves multiple pursuits into a complex web of hunters and prey across two parallel investigations.
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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.