Audiobooks Like Roses Are Red

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Peter Jay Fernandez plays it close to the chest in *Roses Are Red* — his narration stays measured and controlled, which gives the procedural mechanics room to breathe and makes Alex Cross feel like someone who has seen enough darkness to stop being surprised by it. Eight hours is just long enough for Patterson's breakneck chapter structure to build real dread without ever letting the pace drag. Every title here is another Patterson, running to roughly the same length, so that same efficient, punishing rhythm — short chapters, rising stakes, a detective who stays coldly functional under pressure — runs through all of them.

10 audiobooks for fans of Roses Are Red

  1. 1
    Escape cover

    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)
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    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. 2
    The Red Book cover

    The Red Book

    A Billy Harney Thriller • 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)
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    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.

  3. 3
    The 20th Victim cover

    The 20th Victim

    Women's Murder Club BookShots • 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)
  4. 4
    22 Seconds cover

    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)
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    Lindsay Boxer hunts weapon smugglers while a killer targets former cops with personal messages, threatening both her badge and her life.

  5. 5
    Invisible cover

    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)
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    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.

  6. 6
    25 Alive (WMC #25): A Women's Murder Club Thriller cover

    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)
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    The Women's Murder Club investigates a former SFPD chief's murder in Golden Gate Park for this milestone twenty-fifth installment. Patterson and Paetro return to San Francisco with familiar characters facing a case that hits close to home.

  7. 7
    1st To Die cover

    1st To Die

    Women's Murder Club • Book 1

    by James Patterson

    Narrated by Suzanne Toren

    4.33 ABR Score (366.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.1 Goodreads (360.3K) ★ 4.31 Audible (6.5K)
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    San Francisco homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer teams with a medical examiner, prosecutor, and crime reporter to track a killer targeting newlyweds. Patterson launches his Women's Murder Club series with fast-paced procedural action and the dynamic between four professional women.

  8. 8
    Step on a Crack cover

    Step on a Crack

    Michael Bennett • Book 1

    by James Patterson

    Narrated by John Slattery, Reg Rogers

    4.32 ABR Score (61.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.08 Goodreads (60.5K) ★ 4.61 Audible (549)
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    During a former First Lady's funeral, masked gunmen take hostages inside St. Patrick's Cathedral, demanding Detective Michael Bennett orchestrate their impossible escape plan. The dual narrators capture the tension as Bennett navigates both personal crisis and professional nightmare.

  9. 9
    Killer Instinct cover

    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)
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    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.

  10. 10
    Instinct (previously published as Murder Games) cover

    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)
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    A psychology professor finds his own textbook at a murder scene with a personal message from the killer—Patterson's trademark short chapters build relentless momentum.

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.

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