Audiobooks Like The Grownup

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If you loved The Grownup by Gillian Flynn, these audiobooks share similar qualities — same genre, sometimes the same narrator, comparable length, and the kind of ratings that signal a great listen. Fans of Julia Whelan's narration will find familiar voices here too.

10 audiobooks for fans of The Grownup

  1. 1
    Gone Girl cover

    Gone Girl

    by Gillian Flynn

    Narrated by Julia Whelan, Kirby Heyborne

    ★ 4.53 ABR Score (3.5M ratings)
    ★ 4.15 Goodreads (3.5M) ★ 4.36 Audible (59.9K)
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    Nick and Amy's toxic marriage unravels through alternating perspectives, with Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne capturing each spouse's manipulation perfectly.

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  2. 2
    Sharp Objects cover

    Sharp Objects

    by Gillian Flynn

    Narrated by Ann Marie Lee

    ★ 4.48 ABR Score (1.3M ratings)
    ★ 4 Goodreads (1.2M) ★ 4.44 Audible (41.9K)
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    Ann Marie Lee's controlled performance mirrors Camille's own emotional restraint as she investigates child murders in her toxic hometown.

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  3. 3
    Dark Places cover

    Dark Places

    by Gillian Flynn

    Narrated by Rebecca Lowman, Cassandra Campbell, Mark Deakins, Robertson Dean

    ★ 4.42 ABR Score (876.6K ratings)
    ★ 3.94 Goodreads (845.9K) ★ 4.42 Audible (30.7K)
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    Adult survivor Libby Day reopens her family's massacre case when funds run low, uncovering disturbing truths about that night. The ensemble cast captures each character's desperation and damaged psychology perfectly.

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  4. 4
    The Witness cover

    The Witness

    by Nora Roberts

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    ★ 4.60 ABR Score (130.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.25 Goodreads (95.6K) ★ 4.56 Audible (34.4K)
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    Roberts explores how one traumatic night reshapes a young woman's entire existence, forcing her into witness protection and eventual self-discovery. Julia Whelan's nuanced performance captures both Elizabeth's vulnerability and growing strength.

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  5. 5
    Dear Debbie cover

    Dear Debbie

    by Freida McFadden

    Narrated by Julia Whelan, January LaVoy, Scott Brick

    ★ 4.45 ABR Score (249.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.02 Goodreads (244.1K) ★ 4.57 Audible (5.8K)
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    Advice columnist Debbie Mullen's breaking point arrives when her helpful suggestions turn deadly in McFadden's latest twisted tale. Three skilled narrators handle the shifting perspectives with precision.

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  6. 6
    The Wife Between Us cover

    The Wife Between Us

    by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    ★ 4.26 ABR Score (485.1K ratings)
    ★ 3.83 Goodreads (449.7K) ★ 4.28 Audible (35.4K)
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    Every assumption you make about this love triangle—jealous ex-wife, innocent new bride, charming husband—will prove wrong. Julia Whelan's performance keeps listeners off-balance as the psychological thriller reveals its layers of deception and manipulation.

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  7. 7
    Cold Cold Heart cover

    Cold Cold Heart

    by Tami Hoag

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    ★ 4.22 ABR Score (24.7K ratings)
    ★ 3.92 Goodreads (18.7K) ★ 4.39 Audible (6.0K)
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    A TV reporter's psychological recovery from a serial killer attack becomes a haunting exploration of trauma and survival. Julia Whelan captures Dana's fractured mental state with subtle intensity.

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  8. 8
    Playing with Fire cover

    Playing with Fire

    by Tess Gerritsen

    Narrated by Julia Whelan, Will Damron

    ★ 4.18 ABR Score (27.2K ratings)
    ★ 3.97 Goodreads (23.9K) ★ 4.33 Audible (3.3K)
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    Julia finds an unusual violin composition in a Roman antique shop that causes blackouts and her daughter's disturbing behavior changes.

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  9. 9
    It's One of Us cover

    It's One of Us

    by J.T. Ellison

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    ★ 4.17 ABR Score (48.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.84 Goodreads (47.1K) ★ 4.45 Audible (1.2K)
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    Whelan navigates the emotional complexity of a woman discovering her husband may be connected to a decades-old murder through DNA evidence that upends their fertility struggles.

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  10. 10
    Congo cover

    Congo

    by Michael Crichton

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    ★ 4.17 ABR Score (186.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.64 Goodreads (179.4K) ★ 4.4 Audible (6.9K)
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    Deep in the African rainforest, a high-tech expedition searches for diamonds near the legendary city of Zinj, where something brutally killed the previous team.

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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 →