Best Simon Vance Audiobooks

Simon Vance is a British narrator whose refined, versatile voice has graced over a thousand audiobooks. With dozens of Audie Awards and AudioFile Earphones Awards to his name, Vance is widely considered one of the finest narrators working today. He excels at literary fiction, historical novels, and British mystery — genres where his ability to shift between accents and registers makes every character feel fully realized. From Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall to Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, Vance brings intelligence and subtlety to complex texts that reward careful listening.

Where to Start with Simon Vance

154 audiobooks in collection
4.02 avg ABR rating
Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Sci-Fi, Biography & Memoir, Self-Help, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Literature & Fiction

Best Simon Vance Audiobooks

  1. 1
    The complete Sherlock Holmes cover

    The complete Sherlock Holmes

    Sherlock Holmes #1-9

    by Arthur Conan Doyle

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.81 ABR Score (226.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.51 Goodreads (217.8K) ★ 4.74 Audible (9.0K)
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    Victorian London's greatest detective solves impossible crimes through pure deductive reasoning and careful observation. This complete collection showcases Doyle's genius for puzzle-plotting and the iconic Holmes-Watson partnership across four novels and fifty-six short stories.

  2. 2
    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 ABR Score (810.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.24 Goodreads (779.5K) ★ 4.69 Audible (30.5K)
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    Hospitalized Lisbeth faces trial while Blomkvist uncovers the conspiracy that destroyed her childhood. Simon Vance's steady narration guides readers through this complex finale of corruption and revenge.

  3. 3
    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 ABR Score (1.0M ratings)
    ★ 4.26 Goodreads (991.2K) ★ 4.66 Audible (32.3K)
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    Lisbeth Salander becomes the prime suspect when her legal guardian is murdered alongside a journalist exposing sex trafficking. Simon Vance navigates the complex Swedish thriller with clear character voices and building tension.

  4. 4
    Dracula cover

    Dracula

    by Bram Stoker

    Narrated by Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Simon Vance, Katherine Kellgren, Susan Duerden, John Lee, Graeme Malcolm, Steven Crossley

    4.67 ABR Score (1.5M ratings)
    ★ 4.02 Goodreads (1.5M) ★ 4.61 Audible (37.6K)
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    Stoker's epistolary vampire classic comes alive through a full cast including Tim Curry and Alan Cumming, each voice adding texture to the unfolding Gothic horror.

  5. 5
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo cover

    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

    Millennium Series • Book 1

    by Stieg Larsson

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.67 ABR Score (3.5M ratings)
    ★ 4.18 Goodreads (3.5M) ★ 4.56 Audible (42.2K)
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    A disgraced journalist teams with a punk hacker to solve a decades-old disappearance on a remote Swedish island. Simon Vance navigates the intricate mystery with perfect pacing and distinct character voices.

  6. 6
    The Vampire Lestat cover

    The Vampire Lestat

    The Vampire Chronicles • Book 2

    by Anne Rice

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.66 ABR Score (225.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.11 Goodreads (218.3K) ★ 4.7 Audible (7.5K)
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    Simon Vance commands this operatic vampire saga with theatrical flair that matches Lestat's own irresistible charisma—his performance transforms what could be grandiose into genuinely seductive.

  7. 7
    Dune cover

    Dune

    Dune • Book 1

    by Frank Herbert

    Narrated by Scott Brick, Orlagh Cassidy, Euan Morton, Simon Vance, Ilyana Kadushin, Byron Jennings, David R. Gordon, Jason Culp, Kent Broadhurst, Oliver Wyman, Patricia Kilgarriff, Scott Sowers

    4.66 ABR Score (1.8M ratings)
    ★ 4.29 Goodreads (1.6M) ★ 4.67 Audible (126.5K)
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    Paul Atreides' transformation from noble heir to messianic leader on the spice planet Arrakis unfolds through multiple skilled voices that capture each character's distinct perspective.

  8. 8
    God's Smuggler cover

    God's Smuggler

    by Unknown Author

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.65 ABR Score (50.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.38 Goodreads (47.8K) ★ 4.9 Audible (2.6K)
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    Simon Vance's measured, trustworthy delivery transforms this true account of Bible smuggling into a page-turner that feels both intimate and urgent. A modern classic that still grips because the stakes, and the faith, feel devastatingly real.

  9. 9
    The Elephant Whisperer: Learning About Life, Loyalty and Freedom from a Remarkable Herd of Elephants cover

    The Elephant Whisperer: Learning About Life, Loyalty and Freedom from a Remarkable Herd of Elephants

    Elephant Whisperer • Book 1

    by Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.63 ABR Score (41.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.5 Goodreads (33.3K) ★ 4.76 Audible (7.9K)
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    Simon Vance's narration transforms this true story into an intimate portrait of grief and redemption, letting you hear the quiet breakthroughs between a man and a traumatized herd he refuses to abandon.

  10. 10
    Knowing God cover

    Knowing God

    by J.I. Packer

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.63 ABR Score (67.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.33 Goodreads (65.2K) ★ 4.84 Audible (2.7K)
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    Simon Vance's measured, contemplative delivery transforms Packer's dense theology into something intimate and urgent—you'll absorb arguments about God's nature that would've glazed your eyes on the page.

  11. 11
    The Broken Eye cover

    The Broken Eye

    Lightbringer • Book 3

    by Brent Weeks

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.61 ABR Score (81.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.44 Goodreads (69.5K) ★ 4.81 Audible (11.5K)
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    Gavin Guile's capture and enslavement drives this middle volume toward civil war, while Simon Vance handles the complex magic system and multiple perspectives brilliantly.

  12. 12
    The Blinding Knife cover

    The Blinding Knife

    Lightbringer • Book 2

    by Brent Weeks

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.58 ABR Score (105.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.41 Goodreads (94.1K) ★ 4.78 Audible (11.8K)
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    War erupts across the Seven Satrapies as Gavin's powers fail and old gods return, while his bastard son Kip trains at the magical Chromeria academy. Simon Vance handles Weeks' complex magic system and multiple viewpoints with impressive clarity.

  13. 13
    The Blood Mirror cover

    The Blood Mirror

    Lightbringer • Book 4

    by Brent Weeks

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.52 ABR Score (66.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.32 Goodreads (53.2K) ★ 4.76 Audible (13.7K)
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    Gavin Guile has vanished as the White King's armies crush the Seven Satrapies, leaving Kip to master his abilities while the Lightbringer prophecy reaches its devastating conclusion.

  14. 14
    Interview with the Vampire cover

    Interview with the Vampire

    The Vampire Chronicles • Book 1

    by Anne Rice

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.49 ABR Score (667.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.02 Goodreads (655.2K) ★ 4.5 Audible (12.5K)
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    Simon Vance's performance transforms Rice's gothic confession into something hypnotic—his voice captures both the seductive languor and existential despair of a vampire's immortality with unsettling precision.

  15. 15
    The Black Prism cover

    The Black Prism

    Lightbringer Saga • Book 1

    by Brent Weeks

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.47 ABR Score (147.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.23 Goodreads (132.5K) ★ 4.71 Audible (15.0K)
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    Gavin Guile rules an empire built on magic drawn from light itself, knowing exactly when his powers will kill him—a premise Simon Vance handles with gravity and wit.

  16. 16
    Bring Up The Bodies cover

    Bring Up The Bodies

    Thomas Cromwell • Book 2

    by Hilary Mantel, Unknown Author

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.40 ABR Score (109.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.3 Goodreads (105.7K) ★ 4.54 Audible (3.3K)
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    Simon Vance's narration transforms Mantel's intricate political prose into pure suspense—you'll hear the machinery of power and betrayal click into place across 14 hours you won't want to pause.

  17. 17
    The Chosen: Come and See cover

    The Chosen: Come and See

    The Chosen • Book 2

    by Jerry B. Jenkins

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.38 ABR Score (895 ratings)
    ★ 4.78 Goodreads (624) ★ 4.99 Audible (271)
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    Simon Vance's narration elevates Jenkins' reimagining into something genuinely alive—his distinctive voices for each disciple make you feel like you're actually there witnessing the chaos and wonder unfold.

  18. 18
    Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 cover

    Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45

    by Max Hastings

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.38 ABR Score (6.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.28 Goodreads (5.3K) ★ 4.77 Audible (712)
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    Simon Vance's crisp, unflinching delivery makes Hastings' brutal Pacific endgame feel immediate and vital, transforming a massive military history into something you can't stop listening to.

  19. 19
    Portrait of a Spy cover

    Portrait of a Spy

    Gabriel Allon • Book 11

    by Daniel Silva

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.36 ABR Score (36.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.26 Goodreads (33.3K) ★ 4.4 Audible (3.1K)
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    Gabriel Allon's hunt for suicide bombers across London and beyond becomes intensely personal, with Simon Vance's seasoned delivery perfectly matching the veteran spy's weary expertise.

  20. 20
    The Punishment She Deserves cover

    The Punishment She Deserves

    Inspector Lynley • Book 20

    by Elizabeth George

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.35 ABR Score (21.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.19 Goodreads (19.0K) ★ 4.58 Audible (2.1K)
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    A beloved deacon's mysterious death in police custody unravels decades of buried secrets in medieval Ludlow. Simon Vance expertly handles George's intricate plotting and the complex psychology driving both her investigators and suspects.

All Simon Vance Audiobooks (154)

Fantasy (45)

The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks
4.44 29h 33m
The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks
4.41 24h 14m
The Blood Mirror by Brent Weeks
4.32 20h 30m
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
4.23 21h 26m
Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks
4.27 18h 55m
Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks
4.25 17h 50m
3.93 20h 3m
Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik
4.08 10h 27m
Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, Doug Wheatley
4.05 26h 24m
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
4.07 9h 57m
  8h 38m
3.77 18h 2m
Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik
3.99 11h 6m
The Wolf of the North by Duncan M. Hamilton
4.11 10h 23m
The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks
4.15 17h 46m
Raise the Banner by A.C. Cobble
4.56 11h 15m
The Wolf of the North Trilogy by Duncan M. Hamilton
4.44 32h 22m
The Path of the Storm by James Maxwell
4.03 12h 30m
Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
3.91 10h 22m
Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
3.90 11h 43m
Blood of the Lost by J.D. Franx
4.17 19h 46m
The Ranger's Path by A.C. Cobble
4.37 11h 16m
The Fallen Goddess by J.D. Franx
4.38 26h 34m
The Legacy by J.D. Franx
4.13 21h 37m
All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay
4.17 18h 4m
Weaveworld by Clive Barker
4.13 21h 12m
Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice
3.76 15h 33m
Imajica Il by Clive Barker
4.17 37h 20m
Prince Lestat by Anne Rice
3.85 18h 52m
4.02 12h 46m
The Cold Commands by Richard K. Morgan
3.95 16h 48m
  12h 21m
Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik
3.99 10h 4m
Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik
3.77 10h 38m
4.53 32h 25m
Night Angel Nemesis by Brent Weeks
4.03 32h 11m
Quill by A.C. Cobble
4.01 14h 37m
First Watch by Dale Lucas
3.76 11h 10m
4.73 13h 55m
3.61 3h 17m
The Dragons of Deepwood Fen by Bradley P. Beaulieu
3.66 22h 9m
3.93 7h 42m
4.00 49h 18m

Mystery (23)

The complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
4.51 58h 4m
The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George
4.19 22h 48m
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
4.13 4h 5m
Letters from the Dead by Steve Robinson
4.29 9h 45m
The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg, Tiina Nunnally, Anna Ragnhildur Ingólfsdóttir
4.01 14h 58m
The Drowning by Camilla Läckberg, Luka Miličević
3.96 13h 13m
Dying Games by Steve Robinson
4.29 8h 56m
The Lost Boy by Camilla Läckberg, Tiina Nunnally
3.84 12h 56m
The Stranger by Camilla Läckberg
3.82 11h 24m
The Inheritance by Mark Dawson
4.36 9h 29m
A Slowly Dying Cause by Elizabeth George
4.08 19h 52m
4.33 13h 23m
Sherlock by Arthur Conan Doyle, Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat
4.33 25h 17m
The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by John Joseph Adams, Stephen King, Robert J. Sawyer, Michael Moorcock, Sharyn McCrumb, Stephen Baxter, Anne Perry, Barbara Hambly, Tanith Lee, Neil Gaiman, Rob Rogers, Naomi Novik, Anthony Burgess, Dominic Green, Laurie R. King, Barbara Roden, Tim Lebbon, Peter Tremayne, Bradley H. Sinor, Edward D. Hoch, Vonda N. McIntyre, Darrell Schweitzer, Mary Robinette Kowal, H. Paul Jeffers, Geoffrey A. Landis, Amy Myers, Chris Roden, Tony Pi, Chris Roberson, Mark Valentine
4.39 21h 21m
Borkmann's Point by Håkan Nesser, Laurie Thompson
3.72 7h 21m
3.66 8h 42m
Not in the Flesh by Ruth Rendell
3.63 8h 44m
Mind's Eye by Håkan Nesser
3.59 6h 38m

Thriller (22)

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson, Reg Keeland - translator
4.24 20h 17m
4.26 18h 35m
4.18 16h 19m
Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva
4.26 11h 26m
4.29 13h 51m
4.06 11h 52m
Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes
3.80 14h 13m
Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer
4.10 11h 28m
Call for the Dead by John le Carré
3.85 4h 34m
Icarus by Deon Meyer, K.L. Seegers
4.12 10h 44m
4.08 8h 4m
Trust No One by James Rollins
4.24 11h 15m
Dead Before Dying by Deon Meyer
3.93 10h 44m
Hunter Killer by Patrick Robinson
4.09 5h 53m
SeaFire by John Gardner
3.46 7h 55m
The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers
3.63 10h 20m
The Spanish Game by Charles Cumming
3.77 10h 42m
The Girl with Ice in Her Veins by Karin Smirnoff, Sarah Death
3.28 10h 22m

Literature & Fiction (15)

North Woods by Daniel Mason
4.10 11h 5m
4.67 9h 56m
Miracles - C by C.S. Lewis
4.05 6h 29m
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder, Paulette Møller
3.97 16h 53m
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, Virginia Woolf
3.68 10h 10m
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
3.53 9h 11m
The Prime Minister by Anthony Trollope
4.09 25h 6m
4.02 18h 35m
Euphoria by Lily King
3.87 6h 53m
The small house at Allington by Anthony Trollope
4.27 22h 59m
The Reservoir Tapes by Jon McGregor
3.74 3h 17m
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
3.57 15h 49m
Beast by Paul Kingsnorth
3.21 3h 59m
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, J.U. Nicolson
3.53 20h 49m

Horror (14)

Dracula by Bram Stoker
4.02 15h 27m
4.11 21h 40m
4.02 14h 24m
3.80 17h 13m
The Damnation Game by Clive Barker
3.81
The Essential Lovecraft by H.P. Lovecraft, Leslie S. Klinger, Fred Burman, Kevin Pariseau, Matt Godfrey, Peter Berkrot, Robert Fass, Timothy Andrés Pabon, Paul Woodson, Avi Roque, Raphael Corkhill
3.55 50h 12m
Fangs by Otto Penzler, Kim Newman, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, Arthur Conan Doyle, Erik Davies
3.78 18h 26m
Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird by Jonathan Maberry, R.L. Stine, Laurell K. Hamilton, Ray Bradbury, Victor LaValle, Robert E. Howard, Hailey Piper, H.P. Lovecraft, Tennessee Williams, Usman T. Malik, James Aquilone, Michael A. Arnzen
3.78 18h 44m
Weird Tales Magazine No. 370: Monster Issue (Weird Tales Magazine) by Jonathan Maberry, Various, Various Narrators
3.76 6h 27m
Weird Tales Magazine No. 367 by Jonathan Maberry
3.79 5h 56m
Bloodsuckers: The Vampire Archives by Otto Penzler, Stephen King, Tanith Lee, Dan Simmons, Bram Stoker, Neil Gaiman - preface, Otto Penzler
3.47 12h 50m

Historical Fiction (14)

Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel, Unknown Author
4.30 14h 34m
The Chosen: Come and See by Jerry B. Jenkins
4.78 8h 59m
4.28 27h 41m
By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
4.11 18h 25m
River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay
4.17 20h 49m
Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay
4.16 19h 25m
The Face of Battle by John Keegan
4.12 11h 45m
Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay
4.02 10h 33m
Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton
3.72 5h 18m
Shadow of the Raven by Tessa Harris
3.78 10h 9m
The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann
3.44 12h 35m
3.36 9h 11m
Black Sam: Prince of Pirates by Mat McLeod, James Lewis
3.65 10h 54m

Sci-Fi (11)

Dune by Frank Herbert
4.29 21h 2m
Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
3.95 16h 51m
God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert
3.88 15h 48m
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
3.89 8h 57m
Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert
3.85 18h 4m
Chapterhouse: Dune by Frank Herbert
3.86 16h 42m
3.83 5h 55m
Dangerous Visions by Harlan Ellison, Leo Dillon, Diane Dillon
4.13 24h 33m
Great Classic Science Fiction by H.G. Wells, James H. Schmitz, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Philip K. Dick, Frank Herbert, Fritz Leiber, Andre Norton
3.42 7h 45m
Street Freaks by Terry Brooks
3.59 11h 36m
Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters by Tim Marquitz, Nickolas Sharps, Peter Clines, Timothy W. Long, Peter Stenson, Kane Gilmour, Erin Hoffman, Paul Genesse, Edward M. Erdelac, Jonathan Wood, Shane Berryhill, Natania Barron, Pete Rawlik, James Swallow, Jaym Gates, Patrick M. Tracy, Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, Mike MacLean, Larry Correia, Sean Sherman, Gini Koch, James Lovegrove, James Maxey, C.L. Werner, Howard Andrew Jones, David Annandale, Joshua Reynolds
3.70 18h 1m

Biography & Memoir (7)

God's Smuggler by Unknown Author
4.38 8h 48m
The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
4.19 20h 6m
St. Francis of Assisi by G. K. Chesterton
4.01 4h 4m
Hurlbut's Story of the Bible by Rev. Jesse Hurlbut D.D.
4.43 19h 30m
4.06 20h 31m

Self-Help (3)

Knowing God by J.I. Packer
4.33
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff, Ernest H. Shepard
4.01 2h 46m
3.84 4h 47m