Our score
Outstanding
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The Stranger Beside Me Audiobook by Ann Rule— narrated by Lorelei King
Ann Rule was writing a book about an unknown serial killer when she realized she already knew him: her friend Ted Bundy. A true-crime classic with a premise no novelist could invent.
Why the audiobook wins
Lorelei King, a two-time Audie Award winner across her long narration career, brings a measured, clear-eyed calm to a story that would collapse under a more sensational reading. Ann Rule wrote this as a working crime reporter who slowly realized her own friend was the killer she was investigating, and King's restrained delivery keeps that dawning horror grounded rather than lurid.
At over eighteen hours, this is a genuine deep-dive listen, closer to a slow-burn documentary than a quick thriller, and the audio format suits true crime's procedural detail better than most genres. It's the kind of book you want during a long commute stretch or a cross-country drive, where King's steady voice can sit with you through Rule's methodical unspooling of the case.
The premise alone, a crime writer who didn't know she already had her subject, sitting beside her on a suicide hotline shift, is one no novelist would dare invent, and King's unshowy narration trusts that truth to do the work. One credit covers the whole unsettling ride.
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Audiobook questions
- Who narrates the The Stranger Beside Me audiobook?
- Lorelei King narrates the audiobook edition of The Stranger Beside Me.
- How long is the The Stranger Beside Me audiobook?
- The audiobook runs 18 hr 29 min.
- Is the The Stranger Beside Me audiobook worth listening to?
- We scored The Stranger Beside Me 4.5 out of 5. Lorelei King, a two-time Audie Award winner across her long narration career, brings a measured, clear-eyed calm to a story that would collapse under a more sensational reading. Ann Rule wrote this as a working crime reporter who slowly realized her own friend was the killer she…
- Can I listen to The Stranger Beside Me free with an Audible trial?
- Eligible new Audible members can use a free-trial credit to listen in the Audible app. Eligibility and current offer terms are set by Audible.Listen to The Stranger Beside Me free with an Audible trial
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- Is The Stranger Beside Me on Kindle Unlimited?
- Yes. The Stranger Beside Me was included with Kindle Unlimited when we last checked on July 1, 2026.
- How much does The Stranger Beside Me cost?
- On Amazon: Kindle $8.99, Paperback $19.95, Hardcover $72.33. Prices as of August 21, 2026 at 3:47 AM EDT and may change.
