Stranger

by Ben H. Winters, Vikas Adam (Narrator)

From Ben H. Winters, author of the Last Policeman trilogy, The Quiet Boy, and the Audible Originals Q&A and Self Help, comes a new crime story—a darkly comedic thriller, a wicked satire of our contemporary digital lives, and a loving homage to Patricia Highsmith’s iconic Strangers on a Train.

Meet Harry, aspiring tech entrepreneur. He’s a would-be Steve Jobs trapped in a cubicle gig at an angel investor firm, so close and yet so far from his dreams. His marriage is foundering, his career is stalled out, and all he wants is to create an app like Uber, or Tinder, something to make real change in the world, and change his own life forever.

Now meet Peter, a deeply troubled computer genius who lives in a basement apartment, chugging red wine, nursing old grudges and writing code.

When Harry meets Peter, it’s both of their lives that will change, when they invent an app for murder: you post your desired target, I post mine, and if we make a match we both carry out the other’s killing. Stranger is an instant success, and Harry’s dreams have come true…but at what cost?

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Short Stories, Technology, Suspense

2 pages, Audiobook

Published July 6, 2023

About the author

Ben H. Winters is the author most recently of the novel The Quiet Boy (Mulholland/Little, Brown, 2021). He is also the author of the novel Golden State; the New York Times bestselling Underground Airlines; The Last Policeman and its two sequels; the horror novel Bedbugs; and several works for young readers. His first novel, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, was also a Times bestseller. Ben has won the Edgar Award for mystery writing, the Philip K. Dick award in science fiction, the Sidewise Award for alternate history, and France’s Grand Prix de L’Imaginaire.

Ben also writes for film and television. He is the creator and co-showrunner of Tracker, forthcoming on CBS. Previously he was a producer on the FX show Legion, and on the upcoming Apple TV+ drama Manhunt.

He has contributed short stories to many anthologies, as well as in magazines such as Lightspeed. He is the author of four “Audible Originals”– Stranger, Inside Jobs, Q&A, and Self Help — and several plays and musicals. His reviews appear frequently in the New York Times Book Review. Ben was born in Washington, D.C., grew up in Maryland, educated in St. Louis, and then grew up a bunch more, in various ways, in places like Chicago, New York, Cambridge, MA, and Indianapolis, IN. These days he lives in LA with his wife, three kids, and one large dog.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good and worthy read or listen. 6 of 10 stars

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 3.5 stars**
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Vikas Adam

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing Audible book. Only a few hours long but packed with suspense and intrigue. I've never heard of this narrator before but he was absolutely terrific!
His name is Vikas Adam. So I had to look that up because I thought perhaps the name might be backwards. Then I found this:


All I can say to that is.... WOW.
lol

*removed reading dates so as not to count this towards my yearly goal.

[Shilo Parcel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This thrilling dark comedy critiques our tech reliance while honoring classic crime stories. It narrates the journey of an ambitious entrepreneur and a resentful computer genius who together create a murder-orchestrating app. The plot raises tension and blurs moral lines as the app's success asks us, at what cost? Engaging narration and paced storytelling enhance the experience. Complex characters and compelling narrative make this a must for thriller and satire fans or any lover of well-crafted storytelling.

[Kamla · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read so many crime novels this past 2 years, it's a wonder I ever leave my house or speak to anyone.....
Oh ... hang on....

This story didn't hit the mark, sorry. ..

but it didn't matter because.....

Narrator was incredibly sexy - I've never said that before.
I'll re-read as a bedtime fall asleep story. That voice and accent is really beautiful 😍Thank you Vikas Adam. I'd listen to anything you narrate x A Masterpiece of reading/acting. Wow.

[Lars Dradrach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Well crafted short story, with inspiration from Highsmiths Stranger on a train, it’s no surprise that Winter writes well after “the last policeman” and the short story format suits him well, 3 stars for the story and an additional star for the audio production.

[Jelena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting short story. The premise was intriguing, but the characters were so unlikeable it was kind of challenging to go through with it. It's funny what are man ready to do to feel acomplished, and even funnier how woman waiting for that to happen will get annoyed. I loved the ending.

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable story, not so great narrators.

[Kelly Cramer Sequeira · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very boring. Barely finished it. Thank goodness it was pretty short.

[Denise B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crazy wild ride. Very clever and creative and WHOA wait for it the ending.

[Robin Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok... Sad commentary on the state of the world that I could totally believe there would be an app to have someone killed. Luckily, this was a short story and I'm glad to be done. It wasn't valueless but I can't say that I really liked it.

[Ericka · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!!Now that's a killer app!!! (pun intended)
Nowadays there's an app for everything, from buying clothes, shoes, jewelry, passing through medicine, food, illegal drugs and other illegal things, even to find the proverbial "love"; so, think for a minute, is it so crazy to have an app to order...pause for dramatic effect...
=== to order someone's death?!? ====
yeap, to have someone killed in a convenient and more user friendly way: login, fill out the questionnaire about the target you want out of the way, post it, then the app algorithm will match you with another client, pretty much like the dating apps, and boom, your "inconvenience" will get removed, permanently. Of course, there's a payment to be made, like on any other purchase. What's the catch you ask? well, as someone takes your target out, you get a target assign with a window of 48hrs to carry it out. If you fail, you become a new target. Wanna subscribe???

I must confess that at the beginning it sounded a bit preposterous, but being in the IT business, curiosity got the best of me so I continued with the story and I'm glad that I did, it is a short story after all, fast paced, with dark comedy included, and liked the narrator's work very much. Plus the end was so worth it! Hell to the yeah!

[Kassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

listened to this on audio and was not a fan of the different voices that the narrator used for the different characters, they were actually quite annoying. although i didn’t like a majority of the book, i did enjoy the ending, so for that 2 stars

[Mica's Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Harry works in the Human Resources department of a capital venture company but he desperately wants to create a best-selling app. As he and his wife discuss his upcoming pitch, they joke about creating an app called "Stranger" based on the movie "Strangers on a Train". The app would allow people to post who they want murdered and if they matched with someone, they would have to kill each other's target. When an overexuberant waiter overhears them, he develops the "Stranger" app and all hell breaks loose.

This book annoyed me in so many ways. The main character was a narcissist to the extreme. The waiter grated on my every nerve. The voice that the narrator chose for the waiter was terrible and I really disliked listening to it. The way the story concluded was fulfilling at lease. I probably will not read this author again.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another win for Audible originals! This story was so much fun! It blows my mind that a story that stands at only two and a half hours long can be more thrilling and fun than novels that stand at 10+ hours.

The characters were unique. It's odd how I liked Harry but also thought he was a bit of a slimeball due to his constant habit of lying to his wife. Said wife was my least favorite character, but she still had an interesting personality. She loved Harry through thick and thin, even though he really didn't deserve it. And don't even get me STARTED on Peter. I wanted to punch his teeth down his throat, but that was the whole point of his character and the role he played in the story. It was interesting to see how Harry's dream of creating an app to make the world a better place turned into the complete opposite and went tumbling out of his control.

While the plot wasn't completely new, it had some twists in it that made it inventive. It followed the "kill someone for me and I'll kill someone for you" plotline, but used it via a phone app. While it did seem slightly unbelievable, it was too fun of a story for me to care about that. If this app was something that actually existed, I feel like it would be terrifying, but I also feel like it would be tracked and shut down in no time. It did make me think about how people (myself included) tend to act through emotions rather than stopping to think things through in the heat of the moment, and an app that allows you to hire a hitman (so to speak) would be an incredibly dangerous thing for us to have at our disposal.

Now, for this interesting ending! I always tend to see twists coming and, while I was on the right track here, I wasn't totally correct, so that had me thrilled. I found myself smiling and laughing throughout the ending, not necessarily because it was funny, but because it felt bittersweet. The moral of this story would be "don't be an idiot, because if you are, karma will come around and bite you in the butt".

If you have Audible and enjoy listening to Audible originals, I suggest giving this one a try. The man who read the story, while having a weird way of reading the lines of female characters, still did a good job. I listened to the story from beginning to end without a single break, and I think it will have the same effect on you!

[Cynthia Conlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Patricia Highsmith’s “Strangers on a Train,” which was published in 1951 but I only discovered last year. This work, which is more like a short novella than a novel (possibly even a novelette?), is an homage to that book. I do not recommend listening to it if you’ve never read Highsmith’s; read hers first. Then you can appreciate this work more. (Plus Highsmith’s is a classic and a brilliant story). What Winters did here was put a modern spin on her novel. I think it’s a great homage and entertaining. It reminds me of an assignment in a creative writing class in college when my teacher had told us to write a story in the style of another author. It’s as if Winters gave himself the same assignment, and it’s very well done, and even has an unexpected twist. If I didn’t know the Highsmith novel, though, it would probably have come off as being just weird!

Overall, it’s funny, quirky, and entertaining. I think the character Peter matches well with Bruno: brash, annoying, self-centered, and crazy, and Harry matches well with Guy, but is even more self-centered than him. In fact, Winters’s characters have their own unique spins and are really just gay tips to Bruno and Guy; Winters does a great job of developing them on their own and giving them their own unique personalities. So … it’s a short, fun listen. But for read Highsmith first, then listen to this Audible exclusive.

[Anastasiya M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This audiobook left me with a decent experience. The premise intrigued me, a world where everyone is under constant surveillance, and the implications of privacy are explored. Winters crafted a compelling narrative that tackled thought-provoking themes, which kept me engaged for the most part. The pacing felt uneven at times; some sections dragged while others raced by, leaving me wanting more depth in certain areas. The characters were interesting, but I wished they had been developed further to create a stronger emotional connection. The narration itself was solid, though it occasionally lacked the intensity that the material called for. While I enjoyed the concept and found the story entertaining, it didn’t quite live up to its full potential. Overall, Stranger was an engaging listen, but it left me wanting a bit more in terms of character development and pacing.

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[Tom Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suspenseful up to a point.

With the Environment of Early Radio Dramas like The Shadow, Winters has created a relatively suspenseful Tale. But it also has the breathless quality that probably appealed to the Old Folks hooked on Radio Soap Operas.

Once the Highsmith story was introduced as a Plot Device the jig was up. From there on, it was just a matter of time before the loose ends were tied up and the suspense was gone. Sorry, another Audible Original fail. 😰

Three Stars for Style, Four for Performance. ***

[BatDuckie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I loved the plot line of this. I hated Harry; his character was so damn stupid 😤 He could have had it all... just commit one tiny little murder🙄. Instead, his wife has to step up and get rid of him so she won't be a broke bitch anymore. Now she can be problem free and rich without him.


I disliked the narrator so much, their voice grated on my nerves. Though I did love how they did the voices for each character.


I wish this could have been made into a full-length novel. Drag out the plot a bit more. Maybe add some more murder and a cop or something to give it some more depth to it.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was like an anxiety attack delivered in the form of a book. It was sad, nerve wracking, and really rather unrealistic. Apple’s App Store would never have published Stanger. They’re very picky and I just couldn’t get over this obvious flaw in the book. /s

The concept was there, it was rushed. But I don’t think a longer book would have been any better. This was written how it needed to be. Ok listen but I won’t be repeating it.

[Janice Branning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story shows our Dark side; who has never been angry enough to kill somebody, but afraid if we did it, we could be caught and prosecuted. What if there was an app that let someone else do it and you do their murder for them?. What a fresh idea like two strangers on. a train. if you chicken out with your murder would you be murdered.because of you not doing the killing.
This would make a great Bookclub discussion, because we are all sometime angry enough to murder someone.

[J. McGrath · Rating 2 out of 5]

A 21st century remake of Strangers on a Train isn't a bad idea for a story, but the concept is brought down by the execution. The story is predictable, and the characters are old stock. I thought we were past the chubby sweaty nerd, but I guess not. I guess that makes sense that since everything about technology in this book operates like it is magic. There could have been some commentary about modern tech here but heavy-handedness brings that down along with any thrills. Can't say I recommend.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, fun psychological suspense on Audibles. The narrator did a great job, especially with Peter's voice, which made me laugh.

Somebody created an app so that you could order a kill, but you would have to also kill someone. A very sick premise, to be sure. It was just fine for a short book, even though I did see the potential for a much longer story with lots more details and suspense.

[La'Jacinth · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is WOW!!!

The plot was excellent with the best twist at the end, Sometime the best thing yo can do when faces with an ordeal is stop and try again....AND DO NOT PAY ABOUT STANGERS ON A TRAIN!!!!!!

I have to say that the narrator, Vikas Adam, was perfect. The different inflections and voice were soooo on point!!!!!

[Desarae Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crazy, twisted book. Screw up man, constantly makes bad choices, has no follow thru and can't tell his wife the truth about anything. He comes up with an idea for a "Strangers on the Train" style app where two people can post murders for hire and you kill each other's person. Definitely a crazy book 🤣

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Harry dreams about creating a successful app. While out to dinner with his wife, they discuss his current project and begin to joke about a Tinder-like app, only instead of hook-ups, it pairs people up with murder.

An okay story with good narration. Peter is definitely insane and Harry is a wreck. The ending was a slight twist, but also an easy guess.

[Megneto♓️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 🌟 So rounded up to 4 on here.

This audible had me hooked! Really interesting and the twist at the end! I wasn't expecting it at all. Not a long listen either so would highly recommend.

Only thing which didn't make it a 4 was the narrator voicing a female. Nothing wrong with it, just couldn't take it serious

[David Mc · Rating 3 out of 5]

The “strangers on a train” motif has been done many times over, but this is the first version I’ve seen using modern technology via the dark web. Winters is a seasoned writer, and I appreciated the way he slowly unveiled the many flaws and character defects of the protagonist. While this was not a classic read, it was an interesting one.

[Frances Levy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by the great Patricia Highsmith’s “Strangers on a Train,” “Stranger” reaffirms that “there is nothing new under sun.” (Voltaire)

This Audible Original applies today’s technology to Highsmith’s original concept, with equal success.

From the twisted mind of Ben H. Winters — this is a corker! It’s not difficult to see what’s going to happen, but it sure is fun to see how.

[Rowdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a twist! Just kidding. Everything about this was incredibly predictable, except for how inane and poorly written the dialogue and some of the rationalization was. Never trust an audible “best of” list recommending their own originals.