Tower 57

by Drew Platt

If you drive past the lights of downtown Roswell, north on Route 285 into the darkness of the New Mexico desert, you'll run across a little radio station with a single tower. This is the home of WKLEN talk-radio, broadcast through Tower #57.

Fresh out of the local community college and eager to start his career in radio production, Luther Stenson arrives for his first shift as an intern on Evening Sands, a late-night radio show focused on the unexplainable and broadcast throughout the lower forty-eight.

Luther’s first night in radio quickly becomes one he’ll never forget, when a mysterious caller known only as "Magnolia" begins to interfere with the station’s broadcast. As the night progresses, Luther and the station crew are pushed to their psychological and emotional limits as they uncover a life-threatening secret and deal with forces beyond their control. The desert is lonely at night...

In the city known for attracting millions to the uncanny, tonight the uncanny is attracted to the only light in the desert... The blinking red crown of Tower 57.

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook, Supernatural, Fiction

Audible Audio

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drew Platt’s Tower 57 is a gripping blend of supernatural mystery and psychological tension, set against the desolate backdrop of the New Mexico desert. With its eerie late-night radio station, cryptic transmissions, and creeping sense of isolation, the story delivers that classic what’s out there? unease, reminiscent of Stephen King’s best work.

The protagonist, Luther Stenson, starts his internship at WKLEN’s Evening Sands expecting nothing more than a quiet night of radio production. But when a strange caller named “Magnolia” hijacks the airwaves, the night turns into a descent into paranoia and terror. The tension builds masterfully, pushing both Luther and the listener deeper into the mystery of Tower 57.

Platt’s storytelling shines in the way he layers psychological suspense with supernatural dread. The characters feel real, their fear tangible, and the unknown presence lurking in the dark is left just vague enough to let the imagination run wild. It’s the kind of horror that doesn’t rely on cheap scares but on an ever-growing sense of something just beyond understanding.

If you love eerie, slow-burn horror with a Stephen King meets Welcome to Night Vale atmosphere, Tower 57 is a must-listen. The desert is empty… but something is always listening.

[Perm Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Book Reviews

This is my personal 5 star rating system because I’m too lazy to write a review for every book.

5 stars -> OMFG. I couldn’t stop listening. I was engaged from beginning to end. The story & narrator was amazing. I 100% recommend this book & author. I was able to clearly follow each and every character.

4 stars -> It was pretty good. I would’ve rated 5 stars, But either the ending was lacking, I struggled to keep up with characters, or the story didn’t keep me fully engaged. The narrator was pretty good as well. I’m on the fence about recommending this book, It could go either way.

3 Stars -> It was boring at times & I missed chunks of the story. I most likely struggled to keep up with character developments. The only way I would recommend this book is if it was part of a series. The narrator was most likely average or just couldn’t fix a mediocre book.

2 Stars -> It was pretty horrible. I used it as background noise because I hadn’t had a chance to search for another book. The book either had a bad narrator, The character development was non existent, or the story was hot garbage. I would not recommend this book.

1 Star -> The absolute only reason I listened to this book was because i had no time to search for another one & I needed background noise. It was 1 step up from listening to the radio. I wouldn’t recommend this book to my worst enemy. Everything about this book was terrible. This is only recommended for people on death row and have absolutely nothing else to read.

[Cosmin Fota · Rating 2 out of 5]

Free audiobook. It had potential, it was dragged on and episode 3 is way too long, it could have been a 10 minutes memory. The ending is fine, I didn't empathise with any of the characters and the only happiness I felt was when this audiobook was over. I recommend it to bored people or who's curios about UFOs and such.

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a fast-paced five-part dramatized podcast about a late-night radio show that uncovers national secrets through a mysterious caller. The actors were excellent, and I enjoyed the plot. Episode 3 was my least favorite, but it was important to the overall story.

[Cory Hawksbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda jumping around from story to story to attempt to tie them all together in some coherent way at the end. I don't think that was accomplished, though. I enjoyed it for quite a while until I was just forcing myself to finish. 2.5 should be a rating. I would use it a lot.

[NeverBlandBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! This is a mind movie with the best story, performances, and production quality. Mystery, intrigue. I couldn't stop listening and was sad when it was over. Definitely recommend if you're a fan of immersive audio produced like an audio play.

[Stoner · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars for the performances which were poor especially in the first episode, and the story is ok.