What do you think?
Rate this book
Don't Hang Up
‘You and I are going to have a chat. If you hang up, this girl dies.’
Adam Turner works the mid-dawn shift at his local radio station. From 12am to 6am, it’s his job to fill the airtime with old songs, inane chatter, and the occasional talkback caller. It’s a long way from his prime-time slot from over a decade ago, when he was a star in the making. Now there’s no producers, no billboards, no stakes, and, crucially, not many listeners. His frequent callers are drunk college students headed home from a night out, or long-range truck drivers. He is completely alone in the studio from midnight until dawn every night.
And then one night at 12:45am, he gets a different kind of call, with higher stakes than he could ever have wanted. The caller’s rules are simple – stay on the line, live on air, until dawn, or the woman they are holding captive will die.
The night wears on and Adam is tormented by his caller, forced to answer increasingly personal questions, exposing his fall from grace for all to hear. He must try to figure out just who is calling him, what they really want, and how he can stop them. All while staying live on air, and keeping the psycho talking.
But as the conversation gets deeper, is Adam willing to broadcast his darkest secrets to the world in order to keep a stranger safe?
Adam Turner works the mid-dawn shift at his local radio station. From 12am to 6am, it’s his job to fill the airtime with old songs, inane chatter, and the occasional talkback caller. It’s a long way from his prime-time slot from over a decade ago, when he was a star in the making. Now there’s no producers, no billboards, no stakes, and, crucially, not many listeners. His frequent callers are drunk college students headed home from a night out, or long-range truck drivers. He is completely alone in the studio from midnight until dawn every night.
And then one night at 12:45am, he gets a different kind of call, with higher stakes than he could ever have wanted. The caller’s rules are simple – stay on the line, live on air, until dawn, or the woman they are holding captive will die.
The night wears on and Adam is tormented by his caller, forced to answer increasingly personal questions, exposing his fall from grace for all to hear. He must try to figure out just who is calling him, what they really want, and how he can stop them. All while staying live on air, and keeping the psycho talking.
But as the conversation gets deeper, is Adam willing to broadcast his darkest secrets to the world in order to keep a stranger safe?
Audible Audio
First published July 6, 2023
25 people are currently reading
782 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 371 reviews
August 8, 2023
Another well-done audible original novella. Somewhat predictable but entertaining plot. Great narration kept the story interesting.
March 19, 2025
Audible audio
----
This had me upping the speed of the audiobook to get to everything quicker then the big reveal came... and.....
I don't know what I was expecting exactly but I was hoping for something MORE.
While clever in a way, it was also a bit of a letdown also.
----
This had me upping the speed of the audiobook to get to everything quicker then the big reveal came... and.....
I don't know what I was expecting exactly but I was hoping for something MORE.
While clever in a way, it was also a bit of a letdown also.
July 30, 2024
Firstly, thank you to Barbara for bringing this freebie to my attention! 🤗
This is a fast paced, well plotted, tense, short story involving a demoted and jaded night time radio host. He used to host the breakfast show, but here he is on the graveyard shift. It's usually very quiet, for obvious reasons.
This night, however, is one he will never forget.
I was hooked very quickly, and was actually quite tense myself throughout!
This is a fast paced, well plotted, tense, short story involving a demoted and jaded night time radio host. He used to host the breakfast show, but here he is on the graveyard shift. It's usually very quiet, for obvious reasons.
This night, however, is one he will never forget.
I was hooked very quickly, and was actually quite tense myself throughout!
November 21, 2023
A real narcissistic journey!
A bit like a slow train gathering pace until it loses all ability to stop. An interesting set of characters and the simple close-room setting creates so much tension when a coffee cup spills its nerve-wracking!
The ending - very clever!
A bit like a slow train gathering pace until it loses all ability to stop. An interesting set of characters and the simple close-room setting creates so much tension when a coffee cup spills its nerve-wracking!
The ending - very clever!
September 25, 2023
Honestly, I enjoyed this one a lot. It immediately pulled me in and held my attention. The way it was narrated and the added sounds really made me feel like I was in the sound station with them.
I felt bad for Adam at times; but at the same time, he was such a narcissist. He was a jerk, a cheater, a liar, a manipulator, and a conman. Even in the end, he was still all about himself and how "he" made the station famous. I can't help but think that if he had just chilled for a minute and listened to the officer, he would have gotten off clean besides the cheating scandal. But his panic also seemed real. In the stress of situations, people make rash decisions.
This really had some nice twists and was well paced. I really thought the kidnapper/caller was Clint. I guess I wasn't really wrong. Sophie and Melanie teaming up was girl vengeance at its greatest! Them getting a slap on the wrist was chefs kiss!
I felt bad for Adam at times; but at the same time, he was such a narcissist. He was a jerk, a cheater, a liar, a manipulator, and a conman. Even in the end, he was still all about himself and how "he" made the station famous. I can't help but think that if he had just chilled for a minute and listened to the officer, he would have gotten off clean besides the cheating scandal. But his panic also seemed real. In the stress of situations, people make rash decisions.
This really had some nice twists and was well paced. I really thought the kidnapper/caller was Clint. I guess I wasn't really wrong. Sophie and Melanie teaming up was girl vengeance at its greatest! Them getting a slap on the wrist was chefs kiss!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2023
Very clever! Thoroughly enjoyed this 3 hour story, fast paced and full of twists and surprises
September 22, 2023
Don't Hang Up by Benjamin Stevenson is an Audible Original available for free with my membership at the moment. Coming in at just over 3 hours in duration, this is a fast-paced Australian domestic thriller and I loved it! Usually I'm unable to concentrate on fiction in audiobook format, but I took the chance given this was written by Australian writer and comedian Benjamin Stevenson, author of Greenlight, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone and more.
In Don't Hang Up, Adam Turner is a radio host assigned to the overnight shift after a career limiting move several years ago. One night an anonymous caller breaks the monotony and phones in with a threat. If Adam hangs up the phone, the caller will murder a kidnapped woman live on air.
I was immediately engaged by the tension, twists and excellent narration by Luke Arnold and Sibylla Budd, and my attention was held until the very last words; which were a clever touch by the author by the way!
Benjamin Stevenson is the author of one my favourite books last year, and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone made it onto my Top 5 Books of 2022 list.
Thankfully we haven't had to wait too long for a sequel, and the next in the Ernest Cunningham series is released next month. It's called Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect and it's a locked room murder mystery set on a train. Sounds fun and I'll be picking it up to read next.
Don't Hang Up by Benjamin Stevenson was a perfect primer, and I'm looking forward to enjoying more work from this talented Aussie author in future.
Highly recommended!
In Don't Hang Up, Adam Turner is a radio host assigned to the overnight shift after a career limiting move several years ago. One night an anonymous caller breaks the monotony and phones in with a threat. If Adam hangs up the phone, the caller will murder a kidnapped woman live on air.
I was immediately engaged by the tension, twists and excellent narration by Luke Arnold and Sibylla Budd, and my attention was held until the very last words; which were a clever touch by the author by the way!
Benjamin Stevenson is the author of one my favourite books last year, and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone made it onto my Top 5 Books of 2022 list.
Thankfully we haven't had to wait too long for a sequel, and the next in the Ernest Cunningham series is released next month. It's called Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect and it's a locked room murder mystery set on a train. Sounds fun and I'll be picking it up to read next.
Don't Hang Up by Benjamin Stevenson was a perfect primer, and I'm looking forward to enjoying more work from this talented Aussie author in future.
Highly recommended!
July 17, 2023
LOVED it!! Brilliant little audio book (3hrs). Gripping story was hooked from the first chapter
February 16, 2024
A fairly compelling, short listen, with some delightful turns of phrase that I've come to expect from having read the Ernest Cunningham books. I guessed some of the twists, but by no means all. Although this one has previously been free on Audible, I paid for my copy (sale price) and am happy to have done so.
September 23, 2023
The ending was a bit far fetched, but overall I had a blast listening to this and finished it in two sittings. The production elements on this made it feel like I was sitting there in the studio with them.
September 10, 2023
Trigger Warnings: Ransom, Violence, Misogyny, Homophobic Slurs, etc.
A quick read. An action packed book about a chilling call on a night time radio station. There’s the washed up host who hopes to get back up on his feet, the woman whose survival unfortunately hangs upon his hands, and the mysterious caller who knows too much? This call will change all of their lives… for the better or for the worse?
A quick read. An action packed book about a chilling call on a night time radio station. There’s the washed up host who hopes to get back up on his feet, the woman whose survival unfortunately hangs upon his hands, and the mysterious caller who knows too much? This call will change all of their lives… for the better or for the worse?
October 19, 2023
Good audiobook for a round trip work drive today. Kept my interest but also predictable 😜
September 23, 2023
This was interesting and engaging, in a sort of popcorn thriller way, right up until the reveals, at which point this book became deeply disappointing. I really hated the ending! What a terrible conclusion to an otherwise fun book! I think what was worse is that I guessed a lot of it but then was like "no that's so dumb they'd have to do a lot of legwork to make that a good ending" but then they didn't do the legwork and that was still the ending.
The narrators of the audiobook did a great job though
The narrators of the audiobook did a great job though
September 6, 2023
WTF?
The killers behind you!?!? I eye rolled so hard I damn near sprained my eye.
There’s dumb and then there’s this nonsense. Every single plot point made zero sense and the ending was completely ridiculous.
Thankfully it was free and only 3 hours long.
The killers behind you!?!? I eye rolled so hard I damn near sprained my eye.
There’s dumb and then there’s this nonsense. Every single plot point made zero sense and the ending was completely ridiculous.
Thankfully it was free and only 3 hours long.
October 24, 2023
Ending is a bit far fetched, but definitely a good thrilling book. Audio is the best so would recommend if possible for you when reading.
August 30, 2024
Don’t Hang Up is a gripping audiobook novella about a bitter overnight radio DJ who is taunted by a mysterious caller. It came free with our Audible Australia subscription. I hadn’t come across this author before and was impressed by the plot and the twist.
Adam Turner torpedoed his glittering radio career when a publicity stunt went wrong, and now feels lucky just to hold onto the dreaded midnight shift at his local station. He’s used to prank calls, so when a stranger tells him he has kidnapped a woman and will kill her if Adam doesn’t do exactly what he says, he’s initially incredulous - but then he hears screams.
This is just over three hours long, the perfect length for a self-contained story like with which has very few characters. Adam is an unlikeable narcissist who tries to do the right thing but still wants to hang on to his job, so his dilemma as the villain keeps asking him increasingly personal questions made for intriguing listening. I did not guess what was going on or predict what would happen at all.
The only thing I found confusing was whether this was meant to be set in the US or in Australia - there were various things mentioned that sounded American, but the accents were all Australian. I found this a bit distracting but otherwise thought it was very good. 4.5 stars rounded up.
Adam Turner torpedoed his glittering radio career when a publicity stunt went wrong, and now feels lucky just to hold onto the dreaded midnight shift at his local station. He’s used to prank calls, so when a stranger tells him he has kidnapped a woman and will kill her if Adam doesn’t do exactly what he says, he’s initially incredulous - but then he hears screams.
This is just over three hours long, the perfect length for a self-contained story like with which has very few characters. Adam is an unlikeable narcissist who tries to do the right thing but still wants to hang on to his job, so his dilemma as the villain keeps asking him increasingly personal questions made for intriguing listening. I did not guess what was going on or predict what would happen at all.
The only thing I found confusing was whether this was meant to be set in the US or in Australia - there were various things mentioned that sounded American, but the accents were all Australian. I found this a bit distracting but otherwise thought it was very good. 4.5 stars rounded up.
May 13, 2024
It was short and simple with a good ending.
September 10, 2024
A radio host on the night shift receives a frightening call from a listener who wants him to stay on the line. The audio was excellent, I could clearly picture the empty radio station with a host on his own in the dark trying to solve an unsolveable problem. Although I knew from the start what the twist would be, I was entertained. I'm enjoying these short Audible Original performances.
August 4, 2024
This novella surprised me because even though it had a decent cast of characters for its size, I surprisingly hadn’t guessed the killer. Stevenson does a great job with an unreliable narrator at misdirecting your attention. Surprisingly enjoyable and easily recommended.
September 9, 2023
A good story that got my attention early on.
Unfortunately I guessed the ending by chapter 8!
Unfortunately I guessed the ending by chapter 8!
September 1, 2024
A tense short thriller, with a surprising twist and who-done-it that I wasn't expecting!
February 7, 2024
Omg this book! It had me hooked honestly it’s brilliant! Great story give it a read you won’t regret it ❤️
July 31, 2024
This audiobook was so good! If you like thrillers, this is the book for you. In the beginning, I felt awful for Adam, I thought he didn't deserve what was happening to him but the more I listened the more I realized how self-centered and selfish he is. The plot twist that the caller was his wife Sophie and Melanie was never actually kidnapped but working with Sophie to expose Adam for cheating and money fraud was crazy. And the fact Sophie and Melanie got a slap on the wrist was everything. Part of me can't help but wonder what would have happened if Adam had listened to the police officer and hung up the phone 🤔
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2023
Definitely worth a listen. Reminds me of a 1940's theater radio broadcast, but in a modern day TV crime drama style with special effects. Performance wise, this was superb.
Story had enough grip to keep one captivated. Little bit of a Hitchcock style ending. Great short crime thriller.
Story had enough grip to keep one captivated. Little bit of a Hitchcock style ending. Great short crime thriller.
April 7, 2024
"Chekhov's coffee mug." I laughed so freaking hard.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2024
My first audiobook, and my third Benjamin Stevenson story. I loved it! Clever, captivating, easy to follow.
May 17, 2024
★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
So I was never going to get this (and 45 others) properly written up, so I posted quick, tweet-length thoughts about some things that have needed reviewed for far too long:
I can't do better than Mike Finn did. Go read what he said. It's why I listened.
So I was never going to get this (and 45 others) properly written up, so I posted quick, tweet-length thoughts about some things that have needed reviewed for far too long:
I can't do better than Mike Finn did. Go read what he said. It's why I listened.
August 3, 2024
Excellent core narration, and a strong opening got me into this mildly suspenseful thriller.
The storyline dragged in the middle, the resolution was (I thought) predictable, and the ending exposition was unnecessary.
The narrator nailed the 'late night schmooze' voice — a pleasure to listen to. But the many phone-ins were so realistically crackly that I couldn't make out what was being said, though to be fair I was driving at the time.
tl;dr — strong start, weak ending, good narration.
The storyline dragged in the middle, the resolution was (I thought) predictable, and the ending exposition was unnecessary.
The narrator nailed the 'late night schmooze' voice — a pleasure to listen to. But the many phone-ins were so realistically crackly that I couldn't make out what was being said, though to be fair I was driving at the time.
tl;dr — strong start, weak ending, good narration.
September 4, 2024
Don't Hang Up by Benjamin Stevenson is a thrilling read that hooked me right from the start. The true crime talk show format added a unique twist that made the story even more engaging. The fast pace kept me turning the pages, and the way the protagonist's mindset was portrayed was incredibly gripping. I was captivated the whole way through. It's a solid read for anyone who enjoys true crime or crime thrillers.
My rating: 4/5.
My rating: 4/5.
September 15, 2023
Book: Don’t Hang Up
Read By: Ebook
Author: Benjamin Stevenson
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Recommend: Yes
Spice:🌶️️
< b>Age recommendation: 18-30+ Years
My feelings:
This was a great listen
I love a good Mystery Thriller!
Cause its a quick Audiobook we get a lot of action real quick! And I loved it!
Read By: Ebook
Author: Benjamin Stevenson
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Recommend: Yes
Spice:🌶️️
< b>Age recommendation: 18-30+ Years
My feelings:
This was a great listen
I love a good Mystery Thriller!
Cause its a quick Audiobook we get a lot of action real quick! And I loved it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 371 reviews