Stay Tuned

by Jeffery Deaver, Zoë Chao (Narrator)

52 minutes

Amanda and Charlie are spending their first weekend away in months. They’ve rented a luxurious vacation house on Lost Valley Lake. Swimming, bicycling, and romance are the order of the day, and all is good. That is, until someone - or something - appears on the shore across the lake, just as the sky turns gray and the water chill and choppy.

When the apparition, or whatever it might be, grows closer and closer, it soon becomes clear that there are certain types of evil that you can’t protect yourself from with locked doors and windows.

And perhaps you can’t protect yourself from them at all.

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

Audible Audio

First published April 22, 2021

About the author

#1 international bestselling author of over thirty novels and three collections of short stories. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. He's received or been shortlisted for a number of awards around the world.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third and last book in the "Unsettling" collection. I had thought it'll be "save the best for last" - not the case. A mild surprise ending, but not a very gripping storyline.

[Tamar...playing hooky for a few hours today · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only thing I clearly remember about this forgettable story is that Amanda rocks and that she has a guardian angel who helps her rock

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another twisty audible short story from Jeffery Deaver with a really good conclusion.

[debbicat *made of stardust* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could almost rate this 4. But, that would be because I enjoyed the audible version quite a lot. Great narrator. Clever short story. I looked for something that was an hour or two long and this was perfect for it. I highly recommend it for a short commute or walk. Found it completely satisfying for that purpose. I just marked the other two in the series to read. :)

[Heather R · Rating 3 out of 5]

About as memorable (or not) as a decent episode of a tv show you like well enough, but that’s not your favorite. This isn’t “Breaking Bad” or “Twilight Zone” territory. Think more like that one Netflix binge of one of the shows you watched one or two long weekends circa 2017, the one with the girl who was running from something and there was the woods and it was all very atmospheric and dark? There was the guy trying to get her, and you don’t really remember what it was all about but you were happy enough to waste the time with it while you were watching, but even then, you knew you’d never remember it in a year, or perhaps even a couple weeks? That’s what this audio short book on Audible was like.

The narration was fine, with a few nice background nature sounds (Eg lake water lapping on shore) interspersed occasionally here and there.

[Chrissie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the one that left me rather underwhelmed unfortunately.

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

June 2023
Audiobook edition
52m (1.3x speed)

Probably the one that fades most into the background in the series. Book one was a lawyer, book two was a sleepwalker. This one I drew a blank when it came to reviewing. A woman set up by her husband and his partner, saved by the ghostly presence of a friend. Actually, given this one went the supernatural route, I suppose I should've guessed the next one would do the same. It was okay but didn't leave much of an impression.

[Nikki Edmonds · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ This was alright, but there wasn’t much to it.

[Tgordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I’ve read all of the short books in this series. This may have been my favorite for many personal reasons. To even put any information about it would only be a spoiler. Great quick read.

[Brittany Neish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun little thriller to listen to while sitting outside around a fire pit! Would highly recommend if you’re wanting a short read that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very last sentence.

[Ursula Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another great short story from author Jeffrey Deaver. A couple vacation at a lake house and suspect someone is watching them. A stranger does stop at their door which alarms both. This being a Deaver work, there is always a juicy twist. This was a good one. Short, but thrilling.

[Becs · Rating 2 out of 5]

All of the stars are for the audio narrator who was fantastic; this short story really translates well as an audiobook, complete with nice lakeside sounds. It actually felt a bit like ASMR, with a creepy twist.

I have to be honest and say that I didn't have high hopes for this one. Deaver is fantastic, but his short stories are often either too complex or too simple in my experience (perhaps he has just set the bar way too high with his full size novels!). I often like to choose one of the Audible Original stories like this one to listen to in the car, where you don't necessarily concentrate as well as you could do, so these stories work well. Having said that, I listened to it THREE times and I still have no idea what really happened (the last time I listened not in the car too, just in case).

So, as you'll see from most of the reviews - this is quite forgettable and feels a totally pointless story. The premise is good - romantic trip gone bad - but the story, aside from the lovely narration, was a big flop.

[January · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stay Tuned by Jeffrey Deaver
52m narrated by Zoe Chao
Unsettling #3

Genre: Suspense, Short Stories

Featuring: Power Couple, Vacation, Television Shows, Violence

Rating as a movie: R

My rating: ⭐️⭐️½

My thoughts: 📱43% 21:42 Ch. 6 - This story was chopping and making little to no sense. It reads like haiku until chapter 5.

This was very bland and a bit confusing.

Recommend to others?: Nope. It's the weakest of the series.

[Alisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure what the point of the story was. I was underwhelmed.

[Emily Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Supremely interesting.

[Rachel Nicole Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was very suspenseful and I was intrigued the entire time listening. Love this! Definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys thrillers.

~xo,
Rach

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

for a short story, this was creepy. I was also surprised that in such a short time there was still that dramatic reveal where you're left going "whaaaaat" - definitely worth the read/listen if you're looking for something quick, but be warned - it's not going to wow you through and through.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could be an episode of The Twilight Zone. And I mean that in the best possible way. I thought the narrator did a great job, too. Really brought it to life for me.

[Andrea Corley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an awesome little novella series Unsettling is! I was totally enthralled with all three books! As a matter of fact...I finished them all back to back in just about two (2) hours time, give or take a little!

I must admit that the ending of Stay Tuned left me slightly perplexed. As with all of the stories in this story, Deaver takes you where you're all but certain the story is going, then throws you way out into left field, then you get thrown again WAY PAST HOME PLATE! You totally don't expect the ending to be anywhere near what the ending was and to me that makes THE ABSOLUTE BEST mystery story! Jeffery Deaver is very much a master at his craft!

Stay Tuned is narrated by Zoe Chao and she was a perfect fit for this short story! This is the first time I've listened to her, but I wouldn't hesitate to pick a book up just because it's narrated by her!

Overall...what are you waiting for...devour this series!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the 3 in the Unsettling series - this one was my favorite. Although like the others; a short story, I felt this one was more complete from it's start to finish.

[Anastasiya M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short thriller audiobook that can be enjoyed by those who love to be kept on the edge of their seats up until the very end. A stranger's appearance set the book up to move in a specific direction but the twist was spectacular! The narrator was perfect for this novella.

Read more here: https://sincerelyyoursannie.wordpress...

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super quick listen 🎧 free from Audible. Stay Tuned was a ‘fun’ mystery to listen to when you’re short on time. Deaver provides the reader with all the proper elements for a good mystery, great environment, characters and twists. 👍
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting listen. I thought this story was going one way. It twisted into something totally different and then took a different path all together. Nice job for about an hour and a half listen.

[Hilal Tunçkol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't like it as much as the first one listened, "Date Night". I also discovered that these stories are a series and by listening to this, I listened to the third in the series right after the first, but that is fine. The stories are not related and I will be listening to the second book shortly, anyway.

SPOILERS AHEAD

This book was about a youg woman, Amanda, spending a weekend in Lost Valley Lake with her boyfriend and bussiness partner, Charlie, only to discover that the boyfriend Charlie isn't who claims to be at all. He is a fraud and Amanda is his latest victim. They build a bussiness together but Charlie wants to sell it to get the money, but Amanda doesn't want to do that, so Charlie thinks it best to kill Amanda, while they are still away from home.

But, there is something he doesn't and couldn't know.

Lost Lake Valley is where Amanda lost her best friend. She drowned and Amanda found the body. Now, it seems like the friend wants to say thanks to Amanda, because Amanda is warned about her boyfriend's murdeous intentions via some TV show episode titles and those episodes aren't supposed to be recorded in the device in the first place.

So, like any sane person, Amanda believes that her dead friend is helping her stay alive. The parts where Amanda managed to escape Charlie but it was impossible to explain why was indeed eerrie and unsettling, but it still didn't make the story as good as the first one for me.

[(Grace) Kentucky Bohemian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I'm an Idiot
For some reason, when grabbing this audiobook, I totally missed the fact that it was less than an hour long. *dur* I'm not a big fan of short stories, especially when I'm listening to audiobooks. I want 'em long and full of great character development.

I will admit Jeffery Deaver is a good enough author to pull off decent character development in the short time allotted. But honestly, this was like having a fantastic buffet set before me and then just given one forkful. I closed the book very unsatisfied that it wasn't longer.

If you're the kind of reader who prefers short hit-and-runs, then go for it. This story was well written and a bit chilling. I just wanted more.

[Ginger Vampyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amanda seems to be living the good life. She has a challenging, yet rewarding job that she enjoys. A lovely condo. And a great guy. Sadly, she also has some trauma, but she is working on that. So when her and her beau finish up a case at work they decide to take a weekend to just spend sometime together and get away from everything. Except not all is as it seems and sometimes danger is too close. But if you're lucky, best friends are too.

[Harry Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the end of the year and I wanted to get done some of the shorter audiobooks because this is usually a busy time of the year. I realized that this is a short listen and went in expecting it to be fast paced. It really was not. It was an okay book, I only listened to it a few days ago but, had to reread what the book was about to do this review. I couldn't remember it by name or book cover.

[La'Jacinth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't very interested in the story at the beginning until the stranger shows up...then the story get interesting and then Charlie get weird. The story of her friend being interspersed throughout was sort of confusing until it was all explained by watching the three episode and speaking with the owners...Shiver!!!!

Jeffrey Deaver is definitely a master of suspense, and created of stories that are of this world at the same time not of this world.

[David Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good short thriller!
Stay Tuned is the second Audible original by Jeffery Deaver that I’ve leis tend to and I’m quickly becoming addicted to these stories, hopefully there are more or will be more coming. While Stay Tuned is a short story, it doesn’t suffer from length, its jam packed with a very good story line and thriller level action. I guess I need to try one of his full-length books. Zoe Chao’s top-notch narration made this story come to life.

[Just A Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfect naptime listen.

This was interesting, it had some turns I did not expect. I do think such a short story would be amazing with some sound effects such as the storm sounds. The TV show was a bit of an odd addition, although I liked where that line ended the describing of the show seemed unnecessary.

I will be listening to the other ones!