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The Guilty
* Duration: 3 hours and 19 minutes *
Tonight, Osmond Box, the reclusive yet wildly successful writer/director known for his completely surprising Broadway plays is debuting his seventh and most highly anticipated production of his career.
'THE GUILTY'. Nothing is known as the story, the setting, the premise, or even the actors involved. The first people to discover the truth will be the lucky ones sitting in those seats opening night. Phones are collected; doors are locked. The rest of the world eagerly awaits the first reviews....
Two hours later, when the doors are finally allowed to open, half of the audience will be applauding wildly. The other half will be fleeing the theater in mortal terror. Has Osmond Box done it again? Or has he done something far, far worse?
©2021 James Patterson Entertainment, LLC (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLc
Tonight, Osmond Box, the reclusive yet wildly successful writer/director known for his completely surprising Broadway plays is debuting his seventh and most highly anticipated production of his career.
'THE GUILTY'. Nothing is known as the story, the setting, the premise, or even the actors involved. The first people to discover the truth will be the lucky ones sitting in those seats opening night. Phones are collected; doors are locked. The rest of the world eagerly awaits the first reviews....
Two hours later, when the doors are finally allowed to open, half of the audience will be applauding wildly. The other half will be fleeing the theater in mortal terror. Has Osmond Box done it again? Or has he done something far, far worse?
©2021 James Patterson Entertainment, LLC (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLc
3 pages, Audible Audio
First published October 28, 2021
42 people are currently reading
704 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
955 books355k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 491 reviews
April 3, 2022
A secretive master of suspenseful plays produces his masterpiece, but things go badly on opening night. This play was clever at the beginning, but then it took a serious turn that I didn’t really want. It also dragged on a little too long. Maybe this originated as a podcast, because there were weird breaks that would not typically be in a play. The cast was very good. This is available on Audible Plus. 3.5 stars
November 23, 2021
The author tried to keep up the interest by throwing in surprise after surprise, but that was simply confusing. Glad it was free.
November 22, 2021
James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski venture into a newer medium for this piece, the ‘direct to audio’ production, where a handful of talented actors portray the story for the listener to enjoy. A play that no one knows anything about, a genius actor/director with a plan, and an audience that is lapping it all up. Welcome to ‘The Guilty’ and all that it entails. A unique approach to a murder mystery, but one I quite enjoyed, if only because it was a quick experience and permitted something different.
Osmond Box is a living legend, the King of Broadway some may call him, even if he is reclusive and few have seen him. His productions are always over the top and audiences have no idea what they are going to receive. The house is full and people await the stage lights for everything to begin.
As the evening progresses, things become more and more mysterious. What begins as an apparent reality show on stage soon turns dark, as Box accuses his fellow actors of heinous crimes. Is it all part of the script or improvisational? And when a stage gun turns out to shoot someone, who is the murderer?
With cell phones confiscated and the doors locked, no one can leave as things progress. Audience members gawk in awe and await some sort of resolution. When all is said and done, the police arrive to question many of those who witnessed the event. Was it murder? Has Osmond Box done it again and pulled off the greatest theatrical production of all time? A great piece that Patterson and Swierczynski concocted as they leave the listener guessing.
This was definitely an interesting spin for the master of storytelling, using one of his best collaborators to develop the piece for listeners. Told solely through audio, the story develops and keeps the listener enthralled as they try to piece it all together. Some may balk at having to listen, rather than flip through the pages, but it was certainly the experience that will keep people talking for months.
Told through nine episodes, the story progressed well and held my attention throughout. What is going on with the actors and how will things progress with each passing moment? There was just enough character development throughout to keep me satisfied and the plot advanced in odd ways, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. While dramatic reproductions are not always my thing, I did enjoy the different perspectives and voices telling this story, as it breathed some life into the piece and left me wanting more.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Swierczynski, for this interesting experiment. I felt it was a success and am eager to try some more of them soon.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Osmond Box is a living legend, the King of Broadway some may call him, even if he is reclusive and few have seen him. His productions are always over the top and audiences have no idea what they are going to receive. The house is full and people await the stage lights for everything to begin.
As the evening progresses, things become more and more mysterious. What begins as an apparent reality show on stage soon turns dark, as Box accuses his fellow actors of heinous crimes. Is it all part of the script or improvisational? And when a stage gun turns out to shoot someone, who is the murderer?
With cell phones confiscated and the doors locked, no one can leave as things progress. Audience members gawk in awe and await some sort of resolution. When all is said and done, the police arrive to question many of those who witnessed the event. Was it murder? Has Osmond Box done it again and pulled off the greatest theatrical production of all time? A great piece that Patterson and Swierczynski concocted as they leave the listener guessing.
This was definitely an interesting spin for the master of storytelling, using one of his best collaborators to develop the piece for listeners. Told solely through audio, the story develops and keeps the listener enthralled as they try to piece it all together. Some may balk at having to listen, rather than flip through the pages, but it was certainly the experience that will keep people talking for months.
Told through nine episodes, the story progressed well and held my attention throughout. What is going on with the actors and how will things progress with each passing moment? There was just enough character development throughout to keep me satisfied and the plot advanced in odd ways, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. While dramatic reproductions are not always my thing, I did enjoy the different perspectives and voices telling this story, as it breathed some life into the piece and left me wanting more.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Swierczynski, for this interesting experiment. I felt it was a success and am eager to try some more of them soon.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
November 1, 2021
Probably more like 2.5. Kind of a fun mystery to listen to on Halloween. Without John Lithgow, I don't think I would've stuck with it though.
November 15, 2021
I’ve never actually read a James Patterson novel; if you’re like me, The Guilty, a dramatized play available for free on Audible Plus, wouldn’t make you want to do so.
The play, co-written by Patterson, begins with two NYPD homicide cops launching an investigation into a death at the opening night of the titular The Guilty on Broadway. Reclusive mystery playwright Osmond Box (think of plays like Deathtrap or An Inspector Calls) never lets anything leak about his plays before opening night. But this is an opening night like no other: Three actors being threatened onstage by Box amidst plenty of banter. Half the audience thinks the scene is part of the play, while the other half knows enough to be horrified. The play begins humorously enough, and the audience doesn’t know who ends up being killed. However, after the first 90 minutes, I was ready for it just to cut to the chase and be over. John Lithgow gives an incredible performance, chewing up the scenery, but he just isn’t enough to save this juggernaut, lurching into greater and greater implausibility. Had I paid for this Audible audiobook, I would have asked for a refund.
The play, co-written by Patterson, begins with two NYPD homicide cops launching an investigation into a death at the opening night of the titular The Guilty on Broadway. Reclusive mystery playwright Osmond Box (think of plays like Deathtrap or An Inspector Calls) never lets anything leak about his plays before opening night. But this is an opening night like no other: Three actors being threatened onstage by Box amidst plenty of banter. Half the audience thinks the scene is part of the play, while the other half knows enough to be horrified. The play begins humorously enough, and the audience doesn’t know who ends up being killed. However, after the first 90 minutes, I was ready for it just to cut to the chase and be over. John Lithgow gives an incredible performance, chewing up the scenery, but he just isn’t enough to save this juggernaut, lurching into greater and greater implausibility. Had I paid for this Audible audiobook, I would have asked for a refund.
November 3, 2021
Awful. Like an over-the-top dinner theater production, and plainly not my cup of tea.
March 7, 2022
Very well produced! Enjoyed it. 🙂
May 12, 2023
This was so so. The full cast was entertaining but the storyline left something to be desired.
November 10, 2021
I hate to be critical of a free offering from Audible, but I'm going to do so anyway. I found this book to be terrible. John Lithgow was outstanding as the lead character and his excellence elevated the book to two stars. The book presented an interesting premise, but the execution was quite poor. There wasn't much of a mystery, the reader being a witness to the events in question. It was like being in attendance at a third-rate dinner mystery where the lead was an excellent actor. There was zero character development and virtually no examination of motives and pasts of any of the characters. What there was, was a gimmick in which the events played out. So I guess you could say that I didn't much care for the book.
November 2, 2021
This started off as a fun story. The first half or so is a great listen with excellent performances (especially by John Lithgow). It is a decent idea, but unfortunately, it isn't able to finish it.
It begins to become more than silly and slips into the unbelievable and unfortunately boring. The story falls apart and feels like it is grasping at anything to find a "clever" ending.
I would not recommend it.
It begins to become more than silly and slips into the unbelievable and unfortunately boring. The story falls apart and feels like it is grasping at anything to find a "clever" ending.
I would not recommend it.
November 16, 2021
Fascinating, Captivate story, Intense and hilarious it is The Guilty by James Patterson, narrated by the entire cast and music created an excellent performance. I have listened to the production with my new Epos Adapt 360 🎧. Best listening ever. Recommend trying 😉
The performance was splendidly perfect. The story was extraordinary for the audiobooks that I'd listened to. It was a murder investigation and the Broadway performance at one.
The performance was splendidly perfect. The story was extraordinary for the audiobooks that I'd listened to. It was a murder investigation and the Broadway performance at one.
October 29, 2021
Waste of time
November 7, 2021
The twists got to be a little too much.
November 8, 2021
Entertaining and a quick listen. Some good twists I thought.
November 10, 2021
I honestly tried to like this. I really did . I love his books . There's too much flipping around, in and out of what's going on. Truthfully I didn't even understand what really happened .
December 14, 2021
This was a phenomenal listen. The cast was superb. I wish it ended differently but all in all this is a must listen
November 23, 2021
I want my life back.
November 8, 2021
CAPTURES AND KEEPS YOUR ATTENTION!!!
Really great storyline! I was completely taken in from the very beginning and all throughout to the end. The characters were very believable and the plot twist was completely unexpected. Sometimes, you can see it coming but not in this case. Great job James Patterson and guests!
Really great storyline! I was completely taken in from the very beginning and all throughout to the end. The characters were very believable and the plot twist was completely unexpected. Sometimes, you can see it coming but not in this case. Great job James Patterson and guests!
January 29, 2022
Excellent! The narrators did an amazing job, and I loved the drama and unexpected solution to the mystery.
August 26, 2022
An entertaining little diversion. I found myself a little confused at the end trying to figure out who was who but still a fun audible production.
November 5, 2021
This was an audiobook release.
If I hadn't know this was written before the Rust production incident, I would have thought the story was partly created because of it. In light of that incident, I think it made parts of this story a little more suspenseful than they would have been otherwise.
If I was rating this as a novel, it probably wouldn't have rated 3 stars. I thought of it more as an audio theatrical production. Still I did not think that the plot was believable and there were several holes in the story especially at the end. The dialogue between to the two detectives was a little too personal and annoying at times. There were a couple of twists but nothing really surprising. I thought the ending was lackluster.
Probably one of the things that I like least about the audiobook was the way it was broken into segments. If the segments had been like acts in a play that would have made sense. However, there were too many segments to be considered acts in a play. It was more like this was broken in segments to be like a podcast but it lacked continuity of podcast segments. I also usually do not listen to audiobooks with multiple readers but this one worked for me.
Overall I liked it (probably 3.5 stars) but since it was free I rounded up to 4 stars. If I had paid for it, it would have been 3 stars at best.
If I hadn't know this was written before the Rust production incident, I would have thought the story was partly created because of it. In light of that incident, I think it made parts of this story a little more suspenseful than they would have been otherwise.
If I was rating this as a novel, it probably wouldn't have rated 3 stars. I thought of it more as an audio theatrical production. Still I did not think that the plot was believable and there were several holes in the story especially at the end. The dialogue between to the two detectives was a little too personal and annoying at times. There were a couple of twists but nothing really surprising. I thought the ending was lackluster.
Probably one of the things that I like least about the audiobook was the way it was broken into segments. If the segments had been like acts in a play that would have made sense. However, there were too many segments to be considered acts in a play. It was more like this was broken in segments to be like a podcast but it lacked continuity of podcast segments. I also usually do not listen to audiobooks with multiple readers but this one worked for me.
Overall I liked it (probably 3.5 stars) but since it was free I rounded up to 4 stars. If I had paid for it, it would have been 3 stars at best.
November 11, 2021
I’ve never read a James Patterson novel before and maybe I should not have started here with this one. I’ve been hesitant to try a James Patterson novel. It seems like he is the Danielle Steele of the thriller/mystery genre today. Nonetheless, it was a fun read and I was interested the entire time though it was a short read. I tend to enjoy thrillers and mysteries so I could be biased.
The ending was definitely unexpected for me. However, I could tell which character was going to be accused of rape. I agree with other reviewers that it was a bit too dramatic and over-the-top, especially the ending. The audiobook came across like a Broadway show itself with its full cast. There were some great actors in the cast which undoubtedly convinced me to try this audiobook.
The ending was definitely unexpected for me. However, I could tell which character was going to be accused of rape. I agree with other reviewers that it was a bit too dramatic and over-the-top, especially the ending. The audiobook came across like a Broadway show itself with its full cast. There were some great actors in the cast which undoubtedly convinced me to try this audiobook.
November 23, 2021
Maybe a 2.5 stars.
A short little comedy on Audible, made memorable by John Lithgow.
Opening night at the new Osmond Box play. Known for the secrecy around the plays, nothing is known of this new production. As the night unfolds it is not just the audience experiencing the play for the first time, the actors also have no idea what's next.
A short little comedy on Audible, made memorable by John Lithgow.
Opening night at the new Osmond Box play. Known for the secrecy around the plays, nothing is known of this new production. As the night unfolds it is not just the audience experiencing the play for the first time, the actors also have no idea what's next.
December 12, 2025
Audible Freebie. Okay to listen to while cleaning the garage. Too many crazy surprises to made it disjointed and unbelievable even for a work of crime fiction.
July 6, 2025
That's a lot of big expensive names for a story like this. The pacing was bizarre. Perhaps this was meant to be a podcast ala an old timey radio show.
November 2, 2021
Maybe a 2.5. I can't decide about this story. It is an Audible Original meaning I read it for free. I thought because James Patterson wrote it, I might like it. I can't say I didn't like it as I thought the way it was constructed was very creative. A famous writer/director of Broadway plays produces a play and on opening night has invited 3 other well known actors/actress to show up as "mystery" guests. It turns dark quite quickly and it begins being hard to tell the difference between the play and reality. John Lithgow reads the part of Osmond Box, the eccentric writer/director and does an excellent job of portraying someone who is quite mad. He is staging a murder and the dark side of this is that the audience can't distinguish the play from reality either and stays and watches this macabre story unfold. As a reader, it held my interest as I wanted to see who was murdered and if the murderer was caught. The two homicide investigators were quite good as well.
October 30, 2021
Like 65% decent, fun even, i had a good time. At that 65% mark though, something happens that isnt shocking, it's in fact a very plain event, but it just gets stupid.
It oh most made me, absolutely enraged how dumb it got out of nowhere and my ability to suspend disbelief just could not get back into enjoying myself anymore. The direction the plot takes totally caused me to roll my eyes and feel like I wasted my time.
Also at 65% mark, once the plot sorta takes a really dull turn, it delivers the same thing when it really should have been trying to get off that same note. I was hoping for, looking forward to and so interested to see how this weird silly plot would jump into a fun new note but, nope, it stays stagnant and the same.
I'm so disappointed, this was truly a waste of my time. It had all the set up of being so good and juicy but then sorta couldn't figure out how to keep up the momentum.
It oh most made me, absolutely enraged how dumb it got out of nowhere and my ability to suspend disbelief just could not get back into enjoying myself anymore. The direction the plot takes totally caused me to roll my eyes and feel like I wasted my time.
Also at 65% mark, once the plot sorta takes a really dull turn, it delivers the same thing when it really should have been trying to get off that same note. I was hoping for, looking forward to and so interested to see how this weird silly plot would jump into a fun new note but, nope, it stays stagnant and the same.
I'm so disappointed, this was truly a waste of my time. It had all the set up of being so good and juicy but then sorta couldn't figure out how to keep up the momentum.
November 5, 2021
The only reason I gave this a second star was because of John Lithgow - otherwise it would have rated only one star. The plot seemed to build nicely but then totally crashed and burned. At least it was a short listen and I didn't waste an inordinate amount of time on this. And best of all I didn't waste any money on it since it was an Amazon Original and came with my membership.
November 5, 2021
Did not enjoy this at all. Simply not for me. Normally I like James Patterson, but this one was not for me.
March 5, 2022
This is set up in "episodes" rather than chapters. I really did try to get into this listen and I just couldn't do it. I got three episodes in and just could not listen anymore. I hate giving this kind of rating to James Patterson because I love so many of his books, but this was just not even a little bit for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 491 reviews