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- Title: Killing Game (An Alexa Chase Suspense Thriller—Book 1)
- Author: Kate Bold
- Narrator: Justin Price
- Length: 0.273599537
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 23-Nov
- Publisher: Findaway Voices
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Horror, Detective Stories
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
I’ve just emerged from the gripping twists of *Killing Game (An Alexa Chase Suspense Thriller—Book 1)* by Kate Bold, narrated by Justin Price, and I’m still catching my breath. Picture this: the audiobook unfolds like a dusty road stretching across the American Southwest, each mile revealing a new shadow, a new secret. As a travel writer who’s spent countless hours soaking in stories—from campfire yarns in Chile to whispered legends in Oaxaca—this debut thriller hit me like a gust of desert wind, unexpected and exhilarating.
It reminds me of a time when I was driving through the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth, listening to *One Hundred Years of Solitude*. The narrator’s voice wove magic into the surreal dunes outside my window, and I felt like I was living in two worlds at once. *Killing Game* gave me that same dual thrill—part road-weary wanderer, part armchair detective. The story follows Alexa Chase, a 34-year-old ex-FBI profiler turned U.S. Deputy Marshal, who’s as tough as the cracked earth and twice as sharp. When a serial killer slips free from a prison transport, she’s dragged back into the mind games she swore she’d left behind. It’s a cat-and-mouse sprint across jurisdictions, with bodies piling up and a clock ticking louder than a monsoon storm.
What hooked me was Alexa herself. She’s no stranger to the darkness—haunted by the killers she’s caught, she’s chosen a simpler life chasing fugitives. But this case forces her to peel back the layers of a twisted mind, risking her own sanity in the process. It’s a journey I’ve felt echoes of in my own travels—those moments when you stumble into a place or a story that demands you confront something deeper within yourself. Like the time I stayed with a family in Oaxaca, listening to their grandmother spin tales of loss and resilience. Her voice carried the weight of every pause, every breath, and I hear that same storytelling instinct in Kate Bold’s pacing. The tension builds like heat on a summer highway, and you can almost feel the sweat bead on Alexa’s brow as she races to outsmart her prey.
Justin Price’s narration is the gravel under this story’s tires. His voice is steady but edged, like a guide who’s seen too much yet keeps moving forward. He captures Alexa’s grit without overplaying it, letting her quiet strength simmer beneath the surface. The male characters—her territorial new partner, the elusive killer—get distinct tones that keep the stakes personal and raw. The audio quality is crisp, immersive enough to make you forget you’re not riding shotgun with Alexa through the chaos. At just over six hours, the listening experience feels like a late-night drive—long enough to sink in, short enough to leave you hungry for the next mile (*The Killing Tide* and *The Killing Hour*, books two and three, are already calling).
The themes here dig into territory I’ve explored in my own work: the weight of responsibility, the cost of facing what scares you most. Alexa’s struggle to balance her past brilliance with her present purpose mirrors the way I’ve wrestled with leaving familiar paths for uncharted ones. Bold doesn’t shy away from the messiness—Alexa’s partnership is fraught with friction, the clues twist into dead ends, and the killer’s mind is a labyrinth of menace. It’s a detective story that thrives on human connection, not just procedure, and that’s where it shines. You can almost taste the dust in the air as the bodies stack up, each one a reminder that Alexa might be next.
That said, it’s not flawless. The jurisdictional tug-of-war between the FBI and Marshals feels a tad overcooked at times—like a border town standoff that drags on too long. And while Alexa’s internal battle is compelling, some of her flashbacks lean predictable, echoing tropes I’ve heard in other thrillers. But these are minor bumps on an otherwise electrifying ride. Compared to, say, *The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck*—which I’ve listened to while hiking the Andes—this book trades self-help pragmatism for pulse-pounding stakes. Where Mark Manson peels back emotional layers, Kate Bold digs into the visceral, and Justin Price delivers it with a narrator’s finesse that rivals Manson’s own raw delivery.
For strengths, *Killing Game* nails the audiobook experience with its relentless momentum and character depth. The free audiobook angle—available through platforms like Audiobooks.com—makes it a no-brainer for mystery buffs or anyone craving a thrill on a budget. Price’s performance elevates it beyond the page, turning every chapter into a scene you can hear and feel. Limitations? It’s a debut, so the world-building occasionally stumbles—some settings blur into generic backdrops rather than vivid landscapes. Still, the core story is so gripping you’ll forgive the rough edges.
I’d recommend this to anyone who loves a good detective yarn with a side of psychological grit—think *The Silence of the Lambs* meets *Longmire*. It’s perfect for long drives, late nights, or anytime you want to lose yourself in a chase. If you’ve ever stood at the edge of a canyon, heart pounding as you peer into the abyss, this audiobook freebie will hit that same nerve.
Reflecting on it now, *Killing Game* feels like one of those hidden histories I’ve chased across continents—a story that reveals as much about the teller as the tale. It’s left me thinking about the masks we wear, the battles we choose, and the voices that guide us through. Kate Bold and Justin Price have spun a thriller that’s as haunting as a desert wind, and I’m already itching to hit play on the next leg of Alexa’s journey.
Until the next road calls,
Marcus Rivera
