Listen free for 30 days

  • Sole Survivor

  • A Novel
  • By: Dean Koontz
  • Narrated by: Ryan Burke
  • Length: 12 hrs
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (106 ratings)

One credit a month, good for any title to download and keep.
Unlimited listening to the Plus Catalogue - thousands of select Audible Originals, podcasts and audiobooks.
No commitment - cancel anytime.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Sole Survivor cover art

Sole Survivor

By: Dean Koontz
Narrated by: Ryan Burke
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £27.59

Buy Now for £27.59

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

#1 New York Times Bestseller

The plane crashed without warning. Three hundred and thirty people died. No explanation. No survivors. Now one man who lost everything that night is about to discover the answers he needs to go on with his life - or the conviction to finally end it.

Crime reporter Joe Carpenter lost his wife and two daughters in the crash of Flight 353. Aching from his loss, Joe is unable to work, think, or do anything but grieve, and wait for his own death. Then Joe meets Rose, a woman who claims to be the crash’s sole survivor. But before Joe can probe further, the elusive Rose slips away and Joe is left with haunting, terrifying questions: If Rose lived through the crash, is it possible his family could have survived it, too? Did the authorities conspire to hide what really happened that night? Joe’s search for the truth will shatter him like nothing has before - and force him to question everything he thinks he knows about life and death.

©1997 Dean R. Koontz (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

What listeners say about Sole Survivor

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    59
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    59
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    49
  • 4 Stars
    25
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    6

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

ran out of wings

disappointed as idea was interesting. had to slow narration and grated on ears a bit

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous

I really enjoyed this book, although a little wordy, it had the most intriguing story line.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Terrible

After 2 hours of listening to a whiney narrator I realised that I got about 10 minutes of a story the rest was just filler.
I then spent the next 8 hours plus hoping the story would improve - it did not. I am an avid reader and listener. This is probably the worst book I have ever had the misfortune to listen to or buy

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Probably the worst book from Mr Dean Koontz

I really like books written by Dean Koontz but this one is so poor that I hardly believe that it was written by him! To make things even worse, the narration is horrible.
I still like Mr Koontz's books but after "Sole Survivor" I need a long break, I am afraid.

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Excess Baggage

Narrator didn't suit the book; had to slow the narration to 0.9, which deepened his tone a little and lost the gabble.

Published in 1997 (and probably the last time I had a book by this author previously) this book is dated and no surprize it was on the 2 for 1 special offer. No one propositions a 14 yo boy in a beach bathroom (to be a lookout or not) without expecting his collar to be felt or to be blackmailed. Also the suborning of the MC to hook him into the gambit with the beautiful stooge is so obvious. 2 hrs was enough.

DISAPPOINTING

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

No Thank You

Not my kind of read. I don’t like god stuff. I was tricked in the beginning of this book because the main character is supposedly atheist. Too much religious stuff. Long winded writing throughout, then an abrupt ending. Spoiler: they end up living with a straight up cult. Yuck.

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

disappointed

very disappointing, not up to his usual standard of writing, I fell to sleep a few times so Tansley list where the story was going

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

It's ok

Not my favourite Koontz book. The story has the usual elements one would expect but without the suspense and the dramatic conclusion. I got the impression that he ran out of steam towards the middle which was disappointing. I listened to the end waiting for the climax that never came.

The narrator is able enough but I found is voice quite harsh and monotonous at times. Generally okay though and he isn't a deterrent.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Cindy L. Sheehan
  • Cindy L. Sheehan
  • 02-08-22

Does anyone listen to these recordings to proof?

i am enjoying this book---one of Koontz's best and the narrator is good-ish, BUT HE MISPRONOUNCES EASY WORDS AND IT'S GETTING TO ME!

Every character, even a college educated newspaper reporter and intelligent scientist pronounce libRary as LIBERRY!
Who says that past kindergarten (not kinnygarden).

Producers of these recordings should be more careful---at one point, he said that someone who was driving "barked" instead of "braked."

Sigh

35 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for RHF
  • RHF
  • 18-08-18

Koontz has an amazing ability to teach in fiction stories

Has always been a fan!
Koontz has not failed in structuring a story which holds your attention in such an amazing way. I cannot think of a single thing which I did not like about this audiobook. The narrators tone of voice aids in those who have a little problem hearing.
This is another really deep and well researched literary masterpiece.

25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Lovely bee
  • Lovely bee
  • 21-05-19

Mixed feelings

I absolutely love Dean Koontz and while this story was very intriguing I felt like the it played out too quickly. It could've been stretched out and made into a 5 star novel. still good though, I don't regret purchasing.

22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Jeff in Texas
  • Jeff in Texas
  • 06-11-18

Decent offering from Koontz

This is one of Dean's better reads. The story line is strong and the ending remains obscure till the end but makes sense once revealed.

I liked the characters and their development. Strong performance as well.

Overall good choice.

20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Will Stover
  • Will Stover
  • 04-03-19

Loved It

Very interesting. Love it. Touching and interesting all in one. Another great book from a great writer.

15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Michelle M
  • Michelle M
  • 01-02-19

Good Listen

unfolded slow, but captured my attention in the middle and kept it until the end.

14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Kathryn Myshak
  • Kathryn Myshak
  • 10-08-18

Great!

Outstanding premise! Dean Koontz at his finest. Narrator was enjoyable. Highly recommend this and all of his books.

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Amazon Customer
  • Amazon Customer
  • 06-03-19

A great read (or listen)!!

I so enjoyed listening to the first book I read by Dean Koontz years ago. This is the book that got me hooked on this wonderful author.

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for missgardengal
  • missgardengal
  • 04-08-19

AMAZING!!

Again, Mr. Koonz does not disappoint!! Riveting story with a thought provoking end! Amazing! I was not disappointed!! :)

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Richard.odell
  • Richard.odell
  • 07-11-18

I have done many audiobooks over the last 10 years. I like Dean Koontz. I have now idea what this book it’s about?

Sone reporter in LA. His family dies in a plane crash. He has a hard time getting over it - understandable. After that the story seems like hours of non sense which is made up and written on the fly. Some type of plasmatic robots are chasing this guy around. The book is illogical, way too complicated blush blah blah.

6 people found this helpful