Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The Outsider

  • By: Stephen King
  • Narrated by: Will Patton
  • Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (5,427 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The Outsider cover art

The Outsider

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Will Patton
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

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

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

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.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Shake Down cover art
Hallowed Murder cover art
The Eaton cover art
Last Girl Gone cover art
Bone Dust White cover art
The Color Purple cover art
Watchers cover art
The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft cover art
Necronomicon cover art
The Bone Farm cover art
The Dark Light of Day cover art
The House at the End of the World cover art
Kill Creek cover art

Summary

A compelling and chilling suspense novel that will delight all fans of King's best-selling Hodges Trilogy. 

Following the phenomenal success of his Bill Hodges series - Mr Mercedes, Finders Keepers and End of Watch, all number one best sellers - Stephen King has written an enthralling crime thriller with a unique twist. 

When an 11-year-old boy is found murdered, forensic evidence and reliable eyewitnesses undeniably point to the town's popular Little League coach. But the jailed suspect, arrested in a public spectacle, has an alibi, and further research convinces Detective Ralph Anderson that the coach was indeed out of town. So how can he have been in two places at the same time? 

©2018 Stephen King (P)2018 Simon & Schuster Audio

What listeners say about The Outsider

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,529
  • 4 Stars
    1,393
  • 3 Stars
    387
  • 2 Stars
    81
  • 1 Stars
    37
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,780
  • 4 Stars
    834
  • 3 Stars
    238
  • 2 Stars
    72
  • 1 Stars
    40
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,051
  • 4 Stars
    1,340
  • 3 Stars
    405
  • 2 Stars
    112
  • 1 Stars
    44

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

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

The Outsider Stands Tall

Okay cards on the table I love Stephen King's books and this one was no disappointment! I'd be lying if I said it was one of his very best but it's not a huge distance away making it well worth five stars in my view. What starts off reading very much like a police procedural boxing King's latest set of well-drawn characters into a seemingly impossible paradox later descends into more familiar King territory.

In Will Patton I think I may have discovered a new favourite narrator though I'd add caveats to that. I think he was excellent, he really conjured all the vivid colour out of King's writing. The caveats though are that some might find he speaks on the slow side and others who listen in noisier environments might find he goes a bit quiet on occasion. However, for someone who doesn't have those issues it's a real masterclass that he delivers.

Anyone considering this book who has not yet read the Mr Mercedes series might want to consider listening to those first to get even more out of this one. I'd have no hesitation recommending this as a stand-alone story. However, references back to that series including the return of one of its best characters will mean those who are familiar with it will get more out of this book.

In truth I'm not sure the Outsider is going to be remembered as anything like a pinnacle of King's career but it certainly stands above most in the genre.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

77 people found this helpful

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

Excellent Narration, but Not for Everyone.

An audiobook lives or dies on the strength and ability of the narrator to hook you in. If you've listened to a number of audiobooks, as I have, then you'll know that the slightest thing, the sing song tone, the fruity rolling of vowels, the mangling of pronunciation, and the inability of American narrators to do any research on place names - all make it difficult or impossible to listen.and in some cases painful. Will Patton is an excellent narrator. He brought Stephen King's small town horror to life and his treatment of the work meant I finished the book within three days (and I work full time).

I particularly like his treatment of the female characters. They are not as.some reviewers have said silly falsetto's. They are nuanced and at times difficult to listen to. How can you put across the inner turmoil of a character who is high functioning autistic, cannot look people in the eye and who is uncomfortable with physical contact. Patton plays her as clipped, closed off, falteringly confident. I enjoyed his performance of Holly but appreciate why some people will have hated it.

I would commend this book to other audiobook listeners. The story is gripping. The characters are interesting. The Narration is excellent, but may be an acquired taste

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

46 people found this helpful

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

it was like being read to by Donald Trump

story was ok but I struggled to get past how much the narrator sounded like Donald Trump

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

17 people found this helpful

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

the outsider review

Totally and utterly amazing - listened to it in 2 days - could stop!!! Stephen King at his best, you think the story is going one way and then it twists!!! Good to see some older characters (no spoilers!)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

15 people found this helpful

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

Bad Narration

The narrator is bearable for most characters but after a while and especially for Hollie, it was enough to make me almost turn it off. The way she spoke drove me mad, but I felt I had come so far listening to it, I have to finish listening!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

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

Nope, that didn't work for me.

Rehashed story from everything else of King. Stereotyped characters and just nothing new....ho hum. The character of Holly and that voice....I wish I had read it rather than suffered that again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

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

Not Stephen King’s greatest effort.

The first 6 or 7 hours of listening were great. By the 11th or 12th hour I lost interest and could not finish.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

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

Meh (Spoilers folks)

Stephen King is a great storyteller but he suffers from three major flaws that permeate his writing

he cannot write action very well
he ends books badly
he cannot write women in 3 dimensions

This book was no exception. I actually think he brought the Holly Gibney character in because he was out of ideas in a weak story.

Not impressed...again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

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

First audio book

I got this book free when I joined Audible, I enjoyed it immensely, having read many Stephen King books over the years this one is right up there with his best , a great story with great characters all the way through, a story that makes you think maybe , the reader Will Patton did an excellent job of bringing further life to the story and characters, I would recommend this book to not only King fans but also people who enjoy a great story and twists

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

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

So darn engaging!

Written by Stephen King... of course the book is going to be good. This was so darn engaging.

Enjoy getting sucked into the story.

I found it chilling, disturbing, creepy and compelling.

Such a good story.

The performance is also well worth mentioning. Thanks to Will Paton's reading of the book it came to life. I thoroughly enjoy what he brings to this project.

I'll be seeking out more of the audio books he narrates.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful