Preview

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Child

By: Sebastian Fitzek
Narrated by: Rupert Penry-Jones, Jack Boulter, Emilia Fox, Stephen Marcus, Robert Glenister, Andy Serkis
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $22.14

Buy for $22.14

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Shortlisted for the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2015

My name is Simon. I’m 10 years old. I’m a serial killer. Robert Stern (Rupert Penry-Jones), a successful defense attorney, doesn’t know what lies in store for him when he agrees to meet a new client in a derelict estate on the outskirts of Berlin. Stern is more than surprised, when his old love interest and professional nurse Carina (Emilia Fox) presents him a ten year old boy as his new client: Simon (Jack Boulter), a terminally ill child, who is convinced he has murdered many men in a previous life.

Robert’s surprise turns into horror when he and Carina find human remains in a cellar the boy has led them to. The remains of a man whose head has been split with an axe 15 years ago - just like Simon claimed he had. Things go from bad to worse within hours when Stern discovers more dead bodies, the investigating police officer Engler (Andy Serkis) starts to chase him as a suspect in the murder cases, and his own past comes to haunt him. Stern’s friend and former criminal Andi Borchert (Stephen Marcus) is the only one to believe Stern and Carina. Hunted by the police, and led by Simon’s memories, they start to investigate shady sub cultures of Berlin, and soon discover things that are more gruesome than anything they could have imagined…

Audible Studios London presents a gripping audio dramatisation by Sebastian Fitzek, Germany’s most successful thriller writer, whose books are read around the world in more than 20 different languages. This unabridged dramatisation introduces listeners to a completely new approach to audio entertainment, a full-length dramatised book adaption with an original score and soundscapes from the heart of Berlin. Featuring amazing performances by a cast of over 20 actors in a breathtaking plot, The Child provides a truly immersive listening experience.

Like this and looking for more unabridged multicast drama from Sebastian Fitzek? Then simply type ‘Amok’ in the search box, download and enjoy!

©2014 Audible Studios (P)2014 Audible Studios
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
About the Creator - Sebastian Fitzek

About the Creator

Sebastian Fitzek is an international bestselling author from Germany, with published works that have sold more than 15 million copies and been translated into more than 36 languages. Fitzek got his start in radio, later studying law with a doctoral thesis in copyright law. In 2006 he published his first psychological thriller, Therapy, which became a bestseller, as did all subsequent books. Many of his titles have been the subject of several theater adaptations, including Soulbreaker, Therapy, and Passenger 23. Sebastian Fitzek has twice been nominated for the Glauser Prize and has won the Golden Lovelybooks Readers' Award several times. He also received the Hörkules and is the winner of the European Prize for Crime Literature 2016. He is involved as an ambassador for the German Children's Association and as a patron of the association Das frühgeborene Kind e.V. Fitzek was born in Berlin in 1971. He lives with his family in Berlin.

What listeners say about The Child

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    594
  • 4 Stars
    505
  • 3 Stars
    379
  • 2 Stars
    148
  • 1 Stars
    116
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    836
  • 4 Stars
    386
  • 3 Stars
    199
  • 2 Stars
    97
  • 1 Stars
    92
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    514
  • 4 Stars
    465
  • 3 Stars
    374
  • 2 Stars
    135
  • 1 Stars
    115

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

Best in a long time

Where does The Child rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best in a long time

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot and overall performance keeps you on the edge of the seat

Any additional comments?

I loved the ensemble cast it makes the book flow so much better

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

16 people found this helpful

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

Engaging

I was attracted to this drama because several of the actors are familiar to me, and I can't get enough of their performances. They did not disappoint--no one did. Well-read and well-acted.

Lots of plot twists; never a dull moment; this kept me fully engaged for the duration.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Loved it! Very entertaining, and suspenseful!

I was looking for a horror novel when I came across this title, and it sounded intriguing. Although I would not call the book scary at all, it was definitely a suspenseful mystery book.
A detective who doesn't really have anything left to lose gets pulled into a mysterious situation where a 10 yr old boy with a brain tumor says that he has killed someone- 15 years previously. He uncovers more murders as the story progresses, the lawyer uncovering the bodies and the story thickens and thickens. Plot twists were great, and unexpected. Even my theories were wrong, which was great. I loved how unpredictable it was at times. Great entertainment, and the narrator and voices were excellent! This was the first audio drama performance I've ever listened to, and it won't be the last. Loved it!

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Enjoyed the story but not the production

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I did enjoy the story quite a bit. It held my attention, and when I had to stop listening (I listen in my car), I wanted to hear more.

But the production was terrible. Apparently they were tryng to make an old-fashioned "radio play". Didn't work.

First of all there were musical segues, probably between each chapter but it was hard to tell since the chapters weren't otherwise announced. The music (if one can call it that) varied in length, some nearly as long as a minute! (I got frustrated and timed one.) The music went from tolerable to terrible.

The sound effects didn't help any either. If the narrator says someone slammed the door, I don't need to hear it too.

The biggest problem was "The Voice". It was electronically disguised, very low-pitched and scratchy. Which makes it almost impossible to hear in a car going 80 mph (whoops, don't tell anyone) down the freeway!

Other than that, the other actors were okay. I particularly liked the boy. Refreshingly, it was actually played by a boy actor named Jack Boulter. I guess this is the main advantage of a multiple-actor play. Typically there will be only one voice actor for a book, and if it is a man and there is a part for a boy, usually it doesn't come off too well. A woman has a better chance at sounding like a boy, but not much.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Riveting!

A terrific drama. Lots of suspense. The cast of narrators was brilliant. They brought the story to life.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Almost Excellent

Overall I liked this. I know there are some things lost in translation, so I won't nitpick!

This is my first Audible Drama, and I wasn't sure what to expect. But the summary hooked me and I definitely wanted to keep listening.

The Good:

The story was original. A lot of cool Reincarnation theory and a plot twisting regularly. I am usually pretty good at figuring things out, but I really couldn't figure out the mystery

The Performances of the main characters: Stern, Simon (great child actor) and Borchart.

The Not so good:

I really didn't like the music between "scenes". They seemed longer than necessary, and sometimes I wondered if it was going to pick up again.

The Bad

The mysterious villain's voice. Whenever he was speaking I found myself wishing I was reading it as I found him unintelligible. I kept having to hit the rewind 30 seconds. Not much depth to the character, either.

Despite this, I recommend this Audible Drama.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Gripping

A disturbing story, great acting and narration and I could not stop listening.
This is the second drama by this author I have listened to and I hope there will be more. His stories are unsettling but excellent.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Can't wait for another one!!

Love the audio drama format! Wish more would do it as well :)
Will be waiting for more while listening to and/or reading other books by this author

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

A good story...

A good story. Unfortunately it was difficult to hear much of what was being said at times due to background sound effects. Computerised voice was almost impossible to discern- lacked clarity, resulting in a loss of information and storyline. Would still recommend.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

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

Couldn't stop listening !

The blend of the book and movie is great. It kept me on the edge non stop. Great story worth the money

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful