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.
A Reason to Kill  By  cover art

A Reason to Kill

By: Eric A. Shelman
Narrated by: Eric A. Shelman
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.99

Buy for $17.99

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

Frank Swanson is a serial killer.

His entire life he has moved from place to place, never putting his roots down in any one town too long. He has studied his craft, and he has reasons and justifications for who he is and what he does. But one quiet night as Frank disposes of a body, his world changes forever.

In a rural Texas town on the banks of a river, Olivia Rainey becomes Frank's first witness over his long career of killing. Strikingly beautiful, but with dark secrets and longings of her own, she sends his world into a tailspin with her mysteriously self-destructive actions. Could it be that Olivia has a plan that even Frank can't unravel?

In this case what Frank Swanson doesn't know just might kill him.

A Reason to Kill is a psychological thriller that will whip you lightning-fast down a dark road from which there is no return. Fasten your seat belt, and sit low in the seat - just in case.

©2011 Dolphin Moon Publishing (P)2014 Eric A. Shelman

What listeners say about A Reason to Kill

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    9
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    9
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

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

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

Thriller with Really Warped Characters...

Any additional comments?


This book is certainly thrilling! It is author narrated and I must say I think he did a fine job. I often think (as long as the author has a nice voice) that more authors should narrate their own work, then the book is not left to someone else's interpretation.
This is the story of Frank Swanson and Olivia Rainey. Unfortunately neither the protagonist or antagonist is a likable character. This however does not take away from the book. Frank is a serial killer of primarily abusive men. He began killing when he was just 12 yrs old. At that time he killed his abusive stepfather while he was raping his sister. Years later he finds this is his calling.
Olivia is a widow of a serial killer who was executed by the state for his crimes.
Frank and Olivia meet and as the story unfolds you learn that neither is who they seem to be.
The ending is a shocker (if a little gruesome), but it demonstrates the saying "what goes around comes around ".
This is good light listening, recommended.
If you found this review helpful please indicate so. Thank You.

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

Dark, unique serial killer novel!

This book was very unique. The storyline almost reads like true crime. Frank Swanson is a killer whose path was chosen when he was very young. When he meets Olivia, things really begin to change for him I did not see the end of this book coming. It was a great twist and I highly recommend this book.

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

Another great book!

Have you ever read a book by a new author and then gotten so excited that you had to run and check and see if there were any more books available so that you could grab them up? That's how I feel about Eric Shelman. I'm in a bit of a pinch now. I bought everything he had available (except the historical fiction book - and I've almost bought that twice) in about two days and now I'm hoping that he is a fast writer.

A Reason To Kill was a great book , kept me interested, had a nice twist to it and it was well worth the credit.

This author reminds me of Blake. Crouch, Konrath with a bit of Menapace but he's got a sense of humor in there that is just my cup of tea! Please Write Faster!!

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

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

My New Favorite Audio Book!

Wow! Just WOW! I loved this book, its a very engaging thriller that will keep you going right to the end. I love the way this author uses colorful details of the lives of the characters to immerse me into the story until I feel like I can see, hear and feel whats going on, I feel like I'm right there! In that way it reminds of the best of Stephen King's earlier books. I was so engrossed in the story that it was hard to be pulled out of it and back into my own world. This was also narrated by the author who did a really great job with it. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

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

Thrilling

his audio book keeps you very interested. The end is unexpected. I really loved this book!

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

read by author

who better to read the story than the author who knows the characters so well.

an excellent thriller. it had me glued to it in anticipation.

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
  • PH
  • 05-02-23

Holy Cow

What can I say about this one. Twists and turns until the end. You will not see some of the things coming in this one. This killer has a back story and you can see where things turn for him and reading through the book at times you have sympathy for him but he is quickly able to drown that out. This book will keep you reading nonstop as you won't be able to believe how it unfolds.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!