• Gone the Next

  • By: Ben Rehder
  • Narrated by: Johnny Peppers
  • Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (394 ratings)

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Gone the Next  By  cover art

Gone the Next

By: Ben Rehder
Narrated by: Johnny Peppers
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Publisher's summary

Meet Roy Ballard, freelance videographer with a knack for catching insurance cheats. He's working a routine case, complete with hours of tedious surveillance, when he sees something that shakes him to the core. There, with the subject, is a little blond girl wearing a pink top and denim shorts - the same outfit worn by Tracy Turner, a six-year-old abducted the day before. When the police are skeptical of Ballard's report - and with his history, who can blame them? - it's the beginning of the most important case of his life.

©2012 Ben Rehder (P)2013 Ben Rehder

What listeners say about Gone the Next

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Nice start to a series!

Insurance fraud photographer Roy Ballard had his young daughter kidnapped when she was with him years ago, so although it is not a part of his business he becomes interested when another young girl is kidnapped. He works on the case despite police telling him to stop. Along the way he convinces waitress Mia Madison to join him in his business. Author Ben Rehder uses a lot of witty dialog in his fast paced novels. Narration is excellent.

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9 people found this helpful

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

Here One Minute...

What made the experience of listening to Gone the Next the most enjoyable?

The protagonist was awesome. Very engaging main character.

What about Johnny Peppers’s performance did you like?

It didn't sound like a performance. His reading blended so well with the story it was like a movie in my head.

Any additional comments?

Just a note that there are two story lines going on here. Past and present. I think Mr. Rehder does a good job signaling but just be aware.

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8 people found this helpful

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

Creepy Fun right from the start!

If you could sum up Gone the Next in three words, what would they be?

Suspenseful, unpredictable, sarcastic

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gone the Next?

Learning about Roy's background - how his lost child gave him a personal stake in finding the little girl.

What about Johnny Peppers’s performance did you like?

I liked the pacing of the narration.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed at times at some of Roy's comebacks. He obviously has a need waiting to be fulfilled.

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6 people found this helpful

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

Sometimes you just luck out; this was a winner.

After a big disappointment in my previous book, I was ecstatic to find this listen to this exciting psychological thriller. A sincere thank you to author Ben Rehder for a promo code to allow me to enjoy this suspenseful first in the Roy Ballard series. With so many twists and turns, I found it hard to take a break. Already familiar with my favorite narrator Johnny Peppers, I was not surprised at his quality of vocal perfection. Peppered with both humor and heartbreak at the same time, I found “Gone the Next,” an intriguing and addicting listen. Rehder intricately interweaves subplots, surprises and jaw-dropping moments throughout. Again, thank you to Rehder and Peppers for introducing me to the Roy Ballard series. I will be back for more. Highly recommended. Epic, I say, EPIC!!!
👏✍🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✍🏻👏

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2 people found this helpful

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

Roy Ballard, videographer, investigator

This was a "don't want to put it down" book. Roy Ballard is a professional videographer. Mainly he is hired by insurance companies when they have a claim they think might be a fraud. This is a minor plot line as his investigative skills gets him neck deep in a child kidnapping case. This hits home big time, because his daughter, Hannah, was abducted 6 years earlier. While working on a fraud case he is sure he sees the little girl that news stations is saying was abducted. He goes to the police and they think he is a bit of a nut case. What you see real soon, is that he has a sarcastic wit when dealing certain types, of which Detective Ruela is apparently one. Lots of action and plenty of humor!

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2 people found this helpful

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

Not for me

It's not fair for me to give this book a review. I simply can't read books about vulnerable children.

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2 people found this helpful

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

Narration makes all the difference

Story often difficult to follow because of the narrator's lack of pauses between key events, and the use of only one voice throughout. It would also have been a lot less tedious a listen if narrator would have used different voices.

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2 people found this helpful

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

Johnny Pipers needs voice lessons

If you could sum up Gone the Next in three words, what would they be?

Great story, annoying reader. Mr. Peppers needs to loose the vocal fry. I've not heard it so bad in a male voice before. The gargling, scraping sound at the end of every phrase sentence grates on my ears. This new style of talk is not correct English (American or otherwise). Please eliminate it from recorded books. Hopefully, it will soon go the way of Valley Girl Speak.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Johnny Peppers?

Anyone without vocal fry.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Must listen to this book!

Downright fantastic! Not my usual style but I could say more but I don’t want to soul anything... YOU GOTTA LISTEN THIS BOOK!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

Really enjoyed the book. Well written, well told.
Would like to read more Ben Rehder books

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