The Child

An Audible Drama

By: Sebastian Fitzek

Narrated by: Rupert Penry-Jones, Jack Boulter, Emilia Fox, Stephen Marcus, Robert Glenister, Andy Serkis

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

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

Critic reviews

"The Child is an unmissable milestone for fans and newcomers to audio dramas alike. A compelling, star-studded drama that mixes narration, performance, music and soundscapes into a moving story about a troubled young boy and a shocking series of dark crimes in Berlin. Essential listening," (David Hewson, author of The Killing series, co-author Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel and Macbeth: A Novel.)

"Fitzek’s thrillers are breathtaking and full of wild twists. The only disappointment : there is, inevitably, an end to the story!" (Harlan Coben)

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

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.

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!

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.

Riveting!

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

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.

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.

Fine Performance

Would you listen to The Child again? Why?

Yes - enjoyed the "drama" aspect - different characters, different voices.

Any additional comments?

A pleasure to finally listen to a book in which women are women and men are men. Over time, it has become so tiresome listening to men trying to sound feminine, and women masculine, I've wanted to scream - "Just read" - I can figure out who is who. Yet audio books are the way I "read" now,. This work was a great "read."

creepy pleasure

What made the experience of listening to The Child the most enjoyable?

Story drew me in and couldn't get away from it even though it's such a creepy setup. Very well done.

Pretty Good Listen

Would you try another book from Sebastian Fitzek and/or the narrators?

Yes I think I would try another book from this author. The audio drama was great.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I really loved all the different voices and characters. It definitely was not predictable for me.

Was The Child worth the listening time?

Yes I honestly wished there was more.