Those Empty Eyes (Dramatized Adaptation)

By: Charlie Donlea

Narrated by: Sam Intrater, Nathaniel Priestley, Jenna Sharpe, Jonathan Sleep, full cast, Eva Wilhelm, Amanda Forstrom, Richard Rohan, Nanette Savard, Natalie Van Sistine, Jessica Threet, Chris Stinson

The bestselling author of Twenty Years Later and master of modern suspense is back with a brilliantly twisting, skillfully plotted thriller perfect for fans of Jeneva Rose and Colleen Hoover's Verity.

Alex Armstrong has changed everything about herself—her name, her appearance, her backstory. She's no longer the terrified teenager a rapt audience saw on television, emerging in handcuffs from the quiet suburban home the night her family was massacred. That girl, Alexandra Quinlan, nicknamed Empty Eyes by the media, was accused of the killings, fought to clear her name, and later took the stand during her highly publicized defamation lawsuit that captured the attention of the nation.

It's been ten years since, and Alex hasn't stopped searching for answers about the night her family was killed, even as she continues to hide her real identity from true crime fanatics and grasping reporters still desperate to locate her. As a legal investigator, she works tirelessly to secure justice for others, too. People like Matthew Claymore, who's under suspicion in the disappearance of his girlfriend, a student journalist named Laura McAllister.

Laura was about to break a major story about rape and cover-ups on her college campus. Alex believes Matthew is innocent, and unearths stunning revelations about the university's faculty, fraternity members, and powerful parents willing to do anything to protect their children.

Most shocking of all—as Alex digs into Laura's disappearance, she realizes there are unexpected connections to the murder of her own family. For as different as the crimes may seem, they each hinge on one sinister truth: no one is quite who they seem to be...

Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

Performed by Eva Wilhelm, Amanda Forstrom, Richard Rohan, Nanette Savard, Natalie Van Sistine, Jessica Threet, Chris Stinson, Sam Intrater, Nathaniel Priestley, Jenna Sharpe, Jonathan Sleep, Terence Aselford, Wayne LeGette, Niusha Nawab, Su Ling Chan, Stephon Walker, Jonathon Church, Stewart Crank, Christopher Walker, Laura C. Harris, Michael Glenn, Eric Messner, Patrick Boylan, Bradley Foster Smith, Erin Lin, James Konicek, Jeri J. Marshall, Yasmin Tuazon, Karen Novack, Drew Kopas, Michael John Casey, Nora Sofyan, Colleen Delany, Elena Anderson, Christopher Williams, Kenneth Charles, Steve Wannall, Crystal Lee, and Scott McCormick.

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.

©2023 Charlie Donlea (P)2025 Graphic Audio LLC

great story, annoying narrator

I loved the story, and the way the characters performed, but the narrator drove me crazy in her pronunciation sometimes, like LA Verne with emphasis on the LA. it should be LaVERNE. And at then of words she draws out the ending, like the word going, for example, she says "goinnng-uh." Besides that, the story is interesting, with lots of twists and turns.

Didn't Enjoy the Performance

I was so excited to read another Charlie Donlea book and the premise seemed so promising. This is my fifth or sixth book by Charlie Donlea so I expected the story to be another great one. And it was, except that I accidentally bought the dramatized adaptation and it was not what I was hoping for. First of all, the main female narrator had a strange lilt to her voice and when she read, and then the story got all twisted and tangled while I was trying to listen and figure out who everyone was.

What really upset me was that I listen to my auible books in the car when I commute. For some reason, while I was listening part of the dialogue wouldn't play and all I would get was silence. I'm sure it was probably how my phone was set up for my car speakers, but I have a 2025 Mini Cooper Convertible with the fancy Harmon speakers so it definitely wasn't a fault of my car's. I tried to get assistance to change levels or whatever I needed to do, but never could find anyone to help. So I ended up listening to it at home while I was cooking or at work before anyone came in to see me.

I will not be getting another dramatized adaption but for those of you who can actually hear all the parts and sounds, you might enjoy it. The story was okay and I did finish it, but I'm looking now for another exciting and suspenseful tale that I can listen to in my car!

The narrator ruined the whole book!

The narrator ruined the whole book for me. She was horrible. She sounded like she wanted to be a newscaster and emphasized the last part of every last word in a sentence. Most of the time when I’m listening to an audiobook, my mind wanders, so I rewind and catch back up wanting to hear every word of the book because I enjoy it. This book, however, is a big no for me. I’ve also listened to the dramatized adaptation of other books, and have really enjoyed those by other authors, narrators and cast. This one I cringed and was just praying to God that it would be over soon. I really like Charlie Donlea’s books, but I don’t know if I even heard the entire plot because of the narrator. Honestly I definitely wasted a credit on this book and it makes me sad.

Narration is Wierd

The first few chapters narrator which is a formal voice is so monotonous or devoid of any human qualities I’m thinking it’s artificial or so digitized it’s very unpleasant to listen to. Always exact intonation and the same upward tone at end of a sentence and hard pronunciation of consonants
What gives audible?