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Afraid Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Jack Kilborn (Author), Phil Gigante (Narrator), Brilliance Audio (Publisher)
4.2 out of 5 stars 2,932 ratings

WELCOME TO SAFE HAVEN, POPULATION 907...

Nestled in the woods of Wisconsin, Safe Haven is miles from everything. With one road in and out, this is a town so peaceful it has never needed a full-time police force. Until now...

A helicopter has crashed on the outskirts of town and something terrible has been unleashed. A classified secret weapon programmed to kill anything that stands in its way. Now it's headed for the nearest lights to do what it does best. Isolate. Terrorize. Annihilate.

Soon all phone lines are dead and the road is blocked. Safe Haven's only chance for survival rests on the shoulders of an aging county sheriff. And as the body count rises, the sheriff realizes something even more terrifying—maybe death hasn't come to his little town by accident...

WELCOME TO SAFE HAVEN, POPULATION 907... 906... 905...

AFRAID by Jack Kilborn
Are you afraid of the dark? You will be.

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  1. Listening Length
    9 hours and 39 minutes
  2. Author
    Jack Kilborn
  3. Narrator
    Phil Gigante
  4. Audible release date
    April 1, 2009
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Brilliance Audio
  7. ASIN
    B0024L18A4
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length 9 hours and 39 minutes
Author Jack Kilborn
Narrator Phil Gigante
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date April 01, 2009
Publisher Brilliance Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0024L18A4
Best Sellers Rank #59,083 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#250 in Technothrillers (Audible Books & Originals)
#1,240 in Psychological Thrillers (Audible Books & Originals)
#3,004 in Psychological Thrillers (Books)

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
2,932 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book suspenseful with harrowing scenes of genuine suspense and praise its fast-paced narrative that keeps them turning pages. They appreciate the well-developed characters that are easy to connect with, and one customer notes how the story transforms into an action-thriller. The writing quality receives positive feedback, with customers describing it as fantastically well written and easy to read. The graphic content and violence level receive mixed reactions, with customers noting very graphic descriptions and unrelenting violence throughout the book.

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539 customers mention "Suspenseful"411 positive128 negative

Customers find the book suspenseful, praising its harrowing scenes of genuine suspense and action-packed narrative.

"...Kilborn (actually J.A. Konrath) came up with a great concept in AFRAID, and executed it well, which is more than I can say for a lot of books I've..." Read more

"...I found the prose very easy to read, the story flowing with very little bumps and at the same time it showed that Konrath handled the English..." Read more

"...This is probably one of the most action packed books I've read since Matt Reilly but this isn't filled with over the top and unbelievable action..." Read more

"...There was plenty of suspense built but the actual twist if the knife, the cringe a good horror book gives you when the suspense comes to a head is..." Read more

368 customers mention "Readability"356 positive12 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as great from start to finish and a page turner.

""Afraid" is a very good book - but also very realistic. Too much so in places...." Read more

"...For me, this book was a good time and that's why I enjoyed it. If you've ever read any of my other reviews, you'll see my reading interest varies...." Read more

"First of all, I like the book, I really do. Mr. Konrath (writing as Kilborn?)..." Read more

"...This book is nothing like the Jack Daniels Mysteries, but it is equally good...." Read more

202 customers mention "Enjoyment"164 positive38 negative

Customers find the book engaging and wonderfully intense, with one customer noting how it transforms into an action-thriller that becomes a roller coaster of excitement.

"...It is an incredibly well written book that will make you think, leave you with a lot of what if's in regards to the military and scientific research..." Read more

"...Overall, the book held my attention--even if it lost it a couple of times along the way...." Read more

"...Jack Kilborn keeps readers on a high level alert, making it difficult to "relax" while reading his thrilling story...." Read more

"...The plot was wicked and thrilling, your heart is racing and at the same time, you cry over the fallen heroes and the survivors of the mad hunters on..." Read more

140 customers mention "Pacing"113 positive27 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing, describing it as a fast-paced, quick read that maintains high energy throughout.

"...the story, Konrath successfully was able to move the story, without any slowing down or drawing out a scene too much...." Read more

"...Once that is quickly out of the way, the writing becomes that slow, sustained suspense pace again...." Read more

"Fast-paced, often nightmarish horror/suspense thriller about a secret regiment of brutal, sadistic U.S. soldiers who crash land in a sleepy..." Read more

"...In short, if you're looking for a quick read and some guilty pleasure, and aren't offended by comic book-style graphic gore and violence, take this..." Read more

113 customers mention "Character development"87 positive26 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them engaging and easy to connect with, with one customer noting the inclusion of animal heroes.

"...of gore, that although it was not gratuitous, as it fit the plot and characters appropriately, I am still more a fan of a book that can make you..." Read more

"...We meet a likeable cast of characters, most notably Fran, the widowed waitress, her young son, Duncan, and their dog, Woof...." Read more

"...That, however, didn't stop me from enjoying the book and rooting for the good guys...." Read more

"...The things the author puts the characters through are imaginative, horrible and flat out disturbing to read but I mean that in the best possible way..." Read more

105 customers mention "Writing quality"90 positive15 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as fantastically well written and easy to read, with one customer noting its flowing prose.

"...It is an incredibly well written book that will make you think, leave you with a lot of what if's in regards to the military and scientific research..." Read more

"...Nevertheless, the story was so well written where it just kept getting me more and more curious that I kept on wanting to find out what happens..." Read more

"...It's extremely graphic. It's written wonderfully but it is, as I said, BRUTAL in the extreme...." Read more

"...The author hit every line and used the perfect colors, nothing missed and nothing smudged, but by the end I was left missing something and after..." Read more

131 customers mention "Violence level"66 positive65 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the violence in the book, with some appreciating the gore and severe torture scenes, while others find it excessive.

"...ride but I agree with other reviewers...a near masterpiece, not for the easily repulsed, and it WILL stay with you for a long time." Read more

"...and women we're all accustomed to seeing, these are perverted, psychotic killers who have been modified through neurosurgery and implants to follow..." Read more

"...I do recommend this book highly for people who have no problem with blood and gore. If you do have a problem, don't buy the book." Read more

"...So when I find what I consider an excessive amount of gore, that although it was not gratuitous, as it fit the plot and characters appropriately, I..." Read more

70 customers mention "Graphic content"29 positive41 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the graphic content of the book, with some appreciating the vivid and intense descriptions while others find them too gory.

""Afraid" is a very good book - but also very realistic. Too much so in places...." Read more

"...one or two are very well fleshed out...." Read more

"...But beware, this book isn't for the feint of heart. It's extremely graphic. It's written wonderfully but it is, as I said, BRUTAL in the extreme...." Read more

"...Graphic, thrilling, and inventive, Afraid is a dark and twisted ride...." Read more

Easy Read
4 out of 5 stars
Easy Read
Easy flowing prose.... Lots of violence! But I thoroughly enjoyed it. My compliments to the author.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • C. Caviness
    5.0 out of 5 stars Horrific
    Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    At some point in the book, one character asks another to define terrorism. The answer he receives is the correct one, that it's a strategy of targeting civilians for acts of extreme violence, to instill fear, to force the powers-that-be to do or not do whatever it is the terrorists want or don't want. Anyone who has lived through the past decade knows this well, although terrorism is nothing new. Yet the focus, at least in recent memory, has been placed squarely on religious extremists. Not in AFRAID.

    AFRAID gives readers a glimpse (one that they'll probably wish they could unsee) into a different kind of terrorist, just as murderous as any other, if not moreso. State-sponsored terrorism, long derided as the paranoid fantasies of conspiracy theorists (in spite of historical evidence documenting such acts), is the well from which AFRAID draws its putrid water. And throughout its 300 odd pages, the well never runs dry.

    An elite military unit, designed solely to rape, annihilate, and terrify any who stand between them and their mission, crash lands their black chopper into the backwoods of Safe Haven, Wisconsin. Known by their peers as a "Red-ops" team, the survivors of the crash waste no time in fulfilling their mission, bringing the gore and terror Kilborn is known for writing to the reader within the first few pages. These are not the proud serving men and women we're all accustomed to seeing, these are perverted, psychotic killers who have been modified through neurosurgery and implants to follow orders precisely like a computer would. The residents of Safe Haven, for the most part, don't stand a chance.

    AFRAID, like much of Kilborn's work, is not for the faint of heart. Probably not for the stout of heart either. I would recommend this novel only to those who truly love horror, and have perhaps found that over time the shocks and scares have become few and far between. Like SERIAL, this story does not take long to get under your skin. It is relentless and brutal. In the beginning it seems as if no one can stand against the Red-ops team, but as the story winds on, the exceptional bravery and intestinal fortitude of a handful of Safe Haven's residents begins to shine through the darkness. Equal parts thrilling and disgusting, if you love horror, you'll probably find yourself putting life on hold for the few hours it takes to get through this novel. Kilborn (actually J.A. Konrath) came up with a great concept in AFRAID, and executed it well, which is more than I can say for a lot of books I've purchased lately.

    If you're tired of Halloween-grade spooks and scares, if you're fed up with horror stories that pull every punch, kick, and thrust of the knife to keep things PG-13, you should strongly consider giving AFRAID a shot. After reading SERIAL, and waiting a day or so for the shock to subside, I purchased AFRAID. I was not disappointed, in the least, and am now left wondering which one of Kilborn's books I'll read next.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Krimini
    4.0 out of 5 stars Be Very Afraid!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This book is terrifying on so many different levels that I could spend an immense amount of time, giving away an incredible amount of details to fully do it justice! It was another book by Kilborn that is basically impossible to put down once the reader has gotten into the story, which doesn't take long. The story itself is frightening because of the plausibility factor of how easily something like this actually could happen, along with equally how easy it would be for the government to cover it up and have the world at large be none the wiser.... I am not normally of the conspiracy theory mindset, but when I read books like this, where it takes little imagination to fully understand the possibility of scientifically enhanced killing machines disguised as soldiers we expect as a country to be able to trust and rely on, to not give it serious consideration seems fool hardy. There was more gore in this book than I would have liked. I am more partial to tales that allow the power of the reader's imagination ( and maybe even paranoia, or whatever one calls their own built in fears) to take the reader to that place where the tension filled thrill of the unknown can be much more frightening than the all out gore factor, but that is just my preference. It is also the only reason why this book is getting four stars rather than five. Having read other works by this same writer and having experienced as close to true terror as I think one can experience while reading a book ("Endurance" did this for me), I know this author is quite capable of scaring a reader to the point of not wanting to be alone on a dark room for hours even after reading the last page, as I have felt those emotions. So when I find what I consider an excessive amount of gore, that although it was not gratuitous, as it fit the plot and characters appropriately, I am still more a fan of a book that can make you leary of the dark, even as an adult in your own home, after finishing one of his books as I know he is fully capable of. However, do not let my small, personal prejudice against excess gore stop you from reading this book if you are looking for an action filled adventure that begins almost from the very first sentence, and never stops for a single moment right up to the last words! This is now the third book I have read by this author under two different names, but hopefully I will continue to hunt down more of his work until I have read them all if the three I have read are any example of what to expect! It is an incredibly well written book that will make you think, leave you with a lot of what if's in regards to the military and scientific research that we all know have their secrets and what that could mean to mankind, on top of just being a good, old fashioned, edge of your seat thrill ride that anyone who enjoys a great adventure or truly terrifying horror should definitely take the time to read!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Scott Harper
    5.0 out of 5 stars Visceral
    Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    "Afraid" is a very good book - but also very realistic. Too much so in places. There were moments when I was forced to stop reading for a few minutes and simply remove myself mentally from what was going on. I pray to the Goddess that the premise of this novel is pure fiction. But I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that it's all too horrifying real.

    I would recommend reading this book. But be forewarned - it may well shock or otherwise disturb you. This one isn't for the faint of heart. Keep that in mind before you read "Afraid"!
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • CF
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ein echter Kilborn - gruselig !
    Reviewed in Germany on December 13, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Ein Spezialkomando der amerikanischen Streitkräfte - zusammengestellt aus ehemaligen Todeskandidaten und Gewalttätern - fällt in ein abgelegenes Dorf ein und bringt systematisch alle Bewohner auf grausame Weise um. Sie suchen nach Wiley Streng... nur niemand kennt ihn... außer sein Bruder der Sheriff des Ortes und ein Bewohner, der für Streng ein paar Handlangertätigkeiten ausführt. Und sie suchen nach einem Film, einem Film aus einem vergangenen Krieg, auf dem man sieht, wie ein Spezialkommando der US-Streitkräfte auf bestialische Weise die Bewohner eines Dorfes umbringt. Es ist der General, der den jetzigen Einsatz kommandiert, der auch als Major an dem ersten Massaker beteiligt war.

    Die Jagd beginnt und übrig bleibt ein kleiner Haufen an Wiederständigen, die es schaffen sich gegen die Invasoren zu behaupten. Aber welcher große Komplott liegt noch hinter der Geschichte? Das kommt erst langsam ans Tageslicht... Und er lässt einen erschaudern, denn so irreal, wie man zuerst glaubt, ist er garnicht. Sondern Kilborn wagt hier einen Blick in die Zukunft.

    Kilborn bleibt seinem Stil treu. Schnell, spannend, ohne Schnörkel, es geht immer sofort zum Kern des Geschehens. Damit treibt Kilborn einen beim Lesen voran und man kann das Buch, auch wenn man müde ist, nur schwer aus den Händen legen.

    Wer auf Thriller steht, wird hier nicht enttäuscht.
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  • Mr CT Holdsworth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced and gruesome
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 25, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Loved this , strong characters, plot twists, and a little romance good read. Will be looking for more by this author.
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
    Reviewed in Canada on November 14, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    fast and furious. A very enjoyable read. Jack you have one wicked imagination. I look forward to more of your books, have one ready to go now.
    Cheers
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  • Sonia
    4.0 out of 5 stars fast and furious and worth a read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 15, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I read this book in about 3 days which surprised me as the theme hadn't really caught my imagination at first. The pace is fast and very gripping so if it wasn't for work etc I would probably have not been able to put it down. The action in the book also occurs over a short period of time and the intensity of the fear produced just keeps climaxing.
    I would certainly give it a go- very unrealistic but you won't put it down. Not overly gorish but will make you cringe in parts.
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  • Tracey
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well done but gory.
    Reviewed in Canada on September 14, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Well written and interesting, however very gory.
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