Try free for 30 days

Preview
  • Birthdays for the Dead

  • By: Stuart MacBride
  • Narrated by: Ian Hanmore
  • Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (112 ratings)

1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Birthdays for the Dead

By: Stuart MacBride
Narrated by: Ian Hanmore
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

Twelve years. Twelve dead girls. Thirteen will be unlucky for some.The Number One bestselling crime thriller from the award-winning Stuart MacBride. A bloody, brilliant and brutal story of murder, kidnap and revenge.

Detective Constable Ash Henderson has a dark secret…

Five years ago his daughter, Rebecca, went missing on the eve of her thirteenth birthday. A year later the first card arrived: home-made, with a Polaroid picture stuck to the front – Rebecca, strapped to a chair, gagged and terrified. Every year another card: each one worse than the last.

The tabloids call him ‘The Birthday Boy’. He’s been snatching girls for twelve years, always just before their thirteenth birthday, killing them slowly, then torturing their families with his homemade cards.

But Ash hasn’t told anyone what really happened to Rebecca – they all think she ran away – because if anyone finds out, he’ll be taken off the investigation. And he’s sacrificed too much to give up before his daughter’s murderer gets what he deserves…

©2012 Stuart MacBride (P)2011 HarperCollins

What listeners say about Birthdays for the Dead

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    73
  • 4 Stars
    27
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    78
  • 4 Stars
    15
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    67
  • 4 Stars
    19
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    3

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

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

Intensely addictive!!

great!!!!!! absolutely reverting story!!!! listened to it in record time!!! love ash and Alice!!!!! Please write more!!!!

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Entertaining but a little bleak.

I really enjoyed this book but it was rather violent. The performance was first class.

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

Heavy going

But worth it. With twists and turns galore, plenty of blood, gore and depravity, these poor characters are really put through the wringer for our entertainment. Chilling to the end.

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

Not McCrae but definitely excellent.

Don’t expect another Logan McCrae book. This is a much darker, more serious crime novel. MacBride has successfully departed from the dark humor of his other works. This novel is everything you’d want in a serious crime novel. I nearly didn’t buy this book because of the other reviews but I’m so glad I did. The narrator does an excellent job of the story. He adds gravitas to the slow burn and multi-level subtly of the plot.
If you loved Logan McCrae (& I do) don’t expect more of the same. If you love dark crime with interesting characters and twisted plots, then this is definitely for you.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Returned

Sounded like a great story but I could not understand the thick Scottish accent. I have enjoyed the rest of Stuart Macbrides books but could carry on with this one.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

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

Not for the squeamish

Ash Henderson is one sick 'bastardo' Stuart MacBride manages to make you feel sorry for characters who are truly disturbed, sad, damaged and very very angry. Great gory story telling. Tragic circumstances and ending. I am reading a happy uplifting story next.

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

Dark, violent, brilliant

This book has no slow spots to allow you to catch your breath - it’s full speed from start to finish. Featuring the most wonderful duo in crime fighting, the disgraced cop, Ash, and Dr Mc Fruit Loops, the best thing about it is that these wonderful characters feature in more books, so we don’t have to say goodbye to them.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

very good.

I've been listening to all of stuart mcbride's and was disappointed when the logan macrae series finished, but this has been really good. looking forward to the next.

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

Gripping Story, A1 Narration

Loved this book...made all the better by the awesome Narration. Eager to start No2

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Very different from his other books

I love Stuart MacBrides work, this one is totally different.
I think gritty is a good way to describe it. Ok the violence is very descriptive, but necessary because that’s what this book is. It’s not comedic like the Logan and Steele series, it’s a completely different style and feel. I really loved it. Ash and Alice are excellent characters and I really like Sabier, the narrator has brought them to life. It’s extremely well read.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.