Life Sentence cover art

Life Sentence

Preview

Try Premium Plus free
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.

Life Sentence

By: Carl Williams
Narrated by: Tim Carroll
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

Confirm Purchase
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.
Cancel

About this listen

Carl Williams' role as unlikely gang boss in the Melbourne Gangland Wars had made him one of the most infamous names in Australian criminal history.

In 2007 he was sentenced to 35 years' jail in a high security unit. In 2008 he was given access to a personal computer where, confined to a tiny cell for most of the day, Williams began a daily correspondence with his friends and family, covering his life in jail, his thoughts and hopes for the future and his views and opinions on everyone from barristers and judges to fellow criminals and deadly rivals. Eighteen months later Williams was bashed to death by a fellow prisoner, a man he mentions in his letters as a warm and trusted friend.

The letters are surprising, revealing, often manipulative, frequently self-serving, sometimes touching, and always a fascinating insight into the mind of one of our most notorious criminals.

©2019 Carl Williams (P)2019 W. F. Howes Ltd
Murder

What listeners say about Life Sentence

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 2.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    12
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    34
Performance
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    23
  • 4 Stars
    8
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    22
Story
  • 2.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    13
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    30

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

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

Don’t waste your money or a credit

Waste of time and money, seriously it’s a bunch of boring repetitive letters. He should have stuck to what he did best!

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

poor story

poor story. poorly narrated. couldn't finish. don't bother wasting your time or money on this book

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Don’t bother

If I hadn’t got this for free I would want my money back.
Even if the story had some type of body the way in which endless letters were narrated made it a laboured listen, l took me a long time to force myself through to the end.

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

Boring

Only reads letters Carl sent off to friend while in prison could have been so much better with the story line.

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

AGREE WITH MANY OF THE OTHER REVIEWS: DON’T BOTHER.

Was expecting so much more. Disappointing as his letters are boring and repetitive. Gave no insight into what motivated or influenced Carl to become a pathological killer.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

It's a struggle

I really struggled with this book. Very dry. Chapters of letter reading. Carl's letters were not that riveting! I admit I didn't finish the book. Just found it a difficult slog.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

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

how boring

You will be disappointed .
The guy reading it made it almost bearable but I still had to skip a bit wanting some excitement but it never came.

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

Carl Williams letters

This is a book of the letters that Carl sent out (and received) to family, friends and women. The narration is probably the best narration I've come across on Audibl app. When it comes to parts where Carl gets animated and excited, the narrtors voice goes with the flow. It's an okay book

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Meh. Just another cash-in

Don't go into this book expecting anything even close to deep and meaningful.
It's literally just a bunch of letters Carl had written before his death, with a little bit of expositional narrative at the start of each chapter and to quickly explain who certain characters are.
Nothing new to add to his story bar the fact he was a bit of a horndog. Suppose that's probably prison life, I guess.

Tim Carroll does a great job with his storytelling. He gets the narrative down well. Particularly reading as though he's actually having conversations with people. Adding little chuckles and such. Awesome narration, sucky material.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

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

Extremely boring

I didn't realise this book would be letters Carl had written while in jail. I love his story but this made me fall asleep. Narrated well.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

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.