Getaway

Secrets follow you everywhere

By: Sally Hepworth, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Catherine Steadman, Luanne Rice, Jess Lourey, Rumaan Alam

Narrated by: Candice Moll, Shayna Small, Samara Naeymi, Jennifer Jill Araya, Carly Robins, Fajer Al-Kaisi

2023 Audie Award Winner for Best Short Stories/Collection Audiobook

2022 SOVAS Award Finalist for Audiobook Narration—Short Story Anthology—Best Voiceover

Perfect vacations or last resorts? In this collection of short psychological thrillers, bestselling authors bring trouble to paradise. Today’s itinerary: surfing, sailing, hiking, facing your worst fears . . . Most dream vacations never live up to expectations—but few cause this many nightmares.

Uncharted Waters by Sally Hepworth

“Speak your truth.” An icebreaker leads to unintended consequences for two strangers aboard a luxury yacht in this seductively twisty short story by the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister.

His Happy Place by Zakiya Dalila Harris

A quiet weekend in the wilderness, just the two of them. How romantic. But new love turns to terror in a suspenseful short story from the New York Times bestselling author of The Other Black Girl.

Stockholm by Catherine Steadman

An extravagant anniversary trip turns into a desperate scramble for survival in an unsettling short story about desire, manipulation, and revenge by a New York Times bestselling author.

Belle Mer by Luanne Rice

On the New England coast, an irresistible vacation rental draws a woman into the sinister secrets of her past in a cunning short mystery with a gothic twist by a New York Times bestselling author.

Catch Her in a Lie by Jess Lourey

Two agents on the trail of a serial killer. A mother and daughter on the trip of a lifetime. Fates converge in paradise in a chilling short story by an Amazon Charts bestselling author.

Shell Game by Rumaan Alam

An extended family’s Cape Cod vacation reveals uncomfortable truths that threaten one man’s illusion of happiness in this incisive short story by the New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind.

©2022 Uncharted Waters © 2022 by Sally Hepworth International Pty Ltd as trustee for the Sally Hepworth International Unit Trust. His Happy Place © 2022 by Zakiya Dalila Harris. Stockholm © 2022 by Catherine Steadman. Belle Mer © 2022 by Luanne Rice. Catch Her in a Lie © 2022 Jess Lourey. Shell Game © 2022 by Rumaan Alam. (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"This taut collection of psychological thrillers offers a wide variety of vacation settings. The short, sharp stories transport listeners to a consciousness-raising cruise on which honesty isn't necessarily the best policy, a family beach house haunted by generations of secrets, and a tropical paradise where a serial killer stalks the unwary. Each narrator in the ensemble is well matched to their story and contributes to a cohesive whole despite the array of authors, styles, and settings. Particular standouts include Shayna Small, who embodies a self-confident young woman cast into doubt and fear at her boyfriend's remote cabin, and Samara Naeymi as a woman who is pushed to the brink by a controlling husband and a remote Scandinavian sojourn.”—AudioFile Magazine

Short stories in one

Some of the stories a Kinda boring to start then you get in to them and it over. The last story wasn’t very good I couldn’t finish it because the narrator voice and tone for this was bal, I was going to fall asleep. I just didn’t care for this that much at all.

Underwhelming

Considering all of the talent involved in the creation of this book, I thought I would hear at least a couple of really great mysteries.
Not the case at all here.
Some of the stories in this book aren’t mysterious at all and should be classified more as genre fiction or domestic suspense but definitely not “mystery”
After I read the first three I realized that in spite of all of the promise, it never delivers.
Sadly, I would like this credit back.
The narration was good, not necessarily great but it was good.
I feel quite letdown, I waited about a year to finally buy this book but something always held me back, I should’ve stuck with my original instincts.
Boring, lackluster, not interesting or particularly engaging either :(

narration

stories had moments of imagination, but otherwise too predictable. prose was bland and the characters alternated between dull, one, dimensional or just plain unlikable. narration was the most redeeming quality.

It's the last story....

while I was actually enjoying this collection, I was somewhat taken aback by the last story. maybe it was because I was busy doing other things but it did not make any sense to me. or am I in the wrong generation? That's my review and I'm sticking to it.

It's okay. Not compelling.

I enjoyed the shortness of the stories and the chance to sample a variety of authors with their different styles. The writing was entertaining but not compelling. Nothing stands out except the variety of styles. The narrators did an adequate job.

Mostly Interesting…

I enjoyed most of the different stories. Shell Game was a big disappointment and I was glad the book was over after that. Like the faulty air conditioning at the house the family stayed in, the plot was a let down and didn’t work for me.
I love Sally Hepworth’s novels but Uncharted Waters felt forced and wasn’t up to Sally’s reliable level of genius. The other stories had interesting twists and were enjoyable!