Deadly Ambition

I’ll admit, I side-eyed the seven-narrator lineup at first—overkill, right? Wrong. *Deadly Ambition*’s cast turns what could’ve been a disjointed anthology into a choral performance of human folly. Jess Nahikian’s turn as the desperate mom in *"The Audition"* is a standout: her voice cracks with the exact mix of hope and humiliation that makes Moriarty’s work so devastating. Meanwhile, Kristin Atherton’s posh, clipped delivery in *"The Gift"* makes a simple story about a neighborhood feud feel like a Shakespearean power play. The production team deserves credit for the seamless transitions; even the background music (subtle, synth-heavy) amplifies the unease without overpowering the prose. That said, this isn’t a flawless listen. A couple of stories (*"The Interview"* comes to mind) rely too heavily on twist endings that feel telegraphed in Moriarty’s usually sure-handed prose. And while the narration is uniformly strong, Sarah Beth Goer’s breathy, girl-next-door act in *"The Arrangement"* occasionally undercuts the story’s creepier undertones—she sounds like she’s reading a rom-com, not a tale of marital transaction. Still, the hits far outweigh the misses. The audiobook’s real triumph is how it weaponizes charm: you’ll laugh at the absurdity of these characters’ schemes one minute, then flinch at the recognition the next. It’s the kind of listen that’ll have you pausing mid-commute to text a friend, *“Oh god, am *I* the villain here?”*—and that’s the highest praise I can give.