Detour

Mike Dennis delivers a performance that’s equal parts grizzled survivor and desperate romantic, his voice oscillating between weary exhaustion and sudden, sharp alertness. The script’s dialogue crackles with the kind of snappy, cynical wit that feels ripped straight from a smoky diner at 2 AM—Goldsmith’s influence from his radio days is evident, and it gives the story a visceral immediacy. The production is clean, with no distractions, letting the tension build naturally. That said, the audiobook’s biggest strength—its relentless pacing—sometimes borders on rushed, leaving key emotional beats feeling glossed over. The ending, while thematically satisfying, arrives with a thud that feels too abrupt, as if the narrator himself couldn’t wait to get it over with. Still, the flaws are minor in a story that’s otherwise a masterclass in psychological tension, where every shadow could hide a knife.