Over the Edge

I’ll admit: I rolled my eyes when I saw *another* wealthy-spouse-murder case. But *Over the Edge* hooked me within 20 minutes—not with gore, but with Fleeman’s razor-sharp reconstruction of how Peter Bergna’s story *almost* held up. The audiobook’s strength lies in its pacing: the first half methodically builds the Bergnas’ facade (their jet-set lifestyle, the whispered tensions), while the second half detonates it with forensic precision. Braun’s narration is a revelation—his delivery during courtroom scenes is particularly gripping, especially when he voices the prosecutor’s cross-examinations with a quiet, relentless pressure. You can *hear* the defense’s sweat. That said, the audiobook isn’t flawless. Fleeman occasionally over-explains financial details (the trust funds, the insurance payouts) to the point of redundancy, and Braun’s monotone during these sections makes the listener’s attention wander. I also wished for more of Rinette’s perspective; she’s often reduced to a victim cipher, her voice drowned out by legal maneuvering. But these are quibbles. The real triumph is how the audiobook forces you to grapple with the banality of evil—not a monster, but a man who calculated that the system would protect him. And for a while, it did. If you’re tired of true crime that feels like exploitation, this is the antidote: cold, clear, and devastatingly effective.