No One Goes Alone

Erik Larson

From New York Times bestselling author Erik Larson comes his first venture into fiction, an otherworldly tale of intrigue and the impossible that marshals his trademark approach to nonfiction to create something new: a ghost story thoroughly grounded in history.

Pioneering psychologist William James leads an expedition to a remote isle in search of answers after a family inexplicably vanishes. Was the cause rooted in the physical world . . . or were there forces more paranormal and sinister at work? Available only on audio, because as Larson says, ghost stories are best told aloud.

A group of researchers sets sail for the Isle of Dorn in the North Atlantic in 1905 to explore the cause of several mysterious disappearances, most notably a family of four who vanished without a trace after a week-long holiday on the island. Led by Professor James, a prominent member of the Society for Psychical Research, they begin to explore the island’s sole cottage and surrounding landscape in search of a logical explanation.

The idyllic setting belies an undercurrent of danger and treachery, with raging storms and unnerving discoveries adding to the sense of menace. As increasingly unexplainable events unfold, the now-stranded investigators are unsure whether they can trust their own eyes, their instincts, one another—or even themselves.

Erik Larson has written a terrifying tale of suspense, underpinned with actual people and events. Created specifically to entertain audio listeners, this eerie blend of the ghostly and the real will keep listeners captivated till the blood-chilling end.

Featuring Erik Larson reading his Notes for a Narrator.

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

“We appear to have seen the unseen.” 

2 out of 5 stars (2 / 5) Erik Larsen has written his first fiction and it’s only being released in audio. Why? “Because ghost stories are best told aloud.” I agree!

This story is about an island a group of people have come to investigate for it’s unusual occurrences. They are paranormal investigators and are trying to use science to explain these incidents, such as a family going missing.

Sadly, this one did not grab me. I was confused multiple times and found my mind wandering. Normally, audios are my first choice of format because I love getting the full experience of the narrator and the voice inflection and more. This one just did not hold my attention. The American accents were off and the female voices came across as childish. It did not feel creepy like I expected, but more historical. I also expected a full cast or more at least, to be done with the narration since it’s only released in audio. It is also very heavy on the dialogue, which in itself isn’t bad, but made for some not exciting explanations. I wanted more creepy, more unexplained phenomenon and more scared characters.

Content Summary: the remains of a young boy are found, a body of a young man with a broken neck and more gruesome details, many skeletal remains of both children and adults, a general creepy feel. 

Thank you to Shelf Awareness,  PRH Audio and Libro.fm for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. This is available now!

**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

3 Comments

  1. His nonfict totally reads like fiction though, surprised he didn’t pull this off. The dead wake narrator was fantastic too. Bummer

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