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Kill Switch Audiobook
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(3.00) - 617 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A heart-pounding glimpse into the world of forensic psychiatry, Kill Switch marks the powerful fiction debut of Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene—former executive producers of television’s acclaimed Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Filled with breakneck suspense, vivid characters, and riveting detail, it is a mind-bending thriller you’ll never forget.
Meet Claire Waters, a young, dedicated forensic psychiatrist with unnervingly personal insights into the criminal mind. Haunted by a disturbing childhood incident—and driven by her demons—Claire has always been drawn to those rare “untreatable” patients who seem to have no conscience or fear. She has a natural ability to put people at ease, to help them face their darkest secrets. But one shocking case could make or break her career—and it’s waiting for her in the psychiatric wing of New York City’s Rikers Island.
His name is Quimby. A deranged inmate whose boyish good looks hide a sordid history of dysfunction and abuse, Quimby triggers something in Claire she’d rather not face. As she tries to unlock Quimby’s past, she unwittingly reveals her own painful secrets—leaving herself dangerously vulnerable. For Claire, the patient’s obsessions are just the beginning. When the case propels her into the mind of another killer—a homicidal maniac who’s watching her every move—it could only end in madness, or murder, or both.
Brilliantly constructed and breathtakingly suspenseful, Kill Switch is a masterful combination of murder, mystery, and modern forensics that will keep you turning the pages to the final shocking conclusion.
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"It's hard to describe what I think of this book. First of all, I read through it like a speeding train and kept me interested until the last few chapters. I could tell it was written by "TV" people because of the fast pace. It also seemed like 3 episodes of a cop show. The first 2 stories were good. They were well written and had tight plots. The writers lost me in the 3rd episode. It seemed desperate and went way beyond believable after the first 2 parts. The writers should have stopped after the second part and left the rest for a sequel. I'm stuck between a 3 and 4 star review. 3 stars for the end but its hard to label a book I read straight through and kept me so interested until the last few chapters. I would give it 3.5 but since I can't, I am upping it to a 4."
— Gina (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A psychological thriller of the first order.”
— David Baldacci -
“Riveting and rich with character, Kill Switch by Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene is a masterwork of psychological suspense. From clinic to bedroom and interrogation room, this novel thrills with its authenticity. Go to bed early to start reading Kill Switch—you’ll be up all night and enjoying every moment.”
— Gayle Lynds, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Spies -
“Kill Switch is an absolute winner—a non-stop thrill ride. The chest-tightening tension in this book is almost too much to bear. No surprise Kill Switch is terrifically plotted and paced. Baer and Greene are top notch professional storytellers, and it shows on every page. As I read, I could smell the sweat and feel the violence of Riker’s Island as if I were standing in a cell block. Claire Waters is a true original placed in truly original, terrifying situations. The gritty images drawn by Baer and Green will stay with me for a long time to come.”
— Michael Palmer, New York Times bestselling author -
“Leave it to Baer and Greene to dive into the world of forensic psychiatry and craft this must-read thriller! Claire Waters pulls you in with her courage and vulnerability, and she’ll leave you breathless as you follow on her heels to an end you’ll never see coming. Bravo Neal and Jon.”
— Mariska Hargitay, star of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit -
“Baer and Greene cover all angles of what it takes to solve a crime. This is a fast paced, gritty crime thriller from two great storytellers.”
— Christopher Meloni, star of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit -
“Kill Switch by Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene is a masterful, beautifully crafted thriller that introduces the unforgettable character of forensic psychiatrist Claire Waters. The novel starts off as a gripping police drama involving a serial killer, but a brilliant plot twist propels the story into something far bigger and more frightening. Kill Switch will leave you breathless and satisfied. I highly recommend it.”
— Douglas Preston, bestselling author -
“Amazing twists and turns.”
— Ice-T -
“With the background of authors Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene behind it, Kill Switch is destined to be either a made-for-TV crime thriller movie or the pilot for a new TV crime series with a mix of psychology and forensics as its base. In either case, it will be a good presentation for the genre.”
— New York Journal of Books -
“Believable medical jargon and plots, well-rounded characters, and an ending that is difficult to guess. Fans of psychological thrillers will look forward to more adventures with Claire Waters.”
— Library Journal -
“Baer and Greene were producers on Law & Order SVU, which shows in this book’s tight plotting and carefully built suspense.”
— RT Book Reviews
Kill Switch Listener Reviews
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" Goes off the rails early. Probably the most common irritation in pulp fiction: characters are given advanced degrees and described as super smart but act like middle schoolers. Second most common irritation: everyone obsesses over getting approval and power. Third: the narrative keeps telling you how to interpret what just happened. Etc The narrative is cartoonishly stupid and characters ridiculously shallow. There’s excitement and tension in the story but no attempt at realism. "
— Dr Rick, 5/23/2023 -
" Picked up on a whim, kept me entertained. Pleasantly surprised. "
— Jill, 2/19/2014 -
" Would have rated this higher because it started out very strong, I liked the concept, liked the two main characters, but it had one twist and turn too many. It rather takes a great leap in credulity to have all these things happening to one person and have so many trails concerning so many people to tie together. They do but sometimes too much is too much. "
— Diane, 2/17/2014 -
" The authors of this book are former producers of LO: SVU and this book has has many twists as the TV series. Claire Waters is a forensic phychiatrist, who is doing a fellowship under Dr. Paul Curtin. She meets her first patient, Quimby, at Riker's Island and he brings back memories from her past. She releases Quimby with restrictions, but he strays and starts murdering women. She finds help from NYPD detective Nick Lawler, who has his own issues. They find the answers to all the murders and the reasons behind them. I like Claire. She's smart, resourceful, flawed, and is good in a crisis. The ending is believable as Claire and Nick respect each other and are friends. i get tired of the predictable romanances of so many books. "
— Jacquelynn, 2/6/2014 -
" Since this book was written by two writer of "Law and Order" I thought it would be a good murder mystery. It was OK. It had more than one plot and they all entwined in the end. If you like the tv show, you will probably like the book. "
— Kathy, 1/22/2014 -
" This is a three/three and a half star book until about page 200, then it takes off and is a five all the way, in fact it was so good from that point on, I forgot that it started slow and in my opinion a little disjointed. But once I hit around page 200 I could nbot stop reading and did not stop. Likely 100 pages left isn't much to get through but it was amazing, quite a roller coaster. To me, these Law and Order writers did not recreate the show in their writing, in fact other than the fact that it utilized a law enforcement and psychiatrist backdrop, it was not like the show. That is not a good thing and not a bad thing, it is a stand alone read, that could easily be made into a series, there are some things I would like to see Claire waters do. "
— Marianne, 1/20/2014 -
" No brainier beach read. Sometimes intriguing. "
— Nancy, 1/9/2014 -
" Lots of twists and turns and edge of your seat suspense kept me loving this book. Really great read. "
— Michele, 1/5/2014 -
" Practically as cliche filled as far as characters and plot are concerned as a novel can be yet surprisingly entertaining despite that. "
— Paul, 12/23/2013 -
" I think they should stick to television screenplays. This was a little silly for me. "
— Lynn, 12/3/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book. It's intense, fast-moving and full of twists and turns. I look forward to reading her next book. "
— Karendenice, 11/25/2013 -
" the book was full of twists and exciting in parts, but there were too many plots going on. "
— Paula, 9/18/2013 -
" This was a disappoining read, considering all the hype it got. It will keep you turning the pages, but it seems very contrivd at times. "
— Maryellen, 9/2/2013 -
" really good mystery/thriller "
— John, 7/30/2013 -
" Loved the fact that these guys wrote for Law and Order SVU for years. Book was a bit too easy to read and not as riveting as an episode of TV, but well worth it nonetheless. "
— KC, 6/10/2013 -
" I should have known better ... writing for t-v does not prepare one to write an engaging, meaningful, long-form narrative. "
— Jim, 4/26/2013 -
" I found Kill Switch a little too Law and Order -y. The plot was far-fetched. "
— Riya, 2/8/2013 -
" Good escape reading but not much more than that. A tad formulaic. "
— Jennifer, 12/2/2012 -
" I listened to this book while driving to Florida. I was so into it, I ran out of gas on the interstate. I'd say it was a good book. "
— Daniel, 11/19/2012 -
" not bad but not the best. I am sure I will read the next one when it comes out. sort of reminds me of a James Patterson book. pretty easy read. "
— Chawkins, 4/10/2012 -
" These guys should stick to tv. totally implausible plot. "
— Judy, 12/17/2011
About the Authors
Neal Baer graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1996, and he graduated magna cum laude with a BA in political science from Colorado College. He also holds two master’s degrees from Harvard. He spent a year at the American Film Institute as a directing fellow and is executive producer and showrunner for Law & Order: SVU. During his eleven-year tenure, he received the SHINE Award, People’s Choice Award, Prism Award, Edgar Award, and Media Access Award. Prior to SVU, he was executive producer and showrunner of ER. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
Jonathan Greene spent eleven years as writer and coexecutive producer of Law & Order: SVU, his nearly forty teleplays earning the show an Emmy Award and nominations for the Edgar Award and the Humanitas Prize. As a producer and executive in television news and documentaries, he received the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Silver Baton Award for excellence in broadcast journalism. He earned a BS in political science and a MS in telecommunications from Syracuse University. He lives with his family in Los Angeles.
About Bernadette Dunne
Bernadette Dunne is the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Audie Award. She studied at the Royal National Theatre in London and the Studio Theater in Washington, DC, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center and off Broadway.