Black Bird cover

Black Bird

by James Keene, Hillel Levin

Narrated by Robertson Dean

3.82 ABR Score (5.0K ratings)
★ 3.65 Goodreads (3.4K) ★ 4.42 Audible (1.6K)
7h 26m Released 2010 Biography & Memoir

Why Listen?

Robertson Dean's narration transforms this true crime confession into something unnervingly intimate—you're trapped in a cell listening to a young man negotiate with a serial killer, and the tension never lets up.

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About This Audiobook

When promising football player Jimmy Keene finds himself serving a ten-year federal sentence, he faces an extraordinary proposition from the very prosecutor who put him behind bars. The authorities need someone to infiltrate maximum security and extract a confession from Larry Hall, a suspected serial killer whose conviction hangs by a thread. With Hall potentially responsible for the deaths of multiple young women but facing possible release on appeal, Keene must navigate the treacherous world of hardened criminals while attempting the most dangerous undercover operation of his life.

Robertson Dean delivers a masterful narration that captures both the gritty authenticity of prison life and the psychological complexity of this real-life thriller. His measured pacing allows listeners to absorb the mounting tension as Keene walks an increasingly precarious line between survival and justice. Dean's ability to distinguish between the various personalities Keene encounters creates an immersive experience that feels immediate and visceral. The audio format proves particularly effective for this memoir, as Dean's compelling delivery transforms Keene's harrowing journey into a gripping listening experience that holds attention from start to finish.