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Either

London Falling audiobook vs book: which should you choose?

Narrative non-fiction about the death of Zac Brettler, a London teenager who fell from a riverside building in 2019, and the double life his parents uncovered.

Read vs Listen·Verdict last reviewed 30 October 2026·5 min read
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe

Short answer: for the London Falling audiobook vs book choice, we say either works (50% confidence, close call). No check could be confirmed from a named source on either side yet. Keefe reads it himself and listeners rate the reading highly, but the scoring needs named evidence, so for now either format works.

The verdict
The same thirteen checks for every bookSix checks point to listening, such as a full cast or produced audio, the author reading their own memoir, or one narrator for a single viewpoint. Seven point to reading, such as jumping timelines, three or more viewpoints, or a story that depends on images or layout. Each check has a weight, and the weighted total sets the verdict. Verdicts are never paid for. See how we decide in full →

Either works

Nothing could be confirmed either way yet, so neither format is favoured.

Definitely readDefinitely listen
50%
Either
Get it on Kindle384 pages (Picador hardback)Listen on Audible12h 59m, read by Patrick Radden Keefe

Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a verdict.

Confidence 50%, which puts it in the close call band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.

The audiobook at a glance

RecordingUK edition, our verdictUS edition
NarratorPatrick Radden Keefe (the author)Patrick Radden Keefe (the author)
Length12 hours 59 minutes (12h 59m), unabridged12 hours 59 minutes (12h 59m), unabridged
At 1.5xabout 8h 39mabout 8h 39m
At 2xabout 6h 30mabout 6h 30m
Audio publisher and datePicador, 7 April 2026Random House Audio, 2026
Audiobook price£12.20 on Audible UK$23.40 on Audible US
Kindle price£10.99 on Amazon UKNot confirmed
PrintPicador hardback, 384 pagesDoubleday, 384 pages
Listener ratingPerformance 4.68 from 2,080 ratingsPerformance 4.74 from 2,073 ratings

Audible UK and US list the same reader and length under two publishers. Whether they sell one recording or two is not confirmed. Two summary podcasts with the same title on Audible are not the book.

Ratings and prices checked 30 October 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.

Lengths checked 30 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.

Why this verdictWhat it isCase for readingCase for listeningThe audiobookWho should ignore itQuestions

London Falling

Patrick Radden Keefe

Genre
True crime
First published
7 April 2026
Length
384 pages (Picador hardback)
On audio
12 hrs 59 mins, read by the author
Shortlisted
Waterstones Book of the Year 2026; Baillie Gifford Prize 2026

On this page

  1. Why we reached this verdict
  2. What this book actually is
  3. The case for reading it
  4. The case for listening to it
  5. The audiobook in detail
  6. Who should ignore this verdict
  7. Questions people ask

Why we reached this verdict

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.

No criteria point to reading
–
Literary or dense proseBookreporter praises its “unassuming grace”, and no named source calls the prose dense.
–
Narration criticisedThe Audible Performance rating is 4.68 from 2,080 ratings on Audible UK and 4.74 from 2,073 on Audible US, and no named critic criticises the reading.
–
Jumping timelinesBookreporter describes a long digression into one figure’s past, but no source describes the book moving between timelines, so it does not count.
–
Three or more points of view, one narratorNo source describes three or more viewpoints, so it does not count.
–
Story depends on images or layoutNo source mentions photographs or layout the story depends on, so it does not count.
–
Many similar-sounding namesBookreporter mentions a colourful cast of characters, but no source says the names are easy to confuse, so it does not count.
–
Maps, family trees or footnotesEndnotes are likely but not confirmed, so it does not count.
No criteria point to listening
–
Full cast or produced audioPatrick Radden Keefe reads it on his own, with no cast or music listed.
–
Read by the authorIt is reportage, not a memoir, so the author reading does not count here.
–
Long book384 pages in the Picador hardback and the Doubleday edition, under 400.
–
Single point of view and narratorOne reader tells one investigation, but no source states the point of view, so it does not count.
–
Award-winning or praised narrationThe Times is quoted on Audible as naming it one of the best summer audiobooks, but that list was not seen at source, so it does not count.
–
Unfamiliar names or dialectNo source comments on the names, so it does not count.
How the score adds up
No criterion could be confirmed

No listening or reading criterion could be confirmed from a named source, so neither format is favoured. Confidence is 50%.

The recording in detail

One narratorMulti-voiceFull castDramatised
Scored
Patrick Radden Keefe, Picador, 2026, 12h 59m, unabridged
Critic review
None confirmed at source
Alternatives
None
What you miss
Nothing confirmed

What this book actually is

London Falling is Patrick Radden Keefe’s 2026 book about the death of Zac Brettler, a teenager who fell from a building by the Thames in London in 2019. It follows his parents as they look into the life their son had been leading. What Keefe concludes about how Zac died is not covered here.

It is on the Waterstones Book of the Year 2026 shortlist and the Baillie Gifford Prize shortlist, with the winner due on Wednesday 4 November 2026. A24 is reported to be adapting it as a series, with no platform or date announced. The book deals with the death of a teenager, possible suicide and organised crime.

The case for reading it

No reading check is confirmed yet. Keefe’s books are built from interviews and documents, and some readers prefer to follow a long investigation in print, where it is easy to turn back and check a name.

The case for listening to it

Keefe reads it himself, as he did Say Nothing, and listeners rate the reading 4.68 on Audible UK and 4.74 on Audible US.

At 12 hours 59 minutes it comes down to about 8 hours 39 minutes at 1.5x.

The audiobook in detail

Picador publishes the unabridged recording on Audible UK (7 April 2026) and Random House Audio on Audible US, both read by Patrick Radden Keefe at 12 hours 59 minutes. Whether they are one recording or two is not confirmed.

No PDF companion is listed on the US store. Two short summary podcasts with the same title are not recordings of the book.

Who should ignore this verdict

Lean towards audio if you liked Say Nothing as a listen. Lean towards print if you like to keep track of a large cast of real people by turning back.

Get London Falling
Both editions, so you can go with the verdict or ignore it entirely.

Audiobook

  • Read by Patrick Radden Keefe
  • 12h 59m, or about 8h 39m at 1.5x
  • Unabridged; the author reads it
Listen on Audible

Kindle

  • 384 pages (Picador hardback)
  • Easy to turn back and check a name
Get the Kindle edition
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Related verdicts

Same author

Say Nothing

Same author.

Different verdict

Swan Song

UK non-fiction read by its author.

Different verdict

Solace House

Also on the Waterstones shortlist.

Different verdict

Biological War

Three or more strands of story for one narrator on one side, and a print edition over 400 pages on the other.

Start here

How we decide

The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.

Questions people ask

Who narrates the London Falling audiobook?

Patrick Radden Keefe, the author.

How long is it?

12 hours 59 minutes, or about 8 hours 39 minutes at 1.5x.

Is it abridged?

No, it is listed as unabridged.

How many pages is London Falling?

384, in the Picador hardback and the US Doubleday edition.

Is London Falling a true story?

Yes. It is non-fiction about the death of Zac Brettler in London in 2019.

Is it being made into a TV series?

A24 is reported to be adapting it as a series. No platform or date had been announced on 30 October 2026.

Should I read or listen?

Either works, at 50%, a close call. No check could be confirmed on either side yet.

Do you agree with this verdict?

We said either format works. One tap, no sign-up.

Spotted a mistake on this page? Tell us and we will fix it. Or tell us how the site could be better.

How this verdict was reached

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.

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London FallingOur pick: either works · 50%
AudibleKindle