Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?
The novel is set at a Christmas Eve office party in a Los Angeles skyscraper, and its hero is a retired detective called Joe Leland. It is the 1979 novel that became Die Hard.
Short answer: for the Nothing Lasts Forever audiobook vs book choice, we say read it on Kindle (100% confidence, clear cut). No audiobook of Roderick Thorp’s novel was found on Audible UK or Audible US on 23 October 2026, so print is the only format and the verdict is read, at 100%. Our criteria are only scored when both formats exist. The US Graymalkin Media edition is 256 pages.
Read it on Kindle
No audiobook was found on Audible UK or US, so the book is the only way to have it.
No audiobook found on Audible UK or US. Affiliate link: we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a verdict.
Confidence 100%, which puts it in the clear cut 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 book at a glance
| Format | The book |
|---|---|
| Audiobook | None found on Audible UK or Audible US (23 October 2026) |
| Print edition | Graymalkin Media (US), 17 December 2012 |
| Print length | 256 pages |
| First published | 1979 |
Audible does sell a different book with the same title, by Sidney Sheldon. It is not this novel.
Checked 23 October 2026.
Nothing Lasts Forever
Roderick Thorp
- Genre
- Thriller; Christmas
- First published
- 1979
- Length
- 256 pages (Graymalkin Media, 2012)
- On audio
- No audiobook found
- On screen
- Die Hard (1988)
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, but only when there is a choice to make. Availability comes first: if only one format exists, that format wins.
No audiobook of Roderick Thorp’s novel was found on Audible UK or Audible US on 23 October 2026. With only one format available, the verdict is read at 100%, and the thirteen criteria are not scored. If a recording appears, we will score it in full.
What this book actually is
Nothing Lasts Forever is Roderick Thorp’s 1979 thriller and the novel behind Die Hard. It is set on Christmas Eve at an office party in a Los Angeles skyscraper, and its hero is Joe Leland, a retired detective, not John McClane.
It follows one siege over one night, told from Leland’s side. How it ends is not covered here, and it does not end the way the film does.
The case for reading it
Print is the only way to have it: no recording turned up on Audible UK (six results for the title) or Audible US (title and author searches) on 23 October 2026. The 2012 Graymalkin Media edition is 256 pages and is sold in print and on Kindle.
The case for listening to it
There is nothing to listen to yet. If a recording appears, under this title or another, the book will be scored against all thirteen criteria and the verdict may change.
Who should ignore this verdict
Do not mistake Sidney Sheldon’s Nothing Lasts Forever, which is on Audible, for this book. It is an unrelated novel.
If you want to hear the Die Hard story, the only option today is the film.
Audiobook
- No audiobook found on Audible UK or US (23 October 2026)
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas
No criterion could be confirmed on either side, so neither format is favoured.
The Thursday Murder Club
Award-winning narration points to audio, but several viewpoints and a diary are all read by one narrator.
Gone Girl
A narrator for each viewpoint, praised narration and a 512-page book pull towards listening; Amy’s dated diary timeline pulls towards reading.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
❄ See every Christmas book, read or listen →
Questions people ask
Is there a Nothing Lasts Forever audiobook?
We found no audiobook of Roderick Thorp’s novel on Audible UK or Audible US on 23 October 2026. A different book with the same title, by Sidney Sheldon, is on Audible.
Is Die Hard based on a book?
Yes. Die Hard (1988) is based on Nothing Lasts Forever, Roderick Thorp’s 1979 novel. Its hero is a retired detective called Joe Leland rather than John McClane.
Should I read or listen to Nothing Lasts Forever?
Read it: print is the only format we found, so the verdict is read at 100%. If an audiobook appears, we will score it against all thirteen criteria.
How long is the book?
256 pages in the Graymalkin Media edition published on 17 December 2012.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said read it on Kindle. 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.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK and US (title and author searches), the Graymalkin Media edition and the Wikipedia article on the novel.
- Verdict last reviewed: 23 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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