Notes on an Execution
A Novel
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Notes on an Execution
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Narrated by:
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Mozhan Marno
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Jim Meskimen
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Written by:
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Danya Kukafka
About this listen
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL • NEW YORK TIMES BEST CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR
“Defiantly populated with living women . . . beautifully drawn, dense with detail and specificity . . . Notes on an Execution is nuanced, ambitious and compelling.” —Katie Kitamura, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW (Editors' Choice)
"A searing portrait of the complicated women caught in the orbit of a serial killer. . . . Compassionate and thought-provoking." –BRIT BENNETT, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Half
Recommended by New York Times Book Review • Los Angeles Times • Washington Post • Entertainment Weekly • Esquire • Good Housekeeping • USA Today • Buzzfeed • Goodreads • Real Simple • Marie Claire • Rolling Stone • Business Insider • Bustle • PopSugar • The Millions • The Guardian • and many more!
In the tradition of Long Bright River and The Mars Room, a gripping and atmospheric work of literary suspense that deconstructs the story of a serial killer on death row, told primarily through the eyes of the women in his life—from the bestselling author of Girl in Snow.
Ansel Packer is scheduled to die in twelve hours. He knows what he’s done, and now awaits execution, the same chilling fate he forced on those girls, years ago. But Ansel doesn’t want to die; he wants to be celebrated, understood.
Through a kaleidoscope of women—a mother, a sister, a homicide detective—we learn the story of Ansel’s life. We meet his mother, Lavender, a seventeen-year-old girl pushed to desperation; Hazel, twin sister to Ansel’s wife, inseparable since birth, forced to watch helplessly as her sister’s relationship threatens to devour them all; and finally, Saffy, the detective hot on his trail, who has devoted herself to bringing bad men to justice but struggles to see her own life clearly. As the clock ticks down, these three women sift through the choices that culminate in tragedy, exploring the rippling fissures that such destruction inevitably leaves in its wake.
Blending breathtaking suspense with astonishing empathy, Notes on an Execution presents a chilling portrait of womanhood as it simultaneously unravels the familiar narrative of the American serial killer, interrogating our system of justice and our cultural obsession with crime stories, asking listeners to consider the false promise of looking for meaning in the psyches of violent men.
"Poetic and mesmerizing . . . Powerful, important, intensely human, and filled with a unique examination of tragedy, one where the reader is left with a curious emotion: hope." —USA TODAY
“A profound and staggering experience of empathy that challenges us to confront what it means to be human in our darkest moments. . . . I relished every page of this brilliant and gripping masterpiece."—ASHLEY AUDRAIN, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
©2022 Danya Kukafka (P)2022 HarperCollins PublishersFeatured Article: The Top Audiobooks People Are Obsessed With on BookTok
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What listeners say about Notes on an Execution
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lori
- 2023-06-07
Captivating
Characters drawn like crystal clear photographs - complicated people and their involvement with and reactions to abandonment, pain, joy. A fantastic listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carrie ann bostjancic
- 2023-01-19
I was in intrigued and entertained throughout
This was a really powerful story elegantly told
The visuals were so rich in detail.
It’s an important message but we are spared the gory details.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- surabhi
- 2023-01-04
Morbid, uncomfortable, beautiful
This book unclogged my tear glands after all the holiday stress I’ve been holding on to. Kukafka’s writing is molten love. The sheer helplessness the end leaves you with is unnerving. You will keep scrambling for a political piece in the whole narrative and you won’t find any. Because the story is as raw as life, mercilessly confusing. May be after all Ansel’s theory was right. Only read this if you are in for an emotional roller coaster ride to the unknown corners of your empathy.
Ps: I cannot help but imagine what it takes for a person to be able to write about pain like this.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lynn J.
- 2023-08-26
loved it!
I couldn't stop listening great book and excellent narrator. Each character is memorable and fallible
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Raina Mermaid
- 2024-04-23
Interesting Concept but Traumatic at Times
Victims of abuse may find this very triggering. A very complex look at a complex situation. I appreciated all the chatacter perspectives. I think this would make a good film. A bit hard on a sensitive heart.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christina C.
- 2023-01-12
Can’t stop listening
This book was so engaging that I finished it in less than a week- great plot
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Professional Commuter
- 2023-04-03
A slow burn. Exceptionally executed.
Each word is exquisite, incredibly well planned, and haunting. Not to mention, it makes you think about the justice system, the things at play that get killers caught, and finally the people who become victims. How they’re treated, or more accurately forgotten and turned into a tragedy of themselves. I highly recommend and encourage you to listen wisely.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-07-05
Too much for me
I was really overwhelmed by the trauma and abuse in the first storyline and just couldn’t keep listening. Not a complaint, just my experience.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Karen W. Lam
- 2023-05-29
Absolute Masterpiece
No spoilers for any of this book but just wow. The multi-reader perspective used perfectly for this book and utterly compelling and humane. Highly recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2024-04-21
it's a really great story. I binged listened and enjoyed it immensely
each chapter is a different perspective of one story line. I liked this part best.
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