Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview

  • The Contortionist's Handbook

  • A Novel
  • By: Craig Clevenger
  • Narrated by: Ray Porter
  • Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (97 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Contortionist's Handbook

By: Craig Clevenger
Narrated by: Ray Porter
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

John Dolan Vincent was born with an extra ring finger on one hand. He was an abnormally gifted child with a proclivity for mathematics beyond his years, but he lacked social skills. Childhood ridicule and a difficult family life led him to use his talents in adulthood for criminal acts of forgery. When he starts getting untreatable migraines, his self-medication results in overdosing which sends him repeatedly to the emergency room. There, he risks being institutionalized as suicidal, so he draws upon his forgery skills to reinvent a new identity for himself each time. Identity theft, drugs, and crime drag his life into a downward spiral. His clients in the L.A. underworld lose patience, the hospital evaluator might not be fooled by his story, and the only person in as much danger as himself is the woman who knows his real name.
©2009 Craig Clevenger (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Psychological Fiction Suspense
Show More Show Less
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Dermaphoria cover art
Mother Howl cover art
Afterparty cover art
A Nail Through The Heart cover art
Songs of Innocence cover art
The Red Hunter cover art
Skin Deep cover art
The Weight of Lies cover art
Dallas Noir cover art
New Spring cover art
Privileged Lives cover art
Dead I Well May Be cover art
Wild Cards I cover art
Bone Music cover art
When the Bough Breaks cover art
The Tracker cover art

Critic reviews

Clevenger has produced an utterly persuasive and compelling novel, combining the zest and enthusiasm of a new voice with the craft and the guile of a veteran. The movie is in production with Das Films for release in 2011.
"Clevenger cleverly creates a modern-day Mr. Ripley." - ( Booklist)
"[A] remarkable debut." ( Time Out New York)

What listeners say about The Contortionist's Handbook

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    58
  • 4 Stars
    30
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    63
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    50
  • 4 Stars
    18
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.co.uk reviews

Amazon reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Steve

Great until the end

Loved the book but the ending seemed abrupt. It wasn't a bad ending, it just wasn't a good or timely one. Still worth it despite the disappointment - well researched and written.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Rachel

My kind of story.

Don’t rush through it if you can help it. You’ll be sorry when it’s finished. Ration it.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for ROB

Remarkable

The wit, the detail, the rhythm. This book is captivating and I loved every second of it.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Natasha

Gem of a book.

Dang wasn't expecting to love this so much. Intriguing persona of a hidden man.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Olu

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing.

Exemplary writing. Flawless narration. The spiral, rise and fall of language and imagery is captivating. Hero or anti-hero? Your mind will flip-flop as many times as he changes his name!

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!