
Penitence
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Thérèse Plummer
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By:
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Kristin Koval
About this listen
For listeners of Ann Patchett and Celeste Ng, Penitence is a poignant exploration of love and forgiveness. It’s a suspenseful, addictive audiobook filled with literary insight that compels listeners to consider whether the worst thing we’ve ever done is all that defines us.
"A deeply engrossing listen that will have you reflecting on guilt and forgiveness.”—Booklist
“Plummer is a joy to listen to. She brings insight and emotional depth to the characters as they grapple with mistakes from their pasts. Plummer imbues her performance with the perfect amount of energy and tension.”—AudioFile
When a shocking murder occurs in the home of Angie and David Sheehan, their lives are shattered. Desperate to defend their family, they turn to small-town lawyer Martine Dumont for help, but Martine isn’t just legal counsel—she’s also the mother of Angie’s first love, Julian, a now-successful New York City criminal defense attorney. As Julian and Angie confront their shared past and long-buried guilt from a tragic accident years ago, they must navigate their own culpability and the unresolved feelings between them.
Spanning decades, from the ski slopes of rural Colorado to the streets of pre-9/11 New York City and back again, Kristin Koval’s debut novel Penitence is an examination of the complexities of familial loyalty, the journey of redemption, and the profound experience of true forgiveness.
A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books.
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Critic reviews
"Koval maintains the pacing of a thriller while going deep on themes of guilt, forgiveness, and the toll of keeping secrets. Readers won’t be able to look away."—Publishers Weekly
"While exploring the complexities of personal and family relationships, this engrossing, emotionally charged novel also examines the way forgiveness comes from acceptance that 'each one of us is more than the worst we’ve ever done.' An intelligent, deftly crafted suspense debut."—Kirkus
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FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He also has a blind spot on the human side of investigations, a blindness that sometimes even includes people in his own life, like his beloved seven-year-old daughter Camila. Gardner and his squad of brilliant yet quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, the FBI’s hidden edge, brought in for cases that no one else can solve. When DNA links a murder victim to a serial killer long presumed dead, the team springs into action.
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This one is a WINNER!!!!
- By shelley on 01-31-25
By: John McMahon
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Letter 26
- By: Jacob Moon
- Narrated by: Mark Garkusha
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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When Abby Carlson’s job as a dietitian comes to mind now, it’s accompanied by a looming threat: the Minneapolis serial killer who's been targeting women based on the first letter of their jobs, and who's ripe to pick a “D” victim. He follows his gruesome routine—preserving and posing the corpses per their professions, then posting his exploits on social media. But the threat is abstract in a city as big as Minneapolis...until Abby finds herself drugged in the back of a van, the latest potential viral hit.
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Ink, Blood and the Long Fall Down
- By Jordan on 03-24-25
By: Jacob Moon
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We Are Watching
- A Novel
- By: Alison Gaylin
- Narrated by: Jennifer Pickens
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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Meg Russo was behind the wheel when it happened. She and her husband Justin were driving their daughter Lily to Ithaca College, the family celebrating the eighteen-year-old music prodigy’s future. Then a car swerved up beside them, the young men inside it behaving bizarrely—and Meg lost control of her own vehicle. The family road trip turned into a tragedy. Justin didn’t survive the accident.
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Conspiracy theory on steroids
- By Pink Amy on 01-29-25
By: Alison Gaylin
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The Bones Beneath My Skin
- By: TJ Klune
- Narrated by: Kirt Graves
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his only brother wants nothing to do with him, and he's been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington, DC. With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family's summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon, to try and find some sense of direction. The cabin should be empty. It's not. Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary ten-year-old girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Artemis, who isn't exactly as she appears.
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Worth it!
- By Kindle Customer (MM) on 03-27-23
By: TJ Klune
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The Dark Hours
- By: Amy Jordan
- Narrated by: Flora Montgomery
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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1994: When Gardas Julia Harte and Adrian Clancy are called out to a sleepy housing estate in Cork to investigate a noise complaint, they are entirely unprepared for what they find. What happens next will haunt Julia for the rest of her career, leaving her plagued with nightmares and terrified of the dark. There is a serial killer at work in Cork, one as clever as he is deadly. Julia may not be a detective yet, but after the harrowing events of that night, she is determined to be the one to catch him…
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the ending was a bit much
- By Maryanne T. on 04-30-25
By: Amy Jordan
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Famous Last Words
- A Novel
- By: Gillian McAllister
- Narrated by: Emilia Fox
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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It is June 21st, the longest day of the year, and new mother Camilla’s life is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. Finally. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note. Then it starts. Breaking news: there's a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn't a hostage. Her husband—doting father, eternal optimist—is the gunman.
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Not my favorite
- By Brian D Loeffler on 03-13-25
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Good Girl
- A Novel
- By: Aria Aber
- Narrated by: Mozhan Navabi
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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In Berlin’s artistic underground, where techno and drugs fill warehouses still pockmarked from the wars of the twentieth century, nineteen-year-old Nila at last finds her tribe. Born in Germany to Afghan parents, raised in public housing graffitied with swastikas, drawn to philosophy, photography, and sex, Nila has spent her adolescence disappointing her family while searching for her voice as a young woman and artist. Then in the haze of Berlin’s legendary nightlife, Nila meets Marlowe, an American writer whose fading literary celebrity opens her eyes to a life of freedom.
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Rebel, Rebel
- By Suzanna on 02-17-25
By: Aria Aber
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The English Problem
- A Novel
- By: Beena Kamlani
- Narrated by: Vidish Athavale
- Length: 16 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Shiv Advani is an eighteen-year-old growing up in India. But he is no ordinary young man. Shiv has been personally chosen by Mahatma Gandhi to come to England, learn their laws, and then return home and help drive the British out of India. Before he leaves, his family insists he fulfill his arranged marriage, and he is hastily betrothed to a young woman he hardly knows. He arrives in London and soon discovers a world he is both repelled by and drawn to. Shiv knows his duty: get in, learn the letter of the law, get out.
By: Beena Kamlani
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Every Fall
- By: Angela Douglas
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt, George Newbern
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Bree knew that life married to a beat cop would be tough, especially in the crime-infested city of East Bernheim, but she believes they will be fine living in the Burner even after she has their first child. Family life is manageable until one day crime follows them home, threatening their safety. At a loss of how to keep his family safe and keep his job, Jake agrees to stretch their finances and move an hour away, to a bigger house in a somewhat better neighborhood.
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Gaslighting... again.
- By Kelly on 02-20-25
By: Angela Douglas
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Dead Money
- A Novel
- By: Jakob Kerr
- Narrated by: Rachel Music
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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A Silicon Valley fixer investigates a billionaire founder's death while pursuing her own agenda in this twisty, sharply observed debut mystery from a tech world insider.
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Good but not ideal for audiobook
- By Hailey P Waitt on 02-28-25
By: Jakob Kerr
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When I Disappear
- By: Amanda McKinney
- Narrated by: Elise Roth
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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At 2:00 a.m. Sylvia Stone awakens to a letter on her doorstep suggesting the handsome carpenter, Rhett Cohen, who was convicted of murdering her mother twenty years earlier, is innocent. The anonymous letters continue, each one revealing details only the true killer would know, making Sylvia question her testimony years ago.
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lifetime movie
- By lisa on 02-03-25
By: Amanda McKinney
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This Is a Love Story
- A Novel
- By: Jessica Soffer
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
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For fifty years, Abe and Jane have been coming to Central Park, as starry-eyed young lovers, as frustrated and exhausted parents, as artists watching their careers take flight. They came alone when they needed to get away from each other, and together when they had something important to discuss. The Park has been their witness for half a century of love. Until now. Jane is dying, and Abe is recounting their life together as a way of keeping them going: the parts they knew.
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A waste of time — not worth the credit
- By E. Zimmerman on 03-12-25
By: Jessica Soffer
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The Mailman
- By: Andrew Welsh-Huggins
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Mercury Carter is a deliveryman and he takes his job very seriously. When a parcel is under his care, he will stop at nothing to deliver it directly to its intended recipient. Not even, as in the current case, when he finds a crew of violent men at the indicated address that threaten his life and take the woman who lives there hostage. That's because Carter has special skills from his former life as a federal agent with the postal inspection service, skills that make him particularly useful for delivering items in circumstances as dangerous as these.
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the story
- By robert on 03-04-25
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We Do Not Part
- A Novel
- By: Han Kang, E. Yaewon - translator, Paige Aniyah Morris - translator
- Narrated by: Greta Jung
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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One winter morning, Kyungha receives an urgent message from her friend Inseon to visit her at a hospital in Seoul. Inseon has injured herself in an accident, and she begs Kyungha to return to Jeju Island, where she lives, to save her beloved pet—a white bird called Ama. A snowstorm hits the island when Kyungha arrives. She must reach Inseon’s house at all costs, but the icy wind and squalls slow her down as night begins to fall. She wonders if she will arrive in time to save the animal—or even survive the terrible cold that envelops her with every step.
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Powerful, Tough Listen
- By ncnickle on 01-26-25
By: Han Kang, and others
What listeners say about Penitence
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- Maryanne T.
- 02-03-25
complicated family drama and crime procedural
4.25 stars for Penitence by Kristin Koval. I was so excited about this book I actually put the release date on my calendar! It was definitely worth it, although I have some very minor critiques. This is the story of a family in crisis. It begins with a 15 year old being shot by his 13 year old sister. Three times. You know from the very first page she did it because she admits this on the 911 tape. What you don't know is why. Enter the legal team of Martine and her son Julian who have a very intimate and estranged history with this family and the book evolves into a multi family and generational drama as well as a much more complicated mystery told between now and then. Koval really paints a brilliant picture of how quickly and brutally a family implodes on itself with this one violent act and I have high praise for the way she fleshed out these complex characters and gave us an authentic if sometimes ugly core of who they really were. The tiny bit of critique I have is for the court/legal procedural aspects of the story which came off (to me, at least) as a bit preachy. The lawyer, Julian, has strong opinions on everything from the "three strikes, you're out" law to the way teens are treated in the legal system. There was a strong them of crime and punishment versus compassion and rehabilitation in this story and while I was unanimously on the same page as the lawyer, I sometimes felt the themes were being a bit overplayed. But, to be fair, this was a crime and procedural story and the themes worked with the plot. Just felt like Koval could have eased up on the gas a few times and still gotten to where she was going with that. On the flip side of that, the ending may leave some readers a bit frustrated. I personally think this is a perfect pick for a book club discussion for that exact reason. SO MUCH material here to talk about. Really, really recommend!
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- Suzanna
- 02-09-25
Unexpected
This is more of a family drama than it is a thriller or mystery. Basically, it's a fairly well-written story about two families with a couple things in common: death and sacrifice. There was a lot going on--the murder, the "lost love" angle, parenthood, mental illness, guilt, self-loathing, and family dynamics. Because the focus was a bit disjointed, the point of the story was muddled.
While it was pretty easy to piece things together fairly early on, the premise was interesting. Overall, it's a decent listen but the story started to drag on.
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- sierrah
- 02-25-25
I need another!
I need this to be a series or at least have a second book! Very easy to follow along and I enjoyed the twists and turns.
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- Rhonda A.
- 02-04-25
I was immediately immersed in the story
I was able to hear the author speak @ Barnes & Noble last week. I could not wait to dive into this story of tragedy & forgiveness . I downloaded the audible version before my presale copy shipped to me end of last week. The story gripped me & had an interesting twist. This was Koval’s first novel & it deserves all the attention it is getting. I was invested in the lives of The characters in this small Colorado town & teared up a bit at the end of the book. Each of us are more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.
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- KEK
- 02-03-25
Well done.
Great character development. A bit disappointed in legal aspects of this however. This part was unrealistic. Narration was excellent. Worth your credit. The ending was a bit abrupt.
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- Jill
- 02-01-25
What is Forgiveness?
PENITENCE by Kristen Koval
Therese Plummer does a fine reading of this suspenseful story. This is Kristen Koval’s debut and I thought it was well written and I’m excited to see what she does next.
Opening family wounds and bringing dark truths to light with the guilt we live with.
Lives are shattered when Angie and David discovery a shocking murder in their home. Turning to a mom of a former boyfriend of Angie’s, for legal counsel, both Angie and David are confronted by impossible decisions. Digging into the intricacies of forgiveness and human frailty. The journey of finding forgiveness, compassion, and mistakes is not always a clear path.
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- Carol
- 03-24-25
Why?
Interesting, premise and characters, but the author left us hanging. The ending left me angry.
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- melissa f
- 02-02-25
Don’t compare to Patchett or Ng
I fell for the promo ad comparing this to an Ann Patchett or Celeste Ng story. The characters were inscrutable and the motive for the central act was left unexplored. Meh.
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- Anonymous User
- 02-22-25
Amazing Debut Novel
Penitence is masterful story-telling at its finest. Readers are compelled to wrestle with the philosophical and moral dilemmas of wonderfully complex characters in this tale of love, imperfection and forgivenss. Koval's distinct and unique writing voice is a breath of fresh air in a world of followers and imitators.
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- SB
- 01-30-25
a little disappointed
The narrator is outstanding. The story gets really bogged down with back story in the middle section and becomes quite boring and tedious. At the same time, something is missing from this book, not sure what. It feels incomplete or liked a missed opportunity.
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