Book cover for Proving Ground by Peter Blauner

Proving Ground

2017 Released
7-8 Hours
Ebook Unavailable
Hardback Unavailable
Macmillan AudioISBN 9781427285935

From New York Times bestselling author and Edgar Award winner Peter Blauner comes a gritty new audiobook.

"Ari Fliakos gives a splendid performance. His versatile voice and energy enliven the many characters in this thriller." — Library Journal

"Ari Fliakos enhances an exciting story with his expert narration. He gives everyone a unique identity, differentiating them through varying tones, voices, and accents." — AudioFile Magazine


Nathaniel Dresden never really got along with his father, an infamous civil rights lawyer who defended criminals and spearheaded protest movements. As an act of rebellion, Natty joined the U.S. Army and served in Iraq, coming back with a chest full of commendations and a head full of disturbing memories.

But when his father is found murdered near the peaceful confines of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, Natty is forced to deal with the troubled legacy of their unresolved relationship. He also has to fend off the growing suspicions of NYPD Detective Lourdes Robles, a brash Latina cop with something to prove, who thinks Natty might bear some responsibility for his father’s death. Though truth be told, the list of people—cops and criminals—who wanted David Dresden out of the way is long. The search for answers leads Natty and Lourdes into an urban labyrinth where they must confront each other—and the brutal truths that could destroy them both.

Proving Ground is Peter Blauner’s first audiobook in more than a decade. It is at once a sweeping crime narrative, an intricate story about the quest for redemption, and a vibrant portrait of contemporary New York City, all told in Blauner’s singular voice.

Peter Blauner

Peter Blauner (b. 1959) has spent nearly his entire life in New York City. After graduating from Wesleyan University he took a staff job at New York Magazine, where he found the inspiration for his first book, the Edgar Award–winning Slow Motion Riot, in the men and women who work in the city’s probation department. Since then, he has written five more novels: Casino Moon, the New York Times bestseller The Intruder, Man of the Hour, The Last Good Day, and 2006’s Slipping Into Darkness.

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