Lethal Defense Audiobook Preview

Posted on October 14, 2020April 21, 2025 by Michael Stagg

2 months ago

Congratulations to George Newbern! Beyond All Doubt by Harlan Reed is a finalist for the International Thriller Awards Best Audiobook of 2025 and, you guessed it, George Newbern was the narrator! George is fantastic at what he does and I always feel fortunate that he narrates the Nate Shepherd Series. We're thrilled to see his fine work acknowledged this year.

Congrats, George! ... See MoreSee Less

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For me George Newbern is Nate Shepard

He’s the best! Congratulations

Congratulations George!!!

Congratulations 🎊🎉

Well done George! Likewise he is Nate Shepherd for me too. Great narrator!

George is Amazing!!! I love listening to his narrations! You & he are an incredible pairing!! I've listened to the Nate Shepherd series at least twice! 😆👍🏻

He's the reason I found you and Nate and I think he's just fantastic!

George is a killer narrator!

George Newbern, congratulations! Your narration skills are truly fantastic! 🎉 As other people have commented, he literally does embody Nate Shepherd for me. Michael Stagg is such an incredible author. I’m almost finished with the last book in the series and will be waiting so impatiently for the next chapter in Nate‘s life to come out!

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Michael Stagg

2 months ago

I have some exciting news--the Nate Shepherd Audiobooks are now available in new places! The company that produces the books, Podium, has reached deals to make them available most places where you listen, including Spotify, Apple, Audiobooks.com, and Storytel! They're available for purchase or with credits, depending on the type of program you're in.

The books are also still available through Audible, where they've always been. Right now Book 1, Lethal Defense, is free for Audible Plus Members.

I hope this makes it more convenient for you to find them. Thanks! ... See MoreSee Less

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I love this series, and cannot wait until the next one comes out! Happen to have a rough time frame?

Yeah...yeah....yeah.....When is the next one coming out?!?!?...lol

I'm hoping they become available on Libby through my library soon. I left audible and I miss your work so much!

Best purchase you'll ever make, fantastic series, the writing is exceptional

One of my favorite series!!! Just love Nate!! Looking forward to the next book!!!

Love these books, thank you! Keep on writing, please! 🙏

I love this series!

Love these and George Newbern is my favorite narrator. Ready for the next one!

You hit a home run with this series. Totally engrossing stories and well-developed characters that make me care about them. Well done, Sir!

Absolutely LOVE these books!!

I NEED the next book! I love Nate so much!

I can't wait for your next one

Loved Lethal Defense!! George was a fantastic narrator!

I have a bit of a crush on Nate Shepard… and I live in Michigan too

Loved this series ❤️ Ready for more!!

When will you release Your next book?

going through Nate Shep-hard withdrawal!!!

Mason Pierce! That's killer!!(excuse the pun...😁)

I'm totally hooked. Love everything about this series. Thank you for creating them. You are an amazing storyteller.

love the books - just finished book 4 False Oath...looking forward to reading the next ....

I’ve listened to all of them! One of my favorite series of all time.

Lesley Edwards if you can get it free, give it a try. I quite enjoyed it.

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Michael Stagg

6 months ago

The audiobook for Cruel Sentence is out today! You can find it on Amazon and Audible.

George Newbern returns to narrate the eighth book in the Nate Shepherd series and, as always, he did a great job.

I hope you enjoy it! ... See MoreSee Less

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Michael Stagg I'm halfway through it already! Thank you for again working with the amazing George Newbern! He is the reason I found you and Nate all the way back on book number one. It doesn't get much better than George and a good story! I love the way he reads your writing. I think your styles compliment each other very well.

Awesome. George is one of my favorite narrators. Like reuniting with an old friend.

Got my audiobook first thing this morning! Love Nate Shepherd. Great character great narrator!

I really hope this isn't the last for Nate. The writing and how everything comes together is so fantastic. Definitely looking forward to Mason and hope we get Olivia and Cades story. ❤️❤️

Listening now.... i love this series.

One of the most satisfying Nate Shepherd books yet and an excellent example of why I love legal mysteries.

Loved your latest book, thank you. you are one of a few authors that I like to re-listen on Audible. What do you like to read? Or what authors do you feel have influenced you? I have enjoyed learning about the "local flavor" of each book, and I also appreciate the family interactions as they are close to home here.

Finished it a couple of days ago and I am sad there’s not another one out! It was just as good as the others, excellent plot, excellent characters, and many stir prizes along the way. I got on your mailing list and read the PDF of “The Evidence”. That was a teaser for sure! Will there be more of the backstory coming out?

These books have a deliberate but good pace. In "CS" I didn't actually know how it was going to be resolved but it was done so effectively. I like all the attention to detail in the trial prep chapters as well as the trials themselves. Good reads. Keep them coming.

Absolutely loved this book! Surprise ending.

I just finished the Kindle version last night. Great twists and turns. 🤩 I love your writing style and the books keep getting better and better!!! I look forward to the next book 📕

Loved the book, your my favorite to listen to in the car, I hope they keep coming fast

This is my favorite series ever. Feel like I know Nate Shepherd personally because these are so well written and narrated. I cannot wait for the next book to come out. Actually, I hate having to wait for each new book to come out. I only listen to these books while I am out running. These books are one of the best things that have happened to my health in a long time. I get a lot more exercise in when I have one of these books to listen to.

Awesome book!! Love Nate Shepherd!

Fantastic story. I have listened to them all. Hoping another one is on the way??

Awesome Story. Makes me. Love these books. I gave it an awesome review on Audible.

Already listening!

Just got this morning. Just finishing up a book and will start shortly. Getting this is like Christmas in November.

Listening now!

Bought the audio this morning and is in the on deck circle. Finishing up The Alice Network which I highly recommend.

Listening to it now!

Listening now!

I bought it the minute I saw your post!! Can't wait!!

I'm an addict... Listened to the entire series on audible in the last eight weeks 😬. It would seem that Michael Stagg is a new author (in the last few years) as there are no other books to be found! This surprised me as the book was a suggestion after I finished listening to a Michael Connelly series and I was certain I'd find decades of prior novels. Hopefully there is another pen name? Otherwise I guess I have to wait for the next book with bated breath. If people know of another pen name please let me know. God bless!

Got it! Can’t wait to get started!!

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Michael Stagg

7 months ago

Thank you! Because of you, Cruel Sentence hit number 1 on all sorts of Amazon Best Seller lists, including Pulp Thrillers, Conspiracy Thrillers, and Legal Thrillers-New Release. It also charted on Amazon lists in Canada, the UK, and Australia. I really enjoyed writing this one and I just can't thank you enough for reading it!

For those waiting for the Cruel Sentence audiobook, we're only about a month out from the Nov. 12th release date! And if you're catching up on the audio, I just found out that Amazon is running a sale on the audiobook for Book 7, Swift Judgment, through Sunday, October 13th.

Again, thank you so much. I could not appreciate it, and you, more! ... See MoreSee Less

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Patiently waiting on the Audible for this one ❤️

Waiting on the audio because that is how I roll, though I got the ebook for the last one because of the uncertainty about the audio release window.

Congratulations Mike!

Congratulations! We bought it right away. But saving it to read on vacation coming up!

Great job, Mike!!!!

Great book!!

Can't wait for the audio. LOVE your writing.

Congratulations

Still waiting for the Audio version available on Nov 12th.

Love the Nate Sheppard series!!!!!

This was the best yet. An amazing storyline, page turning dialogue, and a main character that you just can’t get enough of.

Please tell me there will be more! 🙏 🥹📚

You deserve this! 🫶🏻

Well deserved!

Congratulations, Michael Stagg ... Love your books.

Absolutely love your writing. Your wry humor and reality in characters is so much fun to read. Looking forward to #9 😁

"Heading out on an 8-day river cruise next week, and I’d planned to save the last book in the Nate Shepherd series for the trip. But I couldn’t wait! I devoured it in one night, staying up till dawn, and I’d do it all over again. Now I’m seriously considering starting the series from the beginning as my travel companion. I’m so thrilled to have discovered your incredible talent and can’t wait to dive into your next series. Thank you for the unforgettable stories!"

Amazing!!!!

Hello Michael, Sorry for interrupting your privacy. My name is Oyedele Victor from Nigeria, I saw your profile, and I see you are a Self-publishing Author. Would you be interested if I shared some tips with you on how you can increase Book income towards December?

Patiently waiting for audio. Love George Newbern!

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Michael Stagg

7 months ago

Cruel Sentence is here! The eighth book in the Nate Shepherd series is now available in both ebook and paperback on Amazon!

Ebook: www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN7FHCLB
Paperback: www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHCZN41C

This time, Nate is recruited by an old friend to defend a teenager in a new town. I hope you enjoy it!

For those of you who are audio fans, the audiobook is scheduled to be released November 12th. George Newbern returns as the narrator and is recording as we speak!

I'll let you know how things go. Thanks! ... See MoreSee Less

Cruel Sentence is here! The eighth book in the Nate Shepherd series is now available in both ebook and paperback on Amazon!

Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN7FHCLB
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHCZN41C

This time, Nate is recruited by an old friend to defend a teenager in a new town. I hope you enjoy it!

For those of you who are audio fans, the audiobook is scheduled to be released November 12th. George Newbern returns as the narrator and is recording as we speak!

Ill let you know how things go. Thanks!

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I absolutely love this Series and the narrator. Can’t wait for the Audible to be released in November. I just finished book 7!

YAY! Happy Audible release day Michael Stagg. I just downloaded Cruel Sentence on Audible and can’t wait to start listening this morning ❤️❤️

Hi y’all! I absolutely love this series. I love courtroom drama. So I ripped through all the books on audible very quickly. Can anyone recommend recommend to me other series with courtroom drama legal intrigue? I’ve listened to all the normal ones like like the Lincoln lawyer etc. I’m just wondering if there’s something out there if people may not know about. Looking forward to cruel sentence in November!

Another masterpiece Michael Stagg so love this series of Nate Shepherd. Looking forward to reading The Concrete Alibi in the new Mason Pierce Series. Hope to see the next Nate Shepherd book down the track. 🙏😊

I truely enjoy Michael Stagg books...and George Newbern does a great job of potraying the many characters, but he 'is' Nate Shepherd. A great writing with a believable cast of characters. Fun relationships within multi generational family members. I hope there are many more to come.

Just finished listening to Cruel Sentence. Love the whole series and the way George Newbern reads the characters. I hope they are more Nate Shepherd books to come! Fantastic characters and storylines! Thanks for the very entertaining books.

George Newbern is the perfect narrator for your Nate Shepherd Series -

Sadly Audible books won't have available until the end of November.

Just ordered the paperback…. Can’t wait to start reading!!!!!

Looking forward to the audiobook!

Looking forward to Nov 12. And George.

HOORAY!

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