About the Book
A Death in Belmont is a true crime book by Sebastian Junger, the journalist best known for The Perfect Storm, that examines a 1963 murder in Belmont, Massachusetts, and its unresolved connection to the Boston Strangler case. The book sits at the intersection of personal memoir and crime investigation, because Junger himself has skin in the game: Albert DeSalvo, the man who eventually confessed to being the Boston Strangler, was working as a carpenter at the Junger family home on the same day the murder occurred nearby.
The central tension is this: a Black man named Roy Smith, who had cleaned the victim's house that day, was convicted of the murder and died in prison. DeSalvo's confession covered many of the Strangler's crimes, but the Belmont murder was always a point of ambiguity. Junger examines whether Smith, a man who left a paper trail, got a rushed trial, and had almost no resources to defend himself, was in fact innocent, and whether DeSalvo was the real killer.
Junger writes with the restraint you'd expect from his journalism background. This isn't a sensationalized retelling. The book is relatively short and focused, moving between the crime itself, Smith's trial, DeSalvo's strange presence in the story, and Junger's own family memories. It won't satisfy readers looking for definitive answers, the case remains genuinely unresolved, but it works as a careful, honest account of how the justice system can fail someone with no power.
Narration & Audio Performance
Kevin Conway narrates, and he's a reasonable fit for this material. Conway is a character actor with stage experience, and his voice has a natural gravity to it, unhurried, clear, and well-suited to Junger's measured prose. He doesn't push the more emotionally weighted passages too hard, which works in favor of the book's restrained tone.
Character differentiation isn't heavily demanded here, this is a narrative non-fiction book, not a dialogue-heavy novel, so Conway's strengths are in maintaining consistent pace and keeping the listener oriented across time periods. The writing shifts between present-day reflection and reconstructed historical events, and Conway handles those transitions without confusion.
No information is available on production quality, music, or sound design for this edition. Given the book's 2006 release and its straightforward narrative structure, it's likely a clean single-narrator recording with no enhanced elements. If narration style is a deciding factor for you, the Audible sample is worth checking before committing.
The Audible Verdict
A Death in Belmont is a well-constructed piece of narrative non-fiction, and Kevin Conway's narration is competent and well-paced. The audio format works fine here, the book is linear, not visually dependent, and short enough to finish comfortably in a few listening sessions. That said, this isn't a case where the narration elevates the material in any notable way. It's a solid listen, but not one that demands a paid credit over a free trial.
Listen on AudibleIs This Book a Good Fit for Audio?
This book translates well to audio. Junger writes in a linear, journalistic style, no charts, no footnotes that matter, no non-linear structure that gets disorienting when you can't flip back a page. The shifts between personal memoir and historical reconstruction are clearly signaled in the prose, and they hold up when listened to rather than read.
The book's short length also helps. At its core, this is a focused investigation of one case, one wrongful conviction, and one unanswered question about DeSalvo. There's no sprawl to lose track of. Listeners who enjoy true crime podcasts will find the format and pacing familiar and easy to follow in audio form.
Popular Listener Questions
Is this book part of a series?
No. A Death in Belmont is a standalone book. It has no connection to Junger's other works in terms of characters or ongoing narrative.
Is this book suitable for listeners who are new to the Boston Strangler case?
Yes. Junger doesn't assume prior knowledge of the case. He provides enough background on the Strangler killings and the Belmont murder to orient readers who are coming in cold.
Does the book reach a definitive conclusion about who committed the Belmont murder?
No. Junger is honest about the limits of what can be proven. The book makes a case for Roy Smith's likely innocence and raises serious doubt about DeSalvo's guilt in this specific murder, but it doesn't claim to have solved anything.
Is the narrator Kevin Conway the same Kevin Conway as the actor?
Yes. Kevin Conway is an American stage and film actor whose voice work has appeared in various audiobook and documentary projects.
Similar Audiobooks
In Cold Blood
The publisher description itself invokes this book. Both are narrative non-fiction accounts of specific murders told with journalistic precision and moral weight.
The Perfect Storm
Junger's breakout book shares the same restrained, reportorial style. Listeners who respond to how he writes in one will almost certainly respond to the other.
Robert Kolker's account of unsolved murders on Long Island takes a similar angle, focusing on the victims and systemic failures rather than sensationalizing the crimes.
Patrick Radden Keefe's account of a murder during the Troubles in Northern Ireland shares A Death in Belmont's interest in how institutions fail ordinary people caught in larger events.
Erik Larson's account of H.H. Holmes works in a similar register, historical true crime told through careful research and restrained prose.
Audiobook Details
| Title | A Death in Belmont |
|---|---|
| Author | Sebastian Junger |
| Narrator | Kevin Conway |
| Genre | True Crime |
| Year | 2006 |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton & Company |
| Abridged | Unabridged |
| Cast | Single narrator |
| Author-narrated | No |
Ready to listen?
A Death in Belmont is available on Audible and is a reasonable fit for a free trial credit if you have one available.
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