Narrator David Thorpe flawlessly presents this novel from the British Library Crime Classics series. The wealthy Wainwright family lost two sons to WWII, leaving Miles, Stephen, and Christopher (who was adopted) to await their inheritances. Then one of the presumably deceased sons, David, suddenly reappears. Only Lady Wainwright believes it's David, and the brothers send... Read More

Narrator Jonathan Keeble's mastery of Tim Pears's quietly beautiful and evocative writing is one of the many pleasures in this final installment of his West Country Trilogy. Set in rural southwest England in the early 1900s, the audiobooks conjure the pace, sounds, and sights of a lost world. Following the intertwining lives of Leo, the carpenter's son, and Lottie, the daughter... Read More

Narrator David Thorpe's skill is apparent as Ridpath's financial thriller introduces Revere Partners, cutthroat Boston venture capitalists, and their equally ruthless Big Pharma investment. English transplant Simon Ayot's boss at Revere is also his father-in-law, Frank. Ayot is old-fashioned--in a good way--he cherishes his wife and keeps his word. Things heat up when questions... Read More

Narrator Anna Bentinck impeccably introduces Maria Branwell Brontë, who is ordinarily in the shadow of her famous children and eccentric husband. Listeners enthusiastically join Maria, her wealthy Penzance family, and later her husband, Reverend Patrick Brontë. Bentinck's thoughtful delivery enriches each character, and she excels at evocative descriptions of both grand and... Read More

Narrator Sean Barrett does his usual commendable work with this jam-packed series full of villains--both criminals and cops. Kind and conscientious pathologist John Eisenminger is in love with ruthless Detective Chief Inspector Beverley Wharton. Listeners accompany the pair as they tackle the 20-year-old murder of a woman who was about to turn in her crooked father, Steven... Read More

Narrator Gordon Griffin skillfully depicts the rivalry between the Bow Street Runners and twin detectives Peter and Paul Skillen. Their cases involve egotistical actress Hannah Granville and a woman who is trying to learn the fate of her elderly father. The Runners are consistently bested by the brothers, a detail that Griffin cleverly plays up, particularly focusing on jocular... Read More

After a year of marriage to undertaker Drew Slocombe, Thea becomes embroiled in yet another mystery when her special-needs friend, Juliet Wilson, is discovered murdered just outside the cemetery. In Book 16 of this audiobook series, Thea investigates the murder, and Drew deals with trying to hold a funeral for a man whose son knows little about his parents. With the performance... Read More

Against the backdrop of postwar London, a time when many were piecing together shattered lives, Sidney Chambers faces his own battles as he attempts to rebuild his life following his wartime experience. Narrator Peter Wickham injects warmth and feeling into Sidney's journey as he embarks on the twisting road to the priesthood. He skillfully brings the protagonists to life with... Read More

Sean Barrett's cool narration is ideal for Ridpath's chilling addition to his Magnus Iceland Mystery series. This time, along with the usual political cover-ups and intrigues he must deal with, Magnus is called in to investigate the murder of a member of Freeflow, an organization similiar to WikiLeaks. The group received a video ostensibly showing U.N. observers being massacred... Read More

Narrator David Thorpe expertly tackles this complex police procedural featuring London's Detective Inspector Jake Porter and Detective Sergeant Nick Styles. Max Brennan, who was finally going to meet his absent father, is devastated to be stood up and then shocked when his girlfriend goes missing. Thorpe realistically portrays Brennan's friendship with DI Porter. Listeners... Read More

Narrator David Thorpe excels with a fast-paced mystery that moves from 1983 to current times. When an apartment cleaner finds a severed hand in a freezer, Detective Inspector Jake Porter and Detective Sergeant Nick Styles tackle a thirty-year-old murder. Thorpe commendably presents the fine text, realistic dialogue, and much needed humor. Listeners join the investigators as... Read More

David Thorpe's narration enlivens this sixteenth outing of Edward Marston's Elizabethan theater series. After a tragic fire nearly destroys their performance venue at the Queen's Head, company book-holder (prompter) Nicholas Bracewell and troupe sail to Denmark with their patron, Lord Westfield. Westfield has agreed to marry a Danish woman he has seen only in a painted... Read More

Narrator Crawford Logan skillfully transports listeners to 1980s England to join the eccentric, witty Detective Inspector Jack Frost as he takes on the police hierarchy of his town--and crime. This is a prequel to the series created by the late R.D. Wingfield. Logan's Frost is his usual rule-bending self as he investigates Denton's horse-racing world to find out who shot... Read More

Narrators Annie Aldington and David Thorpe enrich this fantasy set in England in 2022. John Woodruff, portrayed by Thorpe, is skeptical when he learns that the care home where Margaret, his mother, resides is adding robot caregivers. As Margaret, Aldington projects confusion until Winifred, her new carer, vastly improves her life. Margaret is soon movingly trying to explain... Read More

Narrator David Thorpe takes listeners to Cambridge in 1353 as competing orders of the Church are warring--quite literally--over the metaphysical constructs of realism versus nominalism. Thorpe credibly portrays doctor Matthew Bartholomew as he investigates a series of murders related to a philosophical conflict that even its staunchest defenders little understand. The listener... Read More

David Thorpe's sterling delivery brings to life the rich descriptions of fourteenth-century Cambridge in this mystery. He expertly portrays physician Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael, an unlikely duo who investigate as the body count rises during a harsh winter. Frustration surfaces as each suspect is cleared. Listeners will be amused as Bartholomew encounters... Read More

Seán Barrett excels at crafting his storytelling to reflect each part of this mystery, including its wide emotional range. Gloucestershire pathologist John Eisenmenger is informed by a whistleblower, whom some consider unbalanced, that patients are being routinely murdered. He cautiously approaches Detective Chief Inspector Beverley Wharton, his sometimes lover and a feisty,... Read More

Narrator David Thorpe shines with this expansive story and its huge cast of fascinating characters. Theater attendance is dropping, so Lord Westfield's troupe is pleased to obtain a script titled "Malevolent Comedy" from new playwright Saul Hibbert. It's painful to hear the actors' enthusiasm turn to horror when Hal Bridges drops dead onstage. Thorpe is affecting when Nicholas... Read More

Hearing David Thorpe narrate this mystery set in the sixteenth century is akin to seeing a play being performed by an entire ensemble. Lord Westerfield's Men is the name of the troupe of performers at the Queen's Head Theatre. Listeners will appreciate hearing the actors' witty yet literate arguments and sharing their personal lives. The two subplots are equally well rendered:... Read More

Narrator Lucy Price-Lewis warmly introduces Geraldine Steel, a compassionate but determined London detective inspector. Businessman David Lester didn't have any enemies, yet he was murdered after bragging about carrying a valuable ring. Steel and her partner, Sam, effectively play good cop/bad cop as they question diverse suspects. Price-Lewis captures each character with... Read More

Narrator Karen Cass uses her gentle, expressive voice to take listeners on a tour of academia in Cambridge, hunting with hounds in Suffolk, and chasing down drug smugglers. The wit and humor inherited by the author from her great-great-aunt, Jane Austen, make it easy for Cass to convey the clever behavior and intense family loyalty of Prudence Pinsent. In addition, Cass makes... Read More

Narrator Gordon Griffin outdoes himself with a mystery that focuses on the interrogation aspect of a police investigation. In an antique shop, Charles Middleton of York is shocked to notice a familiar vase that was stolen 20 years earlier when his parents and blind sister were killed in an unsolved murder at their home. It's impressive to hear Detective Inspector Hennessey and... Read More

David Thorpe's narration is sublime in this first installment of 23 mysteries featuring Matthew Bartholomew, who teaches medicine at Cambridge University in the fourteenth century. Thorpe masters the accents of the scholars, townsfolk, and servants. Bartholomew discovers an insidious plot between Cambridge and Oxford--each attempting to discredit the other--at the same time as... Read More

This audiobook's introduction gives some helpful insights into Rowland's mystery, written in 1938. Peter Wickham provides an entertaining narration, beginning with the voice of meek, small-statured Henry Fairhurst, who finds a dead man in the reading room at the British Museum. Wickham's wide range of character voices adds much interest and enjoyment to the story. Detective... Read More

Narrator Gordon Griffin is the best aspect of this overly long and overly graphic mystery. In a pub, a drunken Andy Cragg tells an undercover officer about a ten-year-old murder. The tip-off sets in motion an investigation by Harry Vicary and his Murder and Serious Crime Squad. The detailed police procedural includes kidnapping, money laundering, and murder. Griffin deftly... Read More

Caroline Lennon skillfully captures the endearing yet irritating Thea Osborne in her latest house-sitting adventure. When Thea's fiancé, undertaker Drew Slocombe, is approached by Rita Wiltshire to prearrange her green burial, he recommends Thea to inventory Mrs. Wiltshire's many possessions. Lennon's Slocombe sounds mild-mannered and deliberate while Mrs. Wiltshire is... Read More

Narrator Peter Noble artfully creates the brotherhood between former Marine commando Art Marvik and Special Forces communicator Shaun Strathan, who lost a leg in Afghanistan. When Marvik's old girlfriend, Charlotte Churley, disappears after telling him an incredible story, he and Strathan swing into action. Since much of the activity is on the River Solent and the Isle of... Read More

Since his first performance as Beverly Cleverly's Detective Joe Sandilands, narrator Terry Wale has established this historical mystery series as binge-worthy listening. In this first installment, we meet Sandilands as the WWI veteran turned Scotland Yard detective--who is minutes from returning to England from assignment in India--is ordered to stay on. Several wives at the... Read More

Narrator David Thorpe gives a delightful performance of this 1935 novel. He offers perfect character voices for all the members of Carey's Circus, including Lorimer and Loretta, the trapeze artists; Dodo, the clown; and Anton, the tiger trainer. Thorpe is also perfect as Detective Inspector Minto, of Scotland Yard, who happens to be attending the circus when Anton is found dead... Read More

Narrator Peter Wickham deftly introduces teacher/curmudgeon/movie buff Peter ("Mad Max") Maxwell and his first foray into crime solving. In this 1994 title, Maxwell is upset when one of his students is brutally murdered, and he decides to mount his own investigation. The words of incredulous teachers and classmates are convincingly rendered, as are Maxwell's gruff but... Read More

Narrator Seán Barrett is wonderful at dialogue, creating distinct voices for a wide range of characters in this rich contemporary gothic tale of murder and bad behavior. There's a vile family secret at its heart that is not exactly impossible to figure out, but Barrett makes the unraveling of it exciting. Surprisingly, for all the impressive care he takes with voices, the... Read More

Narrator David Thorpe meets the challenge of balancing the two main characters in this mystery: Detective Chief Inspector Dominic Jejune, a Canadian transplant who's distant and secretive, and his subordinate, Detective Inspector Danny Maik, a local whose kindness and openness don't keep him from success. Thorpe's lively descriptions of Norfolk's scenery and dazzling wild birds... Read More

With fond familiarity, author Simon Brett narrates his story of murder and intrigue in an English seaside town. His narration showcases the dry wit of his writing and the understated humor that runs in conjunction with the plot. Two amateur sleuths living in the town of Fethering, Jude and Carol, find themselves at the heart of another murder investigation--this is the 17th in... Read More

Narrator Gordon Griffin convincingly depicts Shropshire in 1928 for this country-house mystery. Retired businessman Penrose Llewellyn invites his large, dysfunctional family to his 60th birthday celebration. By the time the festivities end, Llewellyn's is murdered. Detective Inspector Reardon and Detective Sergeant Gilmore have their work cut out for them as the restive family... Read More

Helena Flemming, solicitor, and Dr. John Eisenmenger, forensic examiner, along with Police Inspector Sauerwine, join forces again, this time to investigate the abuse and murder of young boy. Then, more bodies are discovered near the home of a convicted pedophile. Sean Barrett's narration includes subtle British accents that differentiate the various characters inhabiting this... Read More

Narrator Gordon Griffin aptly introduces this title from 1940--the Golden Age of British detective fiction--in the speaking style and vocabulary of the day. Detective Inspector Patrick McCarthy, who lives and works in Soho, London, is chilled to hear a piercing cry during a WWII blackout. Listeners will be riveted to hear the police investigate in almost total darkness. To... Read More

Author/narrator M.J. Trow is convincing as playwright Christopher "Kit" Marlowe is sent to the English School in France to search for Catholic traitor Matthew Baxter. Upon arrival, Marlowe sounds chagrined to learn that things are not what they seem. Listeners will be transported by Trow's accents for diverse characters, including French prostitutes and academics. Especially... Read More

There isn't a better choice than narrator Sean Barrett to deliver the high emotion, terror, and occasional much-needed humor in this mystery. Millicent Sweet's father hires attorney Helena Fleming and pathologist John Eisenmenger after his 23-year-old daughter dies a horrific death. Barrett's description of Sweet's autopsy is painful to hear; every one of her organs is rife... Read More

Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune, a Canadian living in England, and an avid birder, is investigating a murder that took place at a Norfolk bird sanctuary. It's a touchy situation, as members of the Mexican consulate are involved, making Jejeune's investigation quite difficult. Narrator David Thorpe does an excellent job with the characters' English, Canadian, and Mexican... Read More

Narrator Sean Barrett captures the emotional currents in this forensic thriller. At England's St. Christopher's Hospital, newly hired pathologist John Eisenmenger discerns the established hierarchy but can't keep himself from questioning details the staff seem to ignore. His suspicions lead him to bizarre twists and red herrings. Meanwhile, his girlfriend struggles with a... Read More

Gruesome eviscerations are the trademark of a serial killer in the latest installment in the Eisenmenger-Flemming Forensic Mysteries series. Seán Barrett's narration is so artful that clichéd expressions and an excess of hyperbole will go almost unnoticed by listeners. Four years ago, Melkior Pendred was arrested, convicted, and sent to prison for the murder and dissection of... Read More

This British locked-room puzzle from the Golden Age of Mysteries is now available on audio for another generation to enjoy. Listeners have the advantage as they'll be guided by the measured, cultured voice of narrator James Bryce. He leads us into the brooding gloom of Ducklan Castle and gives life to its compelling characters and their emotional entanglements. Bryce reflects a... Read More

Simon Brett does a sublime job of narrating his novel about Mrs. Pargeter, an elderly widow who is determined to continue her late husband's practice of taking care of his former employees--even though she's blissfully ignorant of exactly what her husband's business was. He left her his little black book of contacts, which she uses to track down former employees in need of... Read More

Narrator Mark Arnold is terrifying from start to conclusion--or is it the conclusion? The tale begins on an abandoned boat during a stormy night. Arnold expertly contrasts fading author/professor Dudley Grose and his psychopath student, Adrian Slater, who claims he plans to murder a woman as research for writing a bestseller. Along comes Jenny, a student who attracts both men,... Read More

Take a nostalgic trip back to the '60s and '70s with Runcie's fifth Sidney Chambers collection. Narrator Peter Wickham portrays the professional cleric and amateur detective with all his anxieties, his remorse over impure thoughts, and his clever British wit. "The Dangers of Temptation" give Sidney a sexy divorcée and a brutal murder to deal with. "Grantchester Meadows"... Read More

Narrator David Thorpe deftly conveys the stunning beauty of Saltmarsh, Norfolk, an ever-present character in this first Birder Murder Mystery. Canadian DCI Domenic Jejeune is renowned for his skill at ferreting out even the most elusive criminal. Thorpe portrays him perfectly--uncommunicative and secretive, he'd rather be birding than investigating. So it's intriguing to hear... Read More

This British series features Ellie Quick, a mystery-solving widow who lives in a London suburb. Narrator Julia Barrie skillfully presents a wide range of emotions and personalities as the Quick household is turned upside down when the housekeeper's past catches up with her. Barrie deftly reflects Vera's shock when her son's father comes to claim the boy he calls Mohammed. Ellie... Read More

Narrator David Thorpe flawlessly re-creates the nineteenth-century England of Anthony Trollope's BARCHESTER TOWERS in this remarkable mystery featuring Trollope himself as an unlikely sleuth. Trollope's post office work takes him to Hiram's Hospital for Men, where he witnesses a shocking murder. Thorpe convincingly portrays people of all classes and educational levels and... Read More

From beginning to end, Gordon Griffin proves a compelling narrator in this 1933 mystery from the Golden Age of Murder. After model citizen Dr. James Earle inexplicably disappears, bicycle-riding New Scotland Yard Inspector French is consulted. Griffin is dazzling with French's one-sided telephone conversations, distress at additional victims, and emotionality as the details of... Read More

With multiple subplots, twists, and red herrings, this cozy British mystery set in the Lakes District keeps the listener guessing on many levels. Julia Franklin narrates with admirable enthusiasm, voicing the characters in an English village with fitting attitudes and accents. Florist Persimmon "Simmy" Brown's fledgling business casts her into the middle of small-town politics... Read More

Originally published in 1975 as the second title in his Tad Anders series, this rerelease of Allbeury's short espionage novel offers a wonderful retro look at the Cold War era. The wide variety of nationalities and the accents involved present Sean Barrett with a sizable challenge, but the accomplished narrator proves equal to the task. His clipped, precise English perfectly... Read More

Narrator Diana Bishop adroitly handles the various storylines--romance, family saga, and mystery--in this Fran Harman series installment. Chief Inspector Harman, of Kent, reluctantly postpones her retirement after several "happy slappings" (assaults that are posted online) turn into more serious criminal activity. Bishop's Harman sounds confident as she motivates her officers;... Read More

Malcolm Hamilton splendidly narrates Murray’s account of his experiences in the disastrous Gallipoli campaign of 1915-1916. A Royal Naval Reservist at the beginning of WWI, Murray was placed in the active Royal Naval Division even though he, along with thousands of others, was not needed for sea duty. Murray’s diary accounts and letters form the basis of this candid and often... Read More

Listeners join modern-day "delivery consultant" (a.k.a. exorcist) Merrily Watkins's investigation of an apparently haunted house. On the border of England and Wales, the house, with its royal connections, is pivotal to a tale that interweaves murder and the supernatural. Narrator Emma Powell does a sterling job of keeping the elaborate plot on track and creating an atmosphere... Read More

Narrator Karen Cass brings this short romantic story to life with an emotional performance. Sir Maurice, a notorious rake with a hidden agenda and a nasty jealous streak, pursues the beautiful heiress Lady Elisabeth Silverwood. Coming to Elisabeth's rescue is Robin Prior, who hides his identity as owner of a neighboring manor. The convoluted plot involves Maurice's attempt to... Read More

Through narrator Caroline Lennon, listeners go along with Thea Osborne as she carries out her latest house-sitting gig. Lennon imbues the likable Osborne with nosiness--an ideal trait for detectives, whether professional or amateur. The tranquil Cotswold house that is home to a sweet old corgi and a hibernating tortoise acquires a threatening feel after a firebomb is pushed... Read More

The story begins in 1945 when British agent Stephen Felinski parachutes behind German lines in an attempt to help distrusting Soviet agents overthrow Nazi Germany. Peter Noble narrates this complex story of espionage in crisp stiff-upper-lip British tones. Noble increases his pace during the emotional or tense scenes, and his Russian accents are deep and gravelly. Decades... Read More

The title character has been dead for two thousand years and was a victim of a Celtic triple sacrifice. Narrator Seán Barrett skillfully renders the dark undercurrent of danger and builds the tension as death is a repeated visitor to Bidelow on the Moss in the weeks leading up to Samhain, the Celtic feast of the dead. Folksinger Moira Cairns plays a prominent role, along with a... Read More

Narrator Lesley Mackie takes listeners on a thrilling road trip, riding in the so-called monster vehicle of its day. Rose McQuinn is invited to a cottage near Balmoral Castle and makes the trip in an early motor car. Lively discussions of the water-guzzling car and the sometimes frightened passengers make listeners feel like they're on the scene. Equally enchanting is hearing... Read More

Paul Ansdell impeccably narrates this Regency mystery, the first in the Tobias Campion series. In October 1810, new parson Campion reports to his parish, Moreton St. Jude in Warwickshire. Ansdell expertly portrays Campion's horror when he intervenes as a young servant named Lizzie Woodman is being attacked by a wealthy man. Campion quickly realizes that nothing in his... Read More

Narrator Patricia Gallimore is matchless for this outstanding police procedural set in atmospheric Shrewsbury, England. Her depiction of the working--and hopefully romantic--relationship between Coroner Martha Gunn and Detective Inspector Alex Randall is spot-on. Drunken Tracy Walsh leaves home at 2 a.m. with her 4-year-old daughter, Daisy. When their mangled car is recovered,... Read More

Gordon Griffin takes on the convoluted narration of Thomas Chaloner's tenth investigation in Charles II's Restoration London of 1665. As an intelligencer, or spy, Chaloner investigates the death of Dick Wheler, one of several violent moneylender/goldsmiths; the rise of ruthless bankers Rich Taylor and Backwell; and the sudden death of French spy Georges DuPont. Griffin... Read More

Narrator Annie Aldington expertly portrays Barbara, an impoverished child of the Blitz whose hardship is barely lifted as she becomes a young mother. Aldington's delivery evolves from a rough Cockney accent to more polished tones as Barbara seeks to set an example for her children. Barbara's story alternates with that of her daughter, Sophie, which takes place in the current... Read More

Narrator Emma Powell engagingly presents this entry in the Merrily Watkins series. Watkins is an Anglican deliverance consultant, meaning she provides advice on paranormal matters to her church's minister. In this installment, Zoe Mahonie claims her new home is haunted by Susan Lulham, who lived in the house until her gruesome suicide. Powell clearly demonstrates the women's... Read More

Allbeury was one of the titans of the Golden Age of British espionage fiction. This audiobook, first printed in 1974, involves steely British agents thwarting an ambitious Soviet plot. If you yearn for early le Carré, Deighton, or Fleming, this is for you. Younger listeners may be daunted by forgotten postwar UK slang and politics. Sean Barrett is a marvelous performer for this... Read More

Narrator Janine Birkett transports listeners to 1960s London. She gives photographer Kate O'Donnell, a Liverpool transplant, an ebullient accent and a feisty personality. O'Donnell is approached by exposé reporter Carter Price, who wants her to photograph career criminals. He sounds like a typical sixties guy--suspicious of a strong woman. It's disturbing to hear the volatile... Read More

Ted Bailey is a former spy who is pulled back into "the game" and subsequently finds himself in an awful fix. The author uses a deliberate pace leading up to Bailey's predicament, and narrator Peter Noble's tones mesh nicely with it. As the urgency of Bailey's need to escape becomes clear, the author steps up the pace, and so does Noble, all the while portraying a plethora of... Read More

Narrator David Thorpe performs this mystery with vigor. His high-spirited narration plunges listeners into the 1580s, when plays were high entertainment for all levels of society. In this tangled tale, a group of actors performs a play about a murder that has recently occurred, a performance that sets them up as subsequent targets for the murderers. Listeners are privy to the... Read More

This fifteenth Deryn Lake mystery, featuring John Rawlings, the apothecary and amateur sleuth who solves cases in Georgian England, is beautifully performed by Michael Tudor Barnes. In Hotwell, a spa near Bristol where the fashionable (and the disreputable) take the waters, listeners are immersed in a world of color, rich delicacies, bad odors, an odious fat impostor claiming... Read More

Narrator Terry Wale deftly conveys the sad murder of Lionel Bygod, a kindly, old-fashioned solicitor. Who would murder a gentleman who offended no one and helped many of society's outcasts? Wale's most memorable creation is Mrs. Kurl, Bygod's unpleasant housekeeper, who is cunningly nasty and often rattles even Detective Inspector Slider. Listeners will experience firsthand the... Read More

These six intertwined tales, originally written 1961, are still fresh and delightful 50 years later. This six-generation saga traces the lives of Josiana Greenwood and her heirs, who inhabited the house at Old Vine in Suffolk, England, from the mid-1400s through the Restoration in the 1660s. Juliet Prague performs the first three and the fifth parts of this saga, using a... Read More

Narrator Julia Franklin splendidly re-creates the surreal world that Detective Inspector Joanna Piercy encounters when she investigates numerous threats to the former child star Timony Weeks, now elderly, who frustrates local police because she frantically calls for their assistance almost daily. Franklin deftly delivers Weeks's peculiar childlike voice and Piercy's growing... Read More

Narrator Peter Wickham recounts each unique Canon Sidney Chambers story in this collection with charm and aplomb. In the title story, a Latvian musician takes sanctuary in a church while Chambers and his friend, Inspector Geordie Keating, determine if there really was a murder in a locked room. Since Chambers's wife, Hildegard, is German, Wickham's skill with accents provides... Read More

In Nicholas Bracewell's sixth adventure with the Elizabethan acting company Westfield's Men, events are as dramatic as ever. A fire at the Queen's Head leaves the company without a performance venue, forcing them to tour the provinces. Narrator David Thorpe brings all the histrionics one could hope for to the many over-the-top theatrical types, while giving Bracewell himself a... Read More

Poppy Carmichael is a standoffish, hot-tempered woman who hates flowers with a passion. Unfortunately, flowers are the family business--and Poppy is dismayed when she inherits her grandmother's flower shop in a seaside village in England. With her charming English accent, narrator Emma Powell is convincing as the prickly young woman who takes offense at every comment, while... Read More

Narrator Patricia Gallimore once again does the honors for Serious Crime officers Ingrid Langley and Patrick Gillard in their sixteenth mystery. Gallimore's understated style is ideal for the pair, who are skilled at working together. However, her best creations are Gillard's father, a vicar, and his sweet-natured mother, who help with their family at a moment's notice.... Read More

Patricia Gallimore is a good choice to narrate this workmanlike police procedural. Her tone and delivery are "veddy" English, which is entirely appropriate, and her voice fairly represents Fran Harmon, the shrewd but kind retired police inspector who has been called with her new husband to try to solve a cold case that, it turns out, nobody in the community in question wants... Read More

This period mystery, set in 1916 England, makes a workmanlike audiobook. The plotting is carefully done, the characters are predictable but interesting, and the pacing is steady and dependable. "Canaries" are young women doing war work in a munitions factory, where chemicals turn their complexions yellow. Some old-timers resent them because girls shouldn't work (or be seen in... Read More

Narrator Gordon Griffin aptly introduces Detective Inspector Mac McGregor, who is still reeling from his failure to save little Cara Evans from Thomas Peele, a sadistic killer. The gorgeous seaside of Devon is well portrayed as an ever-present "character" in this mystery. Griffin painfully conveys Mac's fury as he confronts Peele after his time on the run. Even more disturbing... Read More

Narrator Caroline Lennon is irresistible as florist Persimmon "Simmy" Brown, who moves to England's gorgeous Windermere to recover from the loss of her infant daughter. However, Simmy is yet again embroiled in investigating the murder of a customer in this second Lake District mystery. Lennon is splendid as Simmy's young friends, Melanie and Ben, who enthusiastically help her,... Read More

Narrator Jonathan Keeble renders each of the diverse accents in this complex police procedural, but his standout is his melodious Irish accent--for both males and females. DS Jimmy Suttle is coping with the tragedy of having lost his 4-year-old daughter while investigating a particularly grisly murder. Keeble's Suttle is tough yet compassionate while his atmospheric... Read More

In this third outing for contemporary English "car detective'' Jack Colby, listeners join him as he tries to track down a car from the 1907 Peking to Paris rally. Narrator Andrew Wincott (Adam Macy from the BBC's "The Archers") helps to create an authentic, easygoing lead with his casual delivery style and gives life to a wide cast of characters who exhibit varying degrees of... Read More

Seán Barrett is one of the best narrators of Rickman's books, and he doesn't disappoint with this story of the supernatural. Reality TV descends on Knap Hall to film B-list celebrities as they’re locked in for the night, hoping for ghostly visitors. Barrett skillfully presents the mix of skeptics and believers as violence ensues and escalates to murder. Listeners will meet... Read More

Narrator Patience Tomlinson's performance breathes strength, honesty, and defiance into this heartrending story, told through the eyes of the sixth wife of Henry VIII. Tomlinson delivers Katherine Parr's narrative with a tone of earnest determination, describing the loss of her husband and the unrequited love of her torturous marriage to Henry VIII, who is portrayed as a... Read More

Narrator Patience Tomlinson does a splendid job re-creating the world of Bea Abbot, owner of a domestic agency in London whose work often involves her in a mystery. Tomlinson masterfully captures Bea and the many young and not-so-young characters she encounters, as well as their diverse British and international accents, including the spot-on intonations of a reclusive... Read More

Narrator Penelope Freeman does a stellar job with this sixth Deputy Chief Inspector Monika Paniatowski mystery. The confident detective is also a nurturing mother who is helping her 13-year-old daughter recover from being kidnapped. When two girls are murdered, Paniatowski takes it personally as she embarks on the painful case. Freeman also excels at distinctly portraying the... Read More

Narrator Gordon Griffin's apt characterizations enliven this pleasant but occasionally stodgy police procedural, set in England in 1916. Two years into WWI, Britain is about to enforce conscription--a plan fiercely opposed by the country's minority of conscientious objectors. When one of them is killed after a "no-conscription" rally, Inspector Marmion and his sergeant... Read More

Narrator Julia Franklin winningly presents Persimmon "Simmy" Brown, an endearing florist who is creating a life in England's Lake District after losing her baby. When a murder intrudes on an event where she's working, she's dragged into the horror and then does some investigating of her own. Franklin faultlessly captures the story's strong portrayal of class, Simmy's hippie... Read More

Narrator Terry Wale skillfully presents this police procedural with its ever-increasing number of victims and suspects. Detective Bill Slider has his work cut out for him when an apparent suicide turns out to be murder. The victim doesn't look like a porn star or a drug user, but the investigation leads Slider into those seamy environs as additional murders with the same M.O.... Read More

The vacation-home setting of Gregson's latest mystery is perfect. Everyone's secrets are are easy to hide in this temporary abode, and narrator David Thorpe captures each seemingly innocent resident. When Wally Keane, the reclusive husband of the complex's resident busybody, is found murdered, everyone is shocked. Who would kill such an innocuous guy? Thorpe adroitly portrays... Read More

Patricia Gallimore’s splendid narration transports the listener to 1917 England. In this engaging story, Olivia Carr must contend with her shifting social status and two love interests. Gallimore’s myriad voices and range of English accents bring out the various classes of the characters—from the proper diction and tone of the distinguished and ailing Mrs. Sangster to the... Read More

Starting with a tragic real-life incident in the 1960s, Patricia Gallimore narrates this complex procedural with skill and compassion. When three family members perish in a house fire that looks like arson, Coroner Martha Gunn and her staff are at a loss to find a motive. Gallimore's portrayal of Gunn is ideal; she's warm, humane, and smart. Also rendered realistically are... Read More

Narrator Hilary Neville skillfully re-creates the worlds of London and Scotland as Julia Hardin's Uncle Randall requests her presence at his bedside in Scotland. It's the 1940s, and Julia is just gaining her independence when she becomes a resident in former actress Mae Martineau's London boarding house. Neville is terrific as sweet and innocent Julia and her nosy but... Read More

The Prior's Ford novel series, and narrator Lesley Mackie were made for each other. This small Scottish village overflows with ordinary people and eccentrics, and Mackie captures all of them using just the right pace and tone. When cookbook author Laura Tyler and her husband, a retired cop, buy a holiday house, they seem the "perfect" fit. However, after the director of a local... Read More

Cath Staincliffe and Julie Maisey are a "lethally" good combination in this compelling contemporary mystery. When 16-year-old Jason Barnes comes to the aid of young Luke Murray, who's being physically and verbally attacked, his act of bravery has repercussions for everyone involved. Maisey inhabits each of the three characters who narrate the story. Listeners will feel as if... Read More

The Sidney Chambers mystery series continues to enchant, particularly since the vicar's life is fuller with his new wife, Hildegard. Adding to the fun is Chambers's friend and sometimes sleuthing assistant, Amanda, who's her usual hilarious self. Narrator Peter Wickham deftly captures German Hildegard, upper-crust Amanda, and Scottish Detective Keating. Each accent is true to... Read More

In Gregson's mystery, each character is interesting and, even more importantly, believable and sympathetic. Narrator Andrew Wincott enhances the story with his sensitive presentation. Seven-year-old Lucy Gibson goes missing when she visits a fair with her mother's new boyfriend, Matt Boyd. Lucy sounds engagingly true to life, and listeners will feel great concern for her... Read More

Author Simon Brett narrates as amateur sleuths Jude and Carol investigate the death of the leading actor in a production of Shaw's DEVIL'S DISCIPLE. Brett's delivery is fueled by his familiarity with his plot and and characters. His relaxed and easy narration is perfect for a story populated by an eclectic group of people. He effectively portrays both principals and secondary... Read More

English schoolteacher Peter (Max) Maxwell and his long-suffering wife, Jacquie, a detective inspector, guarantee a fun and compelling mystery. Narrator Peter Wickham adds all the right verbal flourishes to keep listeners entertained. As American exchange teacher Hector Gold and his dysfunctional family descend on Leighford High School, Max is charged with mentoring Gold and... Read More

With only six months to live, Patrick Bowman, a 50-year-old professor, womanizer, and alcoholic becomes an "unpopular" heart transplant recipient. Narrator Martyn Waites captures him in all of his macho bluster. When Bowman learns that his donor was 16-year-old Drew Beamish, who died in a motorcycle accident, the Londoner travels to the Cambridge fens to see where he lived--and... Read More

P.I. Sal Kilkenny is a tough yet kindhearted woman whose full life becomes even busier when she finds a baby on her doorstep and takes on a complicated murder investigation. Narrator Julia Franklin deftly captures each storyline. A pathetic jailhouse interview and the painful search for the mother of the precious baby are equally moving. In addition to creating an endearing... Read More

Author Phil Rickman and narrator Emma Powell are an ideal pairing for this mystery. Merrily Watkins, an Anglican "deliverance" (exorcist) priest, is called upon when a young pagan couple purchase a derelict church. Powell impeccably delivers the dark and forbidding aspects of the story along with the gentle descriptions of the English countryside and exposition on church... Read More

Bob Skinner is facing the most important case of his career in this sequel to FUNERAL NOTE, skillfully narrated by James Bryce. When a bomb explodes at a charity concert attended by many of Scotland's most important citizens--including Skinner's high-profile wife--the entire country comes to a standstill. While Bryce expertly captures diverse Scots accents, his most... Read More

This portrait of England in the late Middle Ages is expertly depicted by narrator Terry Wale. Author Doherty's historical crime novels both instruct on daily life in centuries past and entertain with intricate, baffling plots. Wale portrays a warmhearted but resolute Brother Athelstan, the little friar who uses logic and intuition to solve vicious murders and unravel the... Read More

The latest crime story featuring ex-MI5 operatives Ingrid Langley and Patrick Gillard finds them assisting an old friend in stopping the gang warfare that has sprouted up in the city of Bath. Patricia Gallimore depicts Ingrid and Patrick with practiced ease, showing how well they work as a team and balancing their personal repartee with the sinister aspects of their jobs. When... Read More

Jonathan Keeble gives a convincing narration of Hurley's riveting police procedural. In the last DS Suttle outing, the investigator left Portsmouth's big-city violence for bucolic Devon. This time, Suttle faces a diabolical killer. A man's murdered body is discovered in his car on a remote country road, with an infant unhurt on the back seat. More murders of seemingly random... Read More

It's time to plan Oldford's Literary Festival, and the diverse committee has many vastly different suggestions, which narrator Andrew Wincott enumerates perfectly. DCI John Lambert and his partner, Bert Hook, are called in when committee members begin receiving threatening letters. Wincott captures the crisp dialogue of the two main characters, along with the personalities of... Read More

Poor Bea Abbott's life is even more complicated than usual. Luckily, narrator Patience Tomlinson helps listeners keep each character and situation straight. Bea's domestic agency seems to have been infiltrated by people who want to hurt her business. When she takes the sweet but eccentric Jeremy Waite under her wing, she unknowingly puts herself and her loved ones at risk. In... Read More

Narrator Gordon Griffin does a fine job delivering Ellis's unique police procedural, which features Detective Inspector Plantagenet as the series' lead character. The setting is Eborby, a fictional York, where the Grim Reaper pays a visit shortly before a murder. Griffin skillfully meets the challenge of a range of characters of all ages, stations, and accents. When a murder... Read More

Narrator Andrew Wincott offers a cultured, measured performance of this Joe Sandilands mystery. Tiny and blonde Lily Wentworth, London policewoman, is a force to be reckoned with. When two leading politicos are murdered by Irish rebels, Scotland Yard fears for the lives of England's royals. Joe Sandilands, of the Special Irish Branch of the CID, calls upon Lily to go undercover... Read More

Perhaps the most enjoyable part of this fun audiobook featuring the game of golf is the strong Scots accent that narrator Julie Maisey bestows upon Primavera Blackstone. The expat is happily residing in a tiny village in Spain with her endearing 10-year-old son when her best friend's boyfriend, a retired spy, mysteriously disappears. In addition to the voices of the many... Read More

Narrator Julia Barrie portrays out-of-work actress Harriet Dale, who is now an insurance investigator. Harriet is hot on the trail of a stolen painting with a story behind it. As she digs into the theft, assisted by handsome DI Brice McDonald, Barrie adopts a variety of personas—charming and poised, young and adventuresome, versatile and reliable—each with a different voice and... Read More

Listeners may be reminded of M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series, and narrator Lesley Mackie adds to that feeling with her charming, exuberant presentation. The villagers of Prior's Ford decide to hold a Scarecrow Festival to boost the local economy. Mackie captures the village kids as they help prepare for the big day, along with a few troublemakers who wantonly damage the... Read More

This gripping mystery opens as narrator Jeff Harding proclaims with searing pain, "Hell is watching the woman you love living a nightmare and not being able to help her." Miami detective Sam Beckett and his wife, Grace, experience a harrowing nightmare because psychopath Cal the Hater will do anything to hurt the Beckett family. Harding impeccably captures each diverse... Read More

What a delight! Narrator Andrew Wincott captures every character to perfection in this clever mystery. Sixtyish sisters Anna and Rosa, along with Rosa's husband, Ben, join a day-long mystery bus tour. Ben is pleased that his old math teacher is a part of their group—that is, until she goes missing. Wincott skillfully portrays the hilariously opposite sisters and the witty... Read More

Lynette and Monnie Forester accompany their widowed father, the new warden of a youth hostel, to the Scottish Highlands to begin new lives. Each finds love and challenges in her new home and learns the importance of family and the ties that bind. Lesley Mackie's lovely Scots accent is convincing and interesting--though the story drags. Even Mackie's fine acting and ability to... Read More

In a warm, familiar voice, Michael Tudor Barnes tells another richly detailed story featuring apothecary John Rawlings, who concocts herbal remedies while also solving murders in Georgian England. In this fourteenth in the series, listeners encounter a more thoughtful and mature Rawlings, who travels to Devon to attend the wedding of an old rake. The dissolute groom is murdered... Read More

Stephen Thorne narrates this prequel to the exploits of Detective Inspector Frost, which takes place in 1982, in Denton, England. Thorne's straightforward delivery style tempers the usual frenetic beginning of a Frost novel. Detective Sergeant Frost's wife has passed away. While the funeral is occurring, young constable Sue Clark is asked to attend to a farmer who has found a... Read More

Nicolette McKenzie's narration starts out on a pulse-pounding note as a Russian count's family flees the Bolsheviks. As the novel shifts focus to the surviving daughter, it takes on melodramatic tone. The daughter faces betrayal by her first husband and a second loveless marriage, as she believes her truelove is dead. McKenzie wrings every teardrop from the melodrama. Listeners... Read More

Narrator Patricia Gallimore returns listeners to 1920s Cornwall in Cook's poignant follow-up to LEAVING SHADES. Beth Tresaile has reconciled with her estranged mother and is eager to spend Christmas with her small family and best friend, Kitty. But when Kitty's brother--Beth's former lover--also arrives, secrets and regrets set off a series of events Beth never could have... Read More

Narrator Patience Tomlinson's presentation of this 1937 jewel is best described as innocently charming—perfect for today's somewhat jaded views of love and romance. Miss Jane Fortune moves to Dingleton and buys an old house, planning to open a tea shop. To complicate matters, her twin sister flees there to hide and avoid unwanted advances from a Frenchman, who has a zesty... Read More

Simon Brett does a smashingly good narration in this latest installment of his Blotto and Twinks series. The brother-and-sister duo must travel to Egypt in an attempt to, yet again, save the family fortune. Brett's Egyptian accent is as effective as the tone, pace, and humor he uses for the English characters in this Wodehouse-like caper. The snooty mother (a dowager duchess),... Read More

An unusual variety of people inhabits this latest Lina Townend mystery, and narrator Diana Bishop bestows a fine narration. When a mysterious woman brings a gorgeous Beswick pony figurine to the Tripp-Townend antiques shop, Lina becomes suspicious. She's even more concerned when more ponies appear in other local art galleries. Bishop beautifully creates the special relationship... Read More

An expert narration by Sean Barrett introduces Dr. John Dee, astrological advisor to Elizabeth I. On a pilgrimage in the Welsh countryside to acquire a scrying stone (crystal ball), he's accompanied by his friend, Lord Robert Dudley, advisor and rumored suitor of the Queen, who is fleeing court after the curious death of his wife. Barrett's sonorous voice captures the... Read More

Scotland of 1567 comes alive in the varied accents Leslie Mackie gives to each distinctive character in McInnes's historical novel. When Lachlan Gilmore carries out an act of chivalry for the distressed Lady Annabel Erskine--he helps her carriage out of a bog--he unknowingly becomes involved in the imprisonment of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Mackie adds uniqueness to each... Read More

In this lovely story of faith and honor, narrator Gordon Griffin is at his most charming and elegant. Richard Fitz-Eustace returns from the Crusades with leprosy, which he views as a punishment for his sins. As a leper, he faces separation from his family, his wealth, and the Church. As an act of contrition, Richard secretly petitions his grandmother's relative, Robert de Lacy,... Read More

Quintin Jardine's fascinating and sometimes unsettling mystery, which takes place at the Edinburgh Festival of the Arts, is enhanced by James Bryce's lush Scottish accent. The weather is gorgeous, attendance is growing, and the artistic offerings are impressive--until a bomb goes off, killing a young man. Bryce presents an emotional range that matches everyone's escalating... Read More

Patience Tomlinson's warm narration injects the perfect degree of humor into this unusual murder mystery set in the genteel Georgian city of Bath, England. Hotels' Association Police Liaison Officer Honey Driver sets out to help investigate the death of a highly unpleasant restaurant critic, whose body is found stuffed into a giant teddy-bear costume. Tomlinson's... Read More

Narrator Julia Barrie does justice to the many wily suspects who converge on the Greers' manor house in Devon, England. The occasion is a very upscale 21st birthday party for the Greer twins, Alicia and Justin. Complications begin when traveling cook and amateur sleuth Jenny Starling arrives just as the gardener's body is discovered. Barrie sparkles as the tall, husky Jenny,... Read More

As the listener is drawn into the heart of school life in 1930s England, the everyday petty intrigues of the staff room give way to the apparent suicide of a seemingly inoffensive school mistress. Narrator Patience Tomlinson voices a cast of characters as diverse as the headmaster, who suspects foul play, and Mrs. Bradley, a psychoanalyst with an unconventional approach who is... Read More

An Edinburgh detective returns to the island where he grew up to solve a mystery involving the legend of the Seal King, who takes human brides. A woman has vanished into the sea--and soon another disappears. Narrator Nick McArdle gives the characters definite brogues but keeps them gentle enough for listeners to understand. He also captures the hero's amusement and reluctance... Read More

Chief Inspector John Lambert and his partner, Bert Hook, must take to the links to solve their latest case. Narrator Andrew Wincott captures each character perfectly. Listeners will chuckle as Lambert pompously advises Hook on improving his golf game, much to his irritation. A surprisingly large number of suspects emerge as they investigate the death of a drug-dealing... Read More

Macpherson looks back on his life from his 90th year, starting with his childhood in Scotland and India in the 1920s and '30s and ending with his role in corporate management during the British coal-mining strikes of the 1980s. More than half of the book covers Macpherson's WWII years as a commando, prisoner of war, and resistance fighter in the Middle East, Italy, and France.... Read More

When a dying prisoner confesses that he lied about having murdered a child, the crime that sent him to prison, it creates a dilemma for the priest who hears him--and for the cops, who now must reopen the case, originally led by a beloved detective. Nicolette McKenzie's tender tone works in counterpoint to the harshness of the murder investigation. She captures the expository... Read More

Penelope Freeman performs this romance novel with a variety of inflections and accents. Julia Howard, daughter of a toy and paper-doll manufacturer, is at loose ends after her fiancé dies in WWI. Then she meets meets two men who will change her life forever. The first is war hero, doctor, son of a manufacturer, and all- around nice guy Martin Lee-Trafford, who becomes the... Read More

How's this for a devilishly different combination--an undertaker who's an amateur sleuth and a suspect who's a beekeeper? The setting is England's gorgeous Devon countryside. Drew Slocombe, head of Natural Burials, and his feisty assistant, Maggs, are consulted when a woman goes missing. Narrator Julia Franklin cleverly conveys characters of varying ages and classes as well as... Read More

Patricia Gallimore's cultured British tones set the stage for this moving novel, set in England just after WWI. Following a heartbreaking miscarriage, Beth Tresaile returns to Owles House with her best friend, Kitty, desperate for answers from her estranged mother. As she pieces together the secrets of her past, Beth must also cope with the potential of a romance with Kitty's... Read More

For a single actor to play an entire troupe of actors, albeit amateurs, all with their prejudices and secret agendas, not to mention a murderer in their midst, must be like a single member of a circus troupe doing all the parts at once--from tightrope walker to lion tamer, and especially plate juggler. Gordon Griffin is a master juggler, keeping track of who is eating fire, who... Read More

It's 1670, four years after the Great Fire of London, and Restoration London is coming back. Betsy Brand is an actress at the new Dorset Gardens Theatre when London is terrorized by a series of grisly murders that are somehow connected to the theatre. Pilkington has created an appealing heroine in the young Betsy Brand, whose acting skills come in handy as she attempts to get... Read More

Gordon Griffin is the best reason to listen to this 13th episode in the Rafferty/Llewellyn police procedurals. The story itself suffers from frequent repetition of character descriptions, which call attention to themselves, and annoyingly rehashed plot points, keeping this from being one of Evans's best outings. Griffin makes it all worthwhile, however, maintaining a strong,... Read More

Canon Sidney Chambers focuses on crimes that don't at first appear to be crimes--which is quite something for a 1950s cleric. In this series of loosely connected short stories, narrator Peter Wickham masterfully tackles German, Indian, Scots, and a wide range of English accents depicting various classes and personalities. An Indian Muslim is murdered in a clever manner after he... Read More

British narrator Diana Bishop specializes in delivering crime fiction that is genteel and introspective. In BURYING THE PAST, Detective Fran Harmon is caught up in restoring an old rectory, bringing an assistant chief constable to the altar, and, almost incidentally, investigating the mystery of a skeleton found buried in a bean patch. Bishop rejects melodramatic or overly... Read More

These three Brand novellas fit well together. Jeff Harding narrates the tales in a rustic-sounding voice. In "Cuttle's Hired Man," Bill Warner and Chick Newton are two cowboys whose friendship is changed by circumstances, sending them in separate directions. "The Girl They Left Behind Them" is about big Jack Innis, who is attracted to Stella Cornish, the sheriff's daughter, but... Read More

There's no shortage of suspects for the murder of Martin Beaumont--bully, womanizer, and very successful owner of Abbey Vineyards, who is found shot in the head inside his Jaguar. Narrator Jonathan Keeble vividly portrays the vineyard's diverse and articulate staff as well as Beaumont's long-suffering wife and many enemies. His best renderings are protagonists Chief... Read More

This complex story combines ancient myth and historical fact with modern events and characters to produce a combination horror story/mystery/folk tale/ghost story. On the day John Lennon is killed, a group of psychic musicians begins recording at a twelfth-century abbey in Wales--with disastrous results. Narrator Seán Barrett impeccably captures the band's wide range of diverse... Read More

Narrator Gordon Griffin speaks with an educated British accent, differentiating each character in this mystery through a slight alteration in pitch and cadence. His pace is measured, and his tone is grave. This is not to criticize, however. One must not forget that the topic is murder. Griffin's delivery also enhances the story's setting, the Solent area of the south coast of... Read More

James Henry is carrying on a series begun by the late R.D. Wingfield, featuring rumpled and sometimes maddening Police Inspector Jack Frost. It's a bit of literary ventriloquism on the page, and even more so for Stephen Thorne who is re-creating a character known to many from radio and television, at least in the UK. A success on every level, this production finds Frost in bad... Read More

If British mysteries, with their eccentric characters and charming settings, are your cup of tea, enter the world of Rina Martin, boarding house proprietor. Narrator Andrew Wincott brings just the right tone to a mystery that is more psychological than action oriented. His accent, dry humor, and smooth pacing fit the plot and enhance the atmosphere. Through changes in tone and... Read More

Narrator Jeff Harding perfectly characterizes the heroes in this collection of three Western stories. In “Commanche Legend,” Caddo Adair encounters difficulties as he attempts to capture Custer’s wild horse, Commanche, who has gone wild after the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The second story, “The Legend of Yallow Hole,” involves two cattle rustlers and a woman who has a job... Read More

Brett's murder mystery showcases his dry humor and serves as a vehicle for social commentary about the priorities of the wealthy of the English countryside. At its core, the story details an investigation into a shooting at an art gallery whose exhibit, ironically, focused on gun violence. While the novel is interesting and listeners will be surprised by its conclusion, the... Read More

Rebecca Tope writes cosy mysteries set in the gentle hills of England's Cotswolds. Thea Osborne, a sort of younger Miss Marple, is a middle-aged widow who house-sits in fine old Cotswold cottages and solves murders. In this particular mystery, the story's point of view is not that of the amateur detective but that of an undertaker who performs natural burials, Drew Slocombe.... Read More

This audio charmer, based on an actual house, sports a little of everything: cozy, historical fiction, romance, and ghost story. In Wales, just after WWII, Riana Evans can't believe her luck when elderly, eccentric Beatrice sells her lovely mansion at a very reasonable price. Narrator Anne Dover commendably performs a wide range of personalities, nationalities, and emotions as... Read More

There's a note of sadness in this latest installment of the Ingrid Langley/Patrick Gillard series. When Alexandra Nightingale, an old flame of Patrick's, reappears, she challenges the couple's loving relationship and happy marriage. Narrator Patricia Gallimore is consistently on target with the diverse characters, shifting emotion, and tranquil as well as risky situations that... Read More

Adam's novel yields rich insights into the skill of luthier Giuseppe Guarneri in creating stringed instruments and classical music history. A juicy murder mystery features contemporary master violin maker Gianni Castiglione. Sean Barrett's resonant bass voice is cleverly reminiscent of Il Cannone (The Cannon)--the priceless Italian violin central to the mystery's plot. He... Read More

Nowhere is the difference between English and American police methods more apparent than in this superlative mystery. Detective Inspector Bill Forward put Bob Plummer inside for years, and now that Plummer's out, he's determined to get revenge. Narrator Jonathan Keeble's rousing presentation captures cops and their families, villains, and everyday citizens. His best creation is... Read More

Terry Wale's cultured diction and smooth tones make listening to the third in the Inspector Ravenscroft series a real treat. Wale draws listeners in as, on Christmas Eve, 1888, a carriage driver leaves a secret package with a Ledbury solicitor, then disappears. On New Year's Eve, a Ledbury tradition of extinguishing all the lights to see in the New Year is underway. Just as... Read More

Barbara Cleverly paints a descriptive and atmospheric story of a group of English artists who descend on Provence in 1926 to paint, drink, play, and possibly commit murder. Narrator Terry Wale portrays British and French characters of many ages and stations in an engaging and lively style. His rendering of Cleverly's many French quotes and names adds to listeners' pleasure and... Read More

Michael Tudor Barnes's mesmerizing performance turns this novel into an addictive listening experience. Wiltshire humanizes WWII by entering the lives and loves of three couples and following their tribulations from the early days of 1944 through the end of the war. We meet John Fairfax, an American airman, and Sally, the British girl he loves New Zealander Robbie Cochran and... Read More

It's November in Bristol, England, it's already really cold, the heat is off in Detective Inspector Liam McLusky's office, and mauled bodies keep turning up in the frozen woods. And, headquarters has decided to remove the unit's coffee-maker as it's obviously too dangerous for detectives to brew their own. The plotting here is fairly formulaic, but the details are fresh and... Read More

Often, all the books in a series are read by one narrator, but Brother Cadfael has been fortunate with the variety of his storytellers, with Patrick Tull, Nadia May, Derek Jacobi, and Stephen Thorne among them. Accents are especially important in British books, and Thorne's are masterly here. Cadfael himself is more vigorous and assertive than in some of the installments,... Read More

Terry Wale sounds exactly as we might expect a Victorian chimney sweep to sound—if that sweep were better read than most, and perhaps more thoughtful, with a more interesting inner life. Since that is exactly who Tom Wasp is, and Tom is the narrator of this book, that works out pretty well. Between voices and accents, Wale manages to keep the many characters straight, and his... Read More

Anyone who is lucky enough to encounter Canon Sidney Chambers is in for a grand treat. This is the first of six Grantchester Mysteries. Narrator Peter Wickham epitomizes Sidney; his backgammon playing buddy, Detective Keating; his opinionated housekeeper, Mrs. Maguire; and the diverse rich, poor, educated, and earthy people who inhabit Sidney's world. Wickham's splendid vocal... Read More

As Rachel and her Aunt Evie participate in Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee, their thoughts go back 25 years to an earlier jubilee celebration, when 10-year-old Jessamy (Rachel’s cousin and Evie’s daughter) disappeared without a trace. Narrator Anne Dover moves back and forth in time, realistically portraying people as they age and times change. Although the cast is large,... Read More

Former London cops John Cannon and Liz Makepeace move to Lincolnshire to open a pub, intending to lead quiet lives. However, their plans go awry when a troubled young woman seeks their help and then swiftly disappears. Narrator Nick McArdle is called into action since there are suspects aplenty. In addition to the colorful customers who frequent the pub, former cops and... Read More

This installment in the Dr. Lance Elliot mystery series, set in 1970s London, has Lance taking time off from solving murders to see the film Annie Hall with his girlfriend, Max. Narrator Seán Barrett flawlessly presents Lance and his moving yet humorous relationship with his widower father and his prickly dealings with Detective Inspector Masson, who suspects Lance of... Read More

When Jack Dawes of the Murder Squad takes his wife, Corrie, on a belated honeymoon to the tiny Greek island of Katastrophos, he has no qualms—despite the island's name. Narrator Gordon Griffin is sheer perfection as he portrays the English holidaymakers and island residents who are steeped in myth and superstition. Every character is made special—with London plumber and soccer... Read More

In this gritty police procedural, Detective Inspector Joe Faraday wades through the murky underworld of Portsmouth, in the south of England, and the neighboring Isle of Wight. Narrator Tim Pepper delivers the strong language and descriptions of brutal violence with aplomb. Even though the story recounts the investigation of multiple murders, Pepper’s pace remains surprisingly... Read More

Queenie Dove is growing up in East London during WWII, the era of the Kray crime family. She’s a survivor who knows how to take care of herself, even if it means stealing and going to prison as a teenager. Narrator Annie Aldington captures the accents and class differences of the period in this first-person fictional account, which reads much like a memoir. Whether Queenie is... Read More

Detective Inspector Michael Angel has his hands full when he investigates a murder, tracks down a woman who went missing during WWII, and discovers the story behind four men getting their fingers broken on the same night. Jonathan Keeble’s deep, even voice fits the detective’s realistic character. DI Angel is far from perfect in his thoughts and detecting skills, and Keeble... Read More

BLOOD RED is second in Jardine's new mystery series. Primavera Blackstone is a delightful, fun, thoroughly modern woman who has left the United Kingdom for Catalan, Spain. Narrator Hilary Neville splendidly captures Primavera, her 8-year-old son, her Spanish neighbors, and a multitude of international friends and visitors. Primavera is delighted when a fellow expat suggests... Read More

Peter Wickham’s educated, playful tone is well matched to Trow’s wryly told fifteenth novel about schoolteacher “Mad Max” Maxwell. Wickham is effective even when his voice is forced into the higher registers to depict Maxwell’s wife, a detective; their young son; and Maxwell’s teenage students, who have been receiving lewd anonymous text messages. Wickham adapts well, just as... Read More

Poor Patrick Gillard, who is on assignment with the Serious Organized Crime Agency, has two big cases. His superiors are increasingly frustrated with his tardiness in resolving them until he is seriously injured by one of the criminals he's pursuing. Narrator Patricia Gallimore skillfully captures Patrick in all his roles—cop, husband, dad—and his endearing relationship with... Read More

Rarely do mystery buffs feel regret when a murderer is apprehended. However, author J.M. Gregson and narrator Jonathan Keeble elicit just such a response when a drug-dealing blackmailer is killed by an upstanding citizen of an English village and the listener knows this compelling mystery is coming to a close. Because it has so many fascinating characters and a roller-coaster... Read More

This complex thriller is set against the backdrop of WWII. Diana Bishop’s narration helps to convey the suspicions of a family in 1940s England. These arise with the apparent return of Lady Ann Jocelyn, who the family believed died earlier in the war. Sir Philip Jocelyn remains convinced that the person who has shown up is an impostor, and intrigue and murder follow. Bishop’s... Read More

When DC Sukey Reynolds sees a man acting suspiciously in a car park, little does she know that she's observing the first in an interwoven series of events that include murder and drugs. Narrator Julia Barrie has a warm West Country accent that helps to establish the background of this mystery, set in the English city of Bristol. With an accomplished reading style, Barrie... Read More

Patience Tomlinson doesn’t miss a step in her stellar performance of this British charmer, full of twists and interesting characters. Bea Abbot, a 60-something widow who owns Abbot Domestic Agency, is called in when a man is discovered dead in his bed, draped in a garish red gown with his face made up. Is it suicide or something more sinister? Bea, who denies that she... Read More

This might well be Heley's best Ellie Quicke mystery. A student stages a sit-in at the parish of Ellie’s husband to call attention to a suicide that she believes was actually a murder. Narrator Patience Tomlinson is at her best with clergy, young people, and thugs (listeners WILL take notice); she believably portrays a multitude of ages, personalities, and ethnicities. Her most... Read More

It's 1973 and the first day on the job for DCI Monika Paniatowski. Not only does she have to deal with the discovery of a severed hand but also with the blatant resentment of her staff because she's been promoted in a male-dominated profession. She's also accused of partiality towards a fellow Polish immigrant who seems certain to have been the murderer. Narrator Nicolette... Read More

This delightful police procedural is full of intrigue—with clever twists in the plot and surprises from the large cast of characters. Jonathan Keeble's expert narration considerably adds to the pleasure. Partners Rafferty and Llewellyn couldn't be more opposite. Llewellyn is also the uncle of Rafferty's ex-fiancée. Keeble skillfully captures Llewellyn's Welsh accent, which... Read More

Armstrong’s moving mystery is splendidly enhanced by Gordon Griffin's narration. When Tom Oliver settles in to teach another weekend writing course, he has no reason to fear for his safety. By the end of his stint, he's a missing person. Griffin captures Detective Inspector Kavanagh's deliberate manner and his partner Jane Salt's quicker and sharper perceptions as they work the... Read More

Working for the UK Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), Dan “Spider” Shepherd goes undercover to investigate a series of brutal killings and beatings carried out by a team of vigilante cops. As the multiple plotlines unfold, listeners are frequently challenged to consider their perceptions of right and wrong. Paul Thornley brings Shepherd and the rest of the broad cast of... Read More

At times hilarious and at times plodding, Helton’s police procedural always manages to entertain. Detective Inspector Liam McLusky is an enigma. His methods are often unusual, and his style leaves more grizzled detectives shaking their heads. But that’s why the story works. David Thorpe’s enthusiastic performance also helps, especially in the scenes that could be deemed... Read More

MIDNIGHT is the perfect listen for those who love intriguing mysteries with a dollop of the supernatural. P.I. Jack Nightingale, a former cop, is in very hot water. He inherits a bundle from his biological father, a man he never met, finds out he has a half-sister, and then finds out that his father promised his, Jack’s, soul to the devil. And people around him keep dying.... Read More

The character of antiques dealer-restorer Lina Townend continues Cutler’s trend of heroines who are young, female sleuths. Lina's in partnership with the older, gay Griff, who's teaching her the trade and all she's lacked by growing up in foster care. Narrator Diana Bishop is sublime as the endearing but tough Lina, the charming Griff, and the multitude they... Read More

Regina Reagan’s crisp voice, which evokes a tone of “no funny business,” is perfectly suited to delivering this thriller. Darby McCormick is at the center of a story of torture and child abduction. Reagan plays the supporting characters—the FBI goons, the lovable retired cop, Darby’s love interest, Coop, and the clueless Secret Service—as Darby sees them by lowering her pitch... Read More

The soft tones of Seán Barrett’s voice bring the mystery of King Arthur to life. Dr. John Dee, scientist and astrologer for Queen Elizabeth I, sets off to the Welsh lands in search of the isle of Avalon and the bones of King Arthur. As part of the story, Dee recounts and interprets the immortal tales of the mythical king. Barrett performs this convoluted tale, full of... Read More

This book is simply a joy to listen to. A mix of romance and suspense, it’s a fun story, and narrator Julie Teal delivers it beautifully. The main character, a cad named Charlie Parker, has died in a car accident. The book is replete with other great characters, as well, including Parker’s mother, his wife, and the daughter that neither woman knew existed until his death.... Read More

Narrator Ray Sawyer rolls with an eclectic and disparate group of characters who are trying to sort out an intergalactic threat to Earth, providing them with inventive voices and accents. Music from Earth is annoying inhabitants of the planet Ostar so much that they decide to investigate Earth’s defenses in anticipation of blowing it up to make the music stop. Sawyer has fun... Read More

Maggie Costello, White House foreign policy adviser, tries to untangle a plot to destroy the reputation of the president just two months into his administration. Unseen villains unleash the media on an unsuspecting public. Adam Sims narrates in a gravelly voice. His subtle Irish accents vary and sometimes disappear, and his other accents tend to be flat or abrasive. The present... Read More

Casey Jones, formerly a dancer and now a cruise ship entertainment director, finds herself drawn into the lives of difficult passengers, her on-and-off attraction to the ship’s doctor, and even a possible murder. Julia Barrie expertly juggles the fast-paced action and the slower–paced descriptions of the ship and the Mediterranean ports of call. Her British accent, refined yet... Read More

In this sixth in the Fethering series, Carole Seddon and her sidekick, neighbor Jude, investigate a thirty-year-old murder that is tied to her son’s upcoming marriage to Gaby Martin. Author and narrator Simon Brett has a knack for bringing out his characters, including their flaws. In Brett’s narration Carole comes through as inquisitive as she is critical. Brett also captures... Read More

A murder in which both the victim and the perpetrator appear to have been barefoot presents Detective Inspector Angel with an unusual challenge. Narrator Jonathan Keeble delivers this mystery with style. He uses excellent characterization techniques to enhance the personalities of both the male and female characters. His astute timing and delivery make the twisting plot a... Read More

When Keith Brook agrees to look into the suicide of an ex-girlfriend's husband, he enters a weird, corrupt world that is almost unimaginable. His first step is to go to Enchantment Island to ascertain the man's last movements. There he discovers that a South African megalomaniac is blackmailing ultra-wealthy men who come to the island for "new experiences.” Narrator Jonathan... Read More

Robbie MacNab’s performance keeps Sedley’s latest Roger Chapman mystery quivering with energy. In order to place his brother, the Duke of Albany, on the Scottish throne, King James III orders the Duke of Gloucester to lead an army to Scotland. While Roger has been tapped by British royals for assistance on other occasions, he doesn’t understand why he’s been asked to serve as... Read More

Having been promoted to chief constable, Scotsman Bob Skinner is dealing with one of the most sordid and complex crimes of his career. To further complicate matters, his daughter is personally involved with a crime family. Further, a group of ruthless Lithuanians is trafficking young women for the sex trade in Edinburgh. Narrator James Bryce presents the Scots and Lithuanians... Read More

Seasoned narrator Diana Bishop presents a classic British cozy featuring the elderly former governess, now private detective, Miss Silver. The story has the standard accoutrements: the country estate, eccentric aunts, suspicious staff, clever lady detective, romantic entanglements, and of course, an abundance of corpses. Bishop helps the listener get through the ingenious but... Read More

Primavera Blackstone miraculously survives a plane crash and manages to remain undiscovered on a coastal island because she suspects her ex-husband, Oz, arranged to have her killed. Narrator Hilary Neville's skilled presentation somewhat rescues this corny, coincidence-driven melodrama with her charming Spanish and Scottish accents and lovely descriptions of coastal Spain. She... Read More

The delightfully eccentric Maxwell is brought to life by narrator Peter Wickham's spirited presentation. No joke, pun, or aside could be better performed. Maxwell’s much younger wife, tiny son, mother-in-law, co-workers, and long suffering local constabulary all add to the fun. A clever poisoner is on the loose, and as bodies mount, Maxwell assists the police in their... Read More

Terry Wale is well suited to delivering a thriller that involves the European drug trade and drug routes that stretch to the borders of Afghanistan. After the murder of a colleague by the “poison traders,” Detective Inspector Marler sets out to track them down. While Marler is tracing the murderers, former criminal Mike Cann becomes involved, but he fails to act in time to... Read More

The story of one man wandering through England after it has been invaded by Martians is familiar as it was the inspiration for Orson Welles’s famous radio dramatization of alien invasion, which caused widespread panic when it was broadcast in 1938. Sean Barrett's reading makes the original work sound fresh. At first, his cultured British voice gives the novel the sound of a... Read More