Those who love suspense won't be able to stop listening to this audiobook as a young woman in New York City is drawn ever deeper into a web of lies and deceit woven by the mysterious psychologist Dr. Shields. Jessica Farris, in need of money, agrees to participate in a study of morals and ethics, but things get very personal very quickly. Narrators Barrie Kreinik and Julia... Read More

This biography of one of China's most influential poets, Li Bai, is written by Chinese-American poet and novelist Ha Jin. Ha Jin creates a portrait of Li Bai as if the poet were one of his characters. Narrator David Shih is an engaging choice for this well-researched work. He recounts the significance of Li Bai's work, which was unrecognized for its genius during his lifetime.... Read More

Cassandra Campbell delivers an elegant narration of this audiobook, a character-driven story sprinkled with elements of science fiction. A mysterious disease strikes a college town in Southern California. The infected fall asleep and remain in a deep, dreamy state of unconsciousness. While some die, most remain alive but unable to return to consciousness. As the disease... Read More

Brad Meltzer utilizes his skills as a thriller novelist to great effect in this true story of a plot to kidnap or even kill George Washington in the early years of the American Revolution. Scott Brick adds to the enjoyment with a gripping narration. Mensch and Meltzer's pacing and straightforward writing style adapt well to audio. Brick, in turn, makes the pages come alive. He... Read More

Karissa Vacker, as Allison, commands our attention from her first words. After a private plane crashes into a mountainside in Colorado, Allison awakens to find the pilot dead and her instincts on high alert. With the skill of one familiar with the outdoors, she gathers whatever supplies she can and flees the crash site. We sense she's running from something, but what? Enter... Read More

Dani Shapiro has written a "memoir of genealogy, paternity, and love" and the journey she began in 2016, at the age of 54, when DNA test results revealed her paternity was not what she had been raised to believe. There is, at times, an understandable underlying strain of anger in her voice as she travels back in memory, recalling a childhood in which she grappled with her... Read More

This is a varied collection of short stories, and listeners will benefit from the use of multiple narrators, including Erin Bennett, Allyson Ryan, Mark Bramhall, and Kaleo Griffith, among others. You can sink into these stories while enjoying the range of voices and personas. Bennett and Ryan inhabit angry, dramatic women who are impatient with life and limitations. The male... Read More

Listening to Burke's Robicheaux series means walking into the dark, damp swamps of New Iberia, Louisiana, and the pain-ridden, tortured swamps of Robicheaux's mind. Narrator Will Patton's portrayal of the detective snares the listener in the rich descriptions and philosophizing woven through the action. Patton's rendition of Smiley Wimple, the psychotic, childlike murderer on a... Read More

January LaVoy energetically narrates this 1920s saga--based on fact--set in Harlem and Portland, Oregon. Alice "Nobody" James has always blended into any setting. As the story begins, LaVoy's gutsy Alice is aboard a train, running from the Mafia after being shot. Black porter Max Burton--exceptionally rendered--takes Alice to Portland's all-black Paragon Hotel to recuperate.... Read More

From research he's done for his podcast, Gregg Clunis distills the process of personal change into six steps that sound valid and quite achievable in this author-narrated guide. His clear speaking voice and serious tone are effective in framing his writing as consequential, even potentially life changing. He's the earnest teacher you would want as an advisor or coach. What's... Read More

Author Sonia Kamal delivers a passionate and jovial narration of her Pakistani retelling of the classic novel PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Alys would be perfectly comfortable to remain a single woman employed as a literature teacher despite the social climbing, fashion consciousness, and marriage focus of her culture. She and her sisters, however, are under constant pressure to make... Read More

Three narrators deliver this grim dreamlike story about young women raised on an isolated island in a dystopian future. When their father disappears and three strange men wash up on their beach, the sisters' world crumbles. Morfydd Clark's cool, clipped delivery emphasizes the eldest sister, Grace's, flinty personality. Hannah Murray portrays the third-person plural chapters,... Read More

Narrator Caitlin Kelly returns for this addition to the author's Folk of the Air series. In a land called Faerie, Jude plans a way to bind herself to the wicked, sadistic King Cardan in order to keep her brother, who is the rightful heir to the crown, safe. Although Kelly succeeds in portraying the urgency and thrills in this complex fantasy, her performance highlight is her... Read More

In this evocative conclusion to the Winternight trilogy, a fairy-tale spin on Russian history, Arden's high-stakes writing and Kathleen Gati's immersive performance weave a listening experience worthy of note. Gati's adept Russian accent enhances the cultural magic of the story. She further adds to the listening experience by clearly differentiating characters, giving some a... Read More