New Reviews: Mystery & Suspense

As this audiobook opens, Sarah Winston is busy with her garage sale business when an unidentified phone caller announces that her landlady, Stella, has been kidnapped. To locate her, Sarah must follow a series of strange directions. And she must not, under any condition, say anything to law enforcement. Narrator Hillary Huber helps listeners connect with this threat, which is... Read More

This exciting audiobook, set in 1850s New York, follows Lord Jasper Lightner, Crimean War hero and distinguished London Metropolitan Police detective, as he is sent to the U.S. to help form a trained detective force. The moment he arrives in New York City, Jasper is thrust into the middle of violent street thugs and police corruption as he encounters the murdered body of... Read More

This frightening audiobook sequel, capably voiced by narrator Julia Whelan, proves that you can kill neither the Andromeda Strain nor the creative genius of the late Michael Crichton. Fifty years after the original, this new techno-thriller, cowritten by Daniel H. Wilson (ROBOPOCALYPSE), brings back a whole new, diverse cast of characters to exterminate that pesky... Read More

Narrator Kris Dyer's skilled delivery makes Elizabethan London--the privileged few, vast destitute, and Catholic heretics--come alive in a fact-based story. Listeners will meet Nicholas Shelby, a grieving physician who has taken to drink after the death of his wife and baby. After encountering a poor, crippled child who appears to have been murdered, Dyer's unwavering and... Read More

Narrator Jack de Golia provides just the right tone of incredulity in this sparkling audiobook. Will and his wife, Beth, are gobsmacked when their son, Will, and their dog, Indy, run into a rip in space-time that pops up in their yard. Suburban dad Will bravely charges after them into the rift, where he encounters casualty cops and zombies and traipses through a cosmic... Read More

This audiobook opens in 1924 as Poppy Denby goes to Northumberland for her father's 60th birthday. She soon ends up serving as press agent for the famous painter Agnes Robson as reporters dig into Agnes's past. When Agnes is murdered while attending an exhibit of her paintings, Poppy quickly gets involved in the hunt for the killer. Narrator Helen Keeley returns for her fourth... Read More

Narrator Erica Sullivan has the benefit of Rozan's well-written plot. In the 13th installment in the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series, Smith takes center stage, with his partner in a supporting role. Sullivan successfully conveys the personalities of the female characters and effectively uses pace and tone to amp up the drama. However, she is less effective in credibly voicing male... Read More

As performed by Emily Woo Zeller, this audiobook gives listeners a sensory experience as they smell the scents, taste the foods, and see the unique sights of Singapore. Aunty Lee, owner of one of the most beloved restaurants in the country and an animal lover, learns that someone has murdered Allison Fitzgerald. Five years earlier Allison became notorious for having killed a... Read More

Listeners join Newfoundland policeman Sgt. Windflower as the death of a local girl leads to the discovery of a human trafficking ring in this otherwise idyllic locale. Narrator Francis Kearney is the perfect match for this mystery. His characterization of Windflower is spot-on; he creates a likable and believable character who is both gentle and honorable, a person who takes... Read More

Stina Nielsen, Ryan Jordan McCarthy, Paul L. Coffey, and Kirsten Leigh narrate the next installment in the Vanished series. With its power over death, the bell cannot fall into the wrong hands--but its whereabouts are unknown. Many are searching for it, including members of a mystical society. Once found, they must fight to keep it--and the world--safe from destruction. The... Read More

Author Ann Lambert flawlessly presents her genre-defying novel--which is part mystery, part family saga, and part romance. Everyone, including Marie Russell, is shocked when an elderly, reclusive neighbor is found dead in her yard near Quebec's Laurentian Mountains. Listeners will join kind, overworked Romeo Leduc when he realizes clues and motives are in short supply. Lambert... Read More

Series narrator Carol Monda's gravelly voice draws out every mile Cass Neary has traveled over the course of the author's thrillers. In this newest installment, Cass, a photographer, finds herself down and out in London, minus her camera. A chance meeting with an old acquaintance presents an opportunity to make quick cash by selling a rare ancient book. Monda delivers clear... Read More

Listeners join disgraced academic Cordelia Hemlock, who finds herself living in a remote part of England as she grieves the death of her son. There she forms an unlikely friendship with Felicity, a young, local woman. After they witness a lightning strike that reveals a dead body, they seek to investigate, at which point the story's time frame splits between 1967 and 2010.... Read More

Narrator Erin Bennett deftly moves this appealing series from Mississippi to Asheville, North Carolina, where librarian Charlie Harris, fiancée Helen Louise Brady, Diesel the cat, and the library book club retreat for a mystery week. Listeners will be as shocked as Charlie when he unlocks his door and finds a body in his room. It's entertaining to hear each club member share a... Read More

In this audiobook, a psychic is killed 20 years after her father was murdered. Though librarian Carrie Singleton is determined not to get involved in any more murders, people keep asking for her help. The ghost librarian, Evelyn, gives Carrie insight into the town's past. In her first-person narration, Mia Gaskin gives a strong performance, clearly demonstrating Carrie's... Read More

Narrator Jayne Entwistle's sweet, flexible voice transforms as needed from bubbly, young American or gruff, old American to self-effacing German and passing Brit in this fifth outing for amateur sleuth Henrietta and her police inspector husband, Clive Howard, in 1930s Chicago. In the midst of investigating a thieving spiritualist, Clive and Henrietta agree to help Gunther, a... Read More

In December 1835, Jacob Harley falls to his death from an upper-story window with chains around his neck. He lands right in front of journalist Charles Dickens and his fiancée, Kate Hogarth. Charles decides to investigate the case while he is dealing with the claim that he is the father of a 4-month-old illegitimate boy, a situation that has the potential to destroy both his... Read More

Narrator Chistina Delaine rises to the challenge of portraying a cast of larger-than-life characters. Ex-CIA officer Valencia Walker is now a high-priced corporate fixer who has been called in to help a top New York law firm with damage control after a young associate loses his phone, which holds important corporate documents. The situation quickly goes from bad to worse as a... Read More

Narrators Brittany Pressley and Kyf Brewer shine in the latest thriller in the Atlee Pine series, which brings together two of David Baldacci's well-known characters, FBI agent Pine and military investigator John Puller. Pressley portrays Pine as passionate, dedicated, and intelligent. Brewer's Puller is sharp, committed, and driven. Both narrators also capture a large cast of... Read More

Patterson continues his series featuring detective Alex Cross, who is once again on the trail of a killer. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that one of the victims is the vice president's ex-wife. Brad Sanders's narration does a decent job capturing the steady, calm voice of Cross, and he shines with his shifts to other characters. He delivers smooth transitions that range... Read More

Abduction and captivity are explored in this engrossing thriller, which begins with an escape. Lena has been missing for 14 years when a woman fitting her description emerges from the woods claiming to be she--but is not. The malnourished 13-year-old with her, who calls her Mama, is not her child. Jane Collingwood voices the woman, conjuring her terror at being locked in the... Read More

As Anne Dover performs this audiobook set in 1930 in Leeds, she makes listeners feel a deep connection to the story and its characters. William Lofthouse asks Kate Singleton for help with his struggling business, Barleycorn Brewery. Soon, Kate and her partner, Jim Sykes, become involved in an investigation into sabotage at the brewery. Then, the hit-and-run killing of the... Read More

Narrator Ruth Urquhart portrays Megan Malone, a retired American army medic who now drives a limousine in Ireland. While chauffeuring golfer Martin Walsh on the local green, she discovers a body in a water hazard. After pulling top golfer Lou Macdonald from the water, Megan becomes involved in trying to identify the murderer. Urquhart's delivery of Irish accents for the locals... Read More

Emily Ellet's performance mingles mirth and mistrust in this lively murder mystery. Antonia Bingham, the new owner of an inn in the Hamptons, turns amateur sleuth to prevent herself becoming a murder victim. Ellet gives a perfect portrayal of Bingham's tumultuous emotions as the happy but overwhelmed owner of the Windmill Inn becomes fearful of those around her when she... Read More

Mix an excellent story with great characters, and then add audiobook narrator Jeff Harding, who provides a pitch-perfect narration, and it is easy to see why the latest Charlie Parker mystery is so entertaining. Set during the Clinton administration, Connolly's latest thriller focuses on rural Arkansas, where young women are being brutally murdered. A former New York detective,... Read More

Narrator Kathleen McElfresh begins this fast-paced thriller in Boston, where art dealer Portia Malatesta is determined to solve the recent art heist from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. McElfresh provides understated voices for an array of characters, ranging from Portia's family to the Mafia underworld. When Portia develops a theory of criminal profiling based on the... Read More

Author/narrator Ann Lambert's sequel to THE BIRDS THAT STAY grabs attention from its beginning, when the first blizzard flakes are falling on Montreal, to its chilling conclusion. DI Romeo Leduc and Professor Marie Russell search for the person who murdered several homeless people. When a murdered girl's body is found with a photo in her pocket bearing Leduc's phone number,... Read More

Two accomplished crime novel authors and one talented narrator collaborate to produce an arresting listening experience introducing ex-Army criminal investigator Rachel Hatch. Rachel returns to her Colorado hometown to look into the bizarre circumstances of her sister's death. Rachel is one tough heroine, and narrator Marnye Young gives her a resolute voice that is, at the same... Read More

Michael Kramer returns to narrate the fourth audiobook in the Butcher's Boy series. Michael Schaefer, a retired hit man, has been enjoying the good life in England with his aristocratic wife. But one Mafia boss, who has a long memory and a particular grudge against him, seeks revenge. Kramer's voicing of Schaefer is easy to listen to and conveys the personality of this smart,... Read More

Narrator John Pruden shines in this political thriller. The story centers on a Maryland Congressional election between incumbent Democrat Hugh McKenzie and Republican newcomer Nelson Aguilar, a Hispanic media mogul. With ripped-from-the-headlines subplots and cringe-worthy partisan tactics, the story features an inside look at the highs and lows of political campaigns including... Read More

This audiobook should have come with a warning: Listen at your own risk. If others try to pause it, you may snap their heads off in frustration. As Lady Hardcastle and her lady's maid, Flo, return to spying for England in the summer of 1911, narrator Elizabeth Knowelden enhances the story full of witticisms and a clever plot by immersing listeners in the lives of these two... Read More

Listeners join Alex, a documentary filmmaker, as she arrives in her hometown, a run-down northern England seaside resort, to collect stories of everyday people. As the plot unfolds, we find that nothing is as it seems, and Alex must fight for her future as well as discover a truth hidden in her past. Lead narrator Billie Fulford Brown brings the story alive. Her... Read More

What do you do when those you should be able to trust betray you? Where is the line between vengeance and justice? What if you could become someone else to get revenge? Narrator Cassandra Campbell voices a wide range of characters exploring these questions including three protagonists: Ellie Berensen, Meg Weest, and Gabe Hoyt. Each is lying about who they are, and the ways the... Read More

Narrator Kirsten Potter evokes the ambiance of 1945 New York City in this historical mystery. On Halloween, Abigail Collins locks herself alone in a room at a party to commune with the spirit of her late husband, who has supposedly been summoned by a noted psychic. When the other guests break down the door, Abigail has been murdered, and some think the ghost of her husband did... Read More

In an exceptional performance, narrator Cassandra Campbell embodies the character of former CIA assassin Fortune Redding and her two best friends, seniors Ida Belle and Gertie. The trio lead what is known as the Swamp Team 3, of Sinful, Louisiana. As Ida Belle prepares for her wedding, the caterer, former cage fighter Miss Molly, disappears, leading the team to take on an... Read More

Narrator Bernadette Dunne takes listeners to the Virginia town of Caerphilly at Christmastime as Meg Langslow organizes Helping Hands for the Holidays. First, she must talk Harvey the Hoarder into letting the group clean up his house. The excitement listeners share with Meg, however, dissipates when she finds Harvey's body and realizes he's been murdered. As Meg helps the... Read More

In this audiobook, Val Harris, owner of a bakery called Pie Town, is looking forward to her first pumpkin festival as a new resident of San Nicholas, California. She's particularly excited about her role as a judge for the pumpkin pie contest. Then Val and her crust specialist, Charlene, find the body of a woman who has been crushed by a 2,000-pound pumpkin. This causes the... Read More

Narrator Nancy Wu returns for Book 6 of the Timber Creek K-9 series as Colorado deputy Mattie Cobb and her canine sidekick, Robo, investigate a murder. Mattie herself finds the body while hiking near Hanging Falls. Then, Robo's tracking abilities lead her through the woods to a vagabond who may have witnessed more than he wants to admit. Wu's portrayal of Mattie--gentle toned... Read More

At the opening of this exciting audiobook full of global intrigue, Jim McGill, the "president's henchman," takes a case in Paris while his wife, a politician, is in London at a G8 meeting. A former police colleague has killed a man while trying to rescue a young woman the man was beating. There are just two problems: No one can find the woman, and the people of France want to... Read More

The best horror audiobooks hook listeners from the start and never loosen their grip. Riley Singer's latest novel is such a book, and it benefits from the excellent performances of Cady McClain and Jon Lindstrom. The central character is Maggie Holt, whose family fled their Vermont home after living there for three weeks. Maggie inherits the property 25 years later and returns... Read More

Tabitha Hardy awakens in prison with a fuzzy memory of a dead man found on her property. She had good reason to kill him. But did she? Narrator Michelle Ford's strength lies in her use of varying tones to reflect Tabitha's emotions as she seeks to unravel the mystery. She's angry, stymied, and in over her head. The story takes off in court as Tabitha fights for her life. Myriad... Read More

Siblings often share secrets that they promise never to reveal, yet this audiobook, narrated adeptly by Hillary Huber, demonstrates how even the best plans can go awry. The novel focuses on Alexandra Van Ness, whose life seems perfect in every way. But when her sister, Ruth, appears, Alexandra's perfect life becomes anything but. Huber's delivery is ideal, complementing... Read More

The ninth case for Bow Street Runner John Pickett is wonderfully performed by longtime series narrator Joel Froomkin. Pickett is summoned to the West Country with instructions to locate the summoner. Still overwhelmed by guilt over having accidentally killed a woman, Pickett eagerly accepts the new case, although he hates to leave his new wife, Julia, who is expecting their... Read More

It can be difficult for a slow-burn whodunit to gain steam, especially when the story is told from multiple perspectives. Happily, narrators Donna Banya, Katherine Kelly, and Connor Swindells manage to keep listeners engrossed when a British teen suddenly goes missing after stalking her sketchy former child psychologist. The narrators' skill with U.K. regional accents makes it... Read More

Narrator Laura Jennings creates authentic-sounding voices for the characters in this 10th audiobook in the Key West Food Critic series. First, Hayley Snow's mother-in-law, Helen Bransford, comes to visit her and Nathan, Hayley's new husband, a police detective. When the women discover the strangled body of a pastry chef dressed up as a drunk Santa, Hayley is dragged into yet... Read More

Narrator Julian Rhind-Tutt's clear and stylish narration helps bring this story, part of a new Hercule Poirot mystery series, alive. Poirot is invited by Richard Devonport to visit his estate and prove that his fiancée is innocent of the murder of his brother. Along with his sidekick, Catchpool, Poirot finds himself drawn into a series of mysteries amid a flawed family that is... Read More

This is an audiobook that grabs the listener's interest at the start--and keeps getting better. Narrated ably by Euan Morton, it's a mystery focusing on brothers Carl and Roy, who share lifelong secrets and whose lives continue to intertwine in often dark, depraved, and unnerving ways. At the outset, Carl returns to the Norwegian town they grew up in with a wife and a... Read More

In the tenth book of a classic series featuring Attorney John J. Malone, Johnny Heller's narration is characterized by an arched tone. The body of a Chicago investor/activist turns up in Malone's office, and he can't remember if he did the deed. Heller adds empathy to his narration as Malone realizes he's not the culprit and proceeds to investigate the murder and the subsequent... Read More

In this second audiobook in a series, Charles Jenkins returns to Russia to bring back an imprisoned woman from a past mission. Narrator Edoardo Ballerini is a master at voices. For Jenkins, he creates a slightly easygoing manner, and for his CIA contact, a youngish-sounding voice. For the Russians, he uses a pitch range: rising for a scared but strong woman, dropping a bit for... Read More

The gruff and gravelly voice of Richard Ferrone matches the hard-boiled and unflinching homicide detective Sam Carver perfectly. Fleishman's second in what one hopes is a long series continues with a dead Russian ballerina and enough smog, blood, lust, and contemporary political intrigue to harken back to Chandler and Hammett. Ferrone's performance of Carver growls with the... Read More

Saul Reichlin returns to narrate the seventh book in the Joona Linna series by the Swedish writing couple known as Lars Kepler. Reichlin meets the challenge of voicing numerous characters, including a 12-year-old girl and a number of psychopaths, male and female. Warning to listeners: The plot moves from one scene of depraved, graphic violence to another. An old enemy of... Read More

Enjoyable from the start, this fast-paced, tightly written legal thriller is narrated well by George Newbern. When attorney Nate Shepherd is drafted into defending a man who committed a brutal murder to save a friend, he is confronted with a client who demands exoneration. Like most legal thrillers, the book has multiple twists and turns, including the obligatory skeletons in... Read More

Nugent once again provides a dark, dramatic story--this one enhanced by an ensemble of highly skilled narrators. The Drumm brothers, William, Brian and Luke, from a working-class family in Dublin, share the little cruelties that add up to shatter their lives. The novel begins ominously at a funeral of one of the brothers, without a clue as to which one. Each brother is... Read More

Fans of thrillers will appreciate the second audiobook in the Deception Cover series. This story centers on an unlikely couple--ex-con Mason Burke and former U.S. Marine, now sheriff's deputy, Jess Winslow-- along with their dog, who plays an important part in the story. Fortunately for narrators Kevin Stillwell and Courtney Paterson, they aren't asked to bark or growl.... Read More

Mitchell Greenberg's performance as Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus is perfect--steady and calm, like the long-married duo themselves. Decker is looking for a missing man who is developmentally disabled. The search in the upstate New York community where Decker now plies his detective trade leads to the discovery of a corpse in the woods. It belongs to one of three men who... Read More

Fans of riveting audiobooks about good guys and bad guys, current events, and realistic characters are in luck. This mystery is a great listen narrated well by Sophie Amoss. The story centers on Diane Harbaugh, a DEA agent who is almost too good at her job. Then, a visit from a criminal turned informant disrupts everything Harbaugh thought she knew and believed. In pursuit of... Read More

It is December 31,1949. In Bombay, Sir James Harriot, a prominent Englishman who is assisting with India's transition to having its own constitution, is murdered. Narrator Maya Saroya makes listeners experience the sights, sounds, and scents of Bombay as Persis Wadia, the only woman police detective in India, handles the tricky job of navigating the case. It is fraught with... Read More

In this second outing for editor-turned-sleuth Susan Ryeland, narrators Lesley Manville and Allan Corduner deliver pleasures galore in this book within a book full of sleight of hand and red herrings. Manville's crisp, warm voice is engaging, and her emotionally attentive performance nicely differentiates between characters in the Ryeland investigation of a hotelier's... Read More

Listeners accompany Megan Melvick as she returns to her family's estate in Scotland to be with her dying sister. Despite their privileged position, her family is wracked with tragedy, not the least of which is Megan's unexplained deafness, which she struggles to understand. The story is told from the viewpoints of Megan and her rebellious friend, Carla. Narrator Helen McAlpine... Read More

Cousins Maud Finch and Millicent Swallow's quiet, routine retirement is disrupted when Theodore Cadmus, a mysterious foreigner, moves into their close-knit Devonshire village. Narrator Jilly Bond performs this audiobook, which moves from charming to dark to over the top as Theo's intentions and motivations for moving to England become clear. Bond nicely presents the humorous... Read More

Caroline Lennon's performance will have listeners imagining a Christmas tree decorated with items from nature--like the O'Sullivan family's. They are spending Christmas in West Cork with the family of renowned orchestra conductor Enda Elliot. When Siobhán discovers Enda dead under a harp, she and her fiancé, fellow Garda officer Macdara Flannery, end up on the case, which they... Read More

Narrator James Cameron Stewart puts great effort and energy into his performance of this Regency-era murder mystery. It is the fourth in a series featuring Wrexford, an earl/chemist who solves crimes alongside his friend (and soul mate), Lady Charlotte, a successful caricaturist. While this novel is well researched and richly descriptive, it has a superfluity of characters, and... Read More

In this delightful performance, narrator Emily Durante connects listeners with the horror of the scandal-mongering website called Dirty Laundry, which keeps viciously attacking people at South Portland (Maine) High School. Durante builds the suspense when the person writing the page is found dead, supposedly of suicide. Private investigator Maya Kendrick, an overworked but... Read More

Barbara Rosenblat once again demonstrates her well-earned reputation for being a top-notch narrator as she reunites listeners with proper Edwina and adventurous Beryl. When the 1921 census forms are stolen amid a rash of local thefts, the detective agency run by the pair of friends gets a call. Then two cases merge when the women's new assistant gardener is arrested for the... Read More

Using an Indian accent, Vikas Adam performs the role of Captain James Agnihotri, retired from the British army, as he tells of his experiences in 1892 Bombay. The captain follows the methods of his idol, Sherlock Holmes, as he investigates the deaths of two young women he suspects of having been murdered while also getting drawn into political and military issues of the day.... Read More

As this audiobook opens, Hayley Burke is busy arranging an exhibition on Lady Fowling, the late benefactor who created the First Edition Library to honor classic literary detectives. When Hayley hires her former boss, Oona Atherton, to act as exhibition manager, everything goes well until someone pushes Oona down a spiral staircase in the same manner as the murder in Dorothy L.... Read More

With this "fly-on-the-wall" fictionalized account of the 1979 overthrow of the Shah of Iran, narrator Stefan Rudnicki wisely avoids melodramatics in favor of a crisp, intimate delivery. At times, he sounds like the authorized voice for confidential CIA communications, which may be the case, considering that the author spent 27 years in the Foreign Service. Rudnicki makes smart... Read More

Narrators Bailey Carr, Samantha Desz, and January LaVoy are the perfect trio to narrate Megan Goldin's latest thriller involving a true- crime podcaster and her coverage of a rape trial in a North Carolina town. Desz and LaVoy ensure that Rachel Krall and her podcast unfold in an authentic manner that depicts her as powerful and tenacious. Desz delivers the third-person... Read More

Narrator Natalie Naudus is the spirited voice of Lily Wong, the Chinese-Norwegian heroine at the heart of this thriller, which takes listeners into the underworld of teenage sex trafficking. Naudus gives the story a strong narrative style that sweeps listeners along L.A.'s backstreets, where Lily lives as a ninja and an investigator. This mystery includes danger, black humor,... Read More

In this audiobook, Penny Brannigan goes on a painter's retreat on an island off North Wales. All is well until she goes to paint a scenic lighthouse and spies a body on the beach below. A journalist from New Zealand who came to Wales to investigate the case of a missing man from her country is believed to have fallen down the cliff. However, Penny suspects that Jessica Graham... Read More

Narrator Wendy Tremont King keeps listeners on edge as she portrays Zoe Hallet, sister of the infamous bestselling thriller novelist Ava Hallet. Zoe has done her best to change her name and disappear from her sister's life forever following a series of books in which Ava clearly had based characters on her sister. When Ava goes missing, Zoe's carefully crafted new life crumbles... Read More

Narrator David Colacci returns to perform the final Gregor Demarkian novel, completed before the author's death in 2019. This multilayered audiobook featuring a former FBI agent, his wife, and his neighbors, who live in a Philadelphia Armenian-American community, focuses on several sociocultural issues and a murder while bringing the series to a satisfying end. Colacci's deep... Read More

At the beginning of this audiobook, Portia Paltrow aims to take her morning run, only to discover the body of local college professor Owen Hill in the doorway of the town's fabric shop. It soon becomes apparent that Owen must have been killed intentionally. The ladies of the weekly quilting bee in Crestwood, Kansas, decide to solve the case by sorting through the clues piece by... Read More

The latest in the Under Suspicion series does not disappoint. Narrator January LaVoy shines with a pitch-perfect tone and appropriate pacing, as well as effective character distinctions. In particular, LaVoy infuses drive, compassion, and intelligence into protagonist Laurie Moran. Moran is finally taking a break from producing her successful Under Suspicion television series... Read More

Listeners learn about propaganda and the women who ferried planes to bases during WWII as Poppy Redfern is recruited to write a filmscript about the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA). As narrator Madeleine Leslay gives listeners a tour of the ATA and the English countryside, the locales and characters become real to listeners. Just as the film crew is wrapping up its promotional... Read More

In 1919, Verity Kent is plunged into two cases that reach back to the Great War and her days as an intelligence agent. One case will also reach into the future, causing murders unless Verity and her husband, Sydney, can stop them. Narrator Heather Wilds keeps listeners engaged with the exciting story. She excels at giving reality to the horrors of the war. In particular, she... Read More

Erin Bennett, the voice of first-person narrator Lady Philomena Dunbridge, gives listeners a new perspective on Phil's life as she approaches her first Christmas in the U.S. The year is 1907. Just before the holiday, Phil finds the body of newspaperman Tommy Green. He's been stabbed. Phil's mysterious benefactor, "Mr. X," enlists her to seek the truth about what happened and... Read More

Jenny Sterlin narrates this 17th Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes adventure, which begins immediately after ISLAND OF THE MAD ends. Holmes's landlady/housekeeper and Mary's dear friend, Clarissa Hudson, has disappeared. Months later, while on holiday on the French Riviera, Mary spots Mrs. Hudson, who deliberately avoids her. This piques Mary's detecting instincts; she suspects... Read More

Narrator Scott Brick returns to portray Jack Reacher in this first-time collaboration between author Lee Child and his brother, Andrew. Reacher--usually the strong, silent type--is still the defender of the underdog and seeker of justice who travels the country with just a toothbrush in his pocket, engaging in multiple incidents of well-choreographed violence as necessary.... Read More

Narrator Henry Leyva's comfort with Spanish builds a strong sense of place in this mystery set in the Basque country. Detective Kraken López de Ayala is tapped to investigate a ritualistic double murder that copies the crimes of a serial killer who's been imprisoned for 20 years. The clues and crime scenes in this well-constructed police procedural give listeners a peek at... Read More

Ross Greenwood's sublime writing is enhanced by David Thorpe's outstanding narration. The Soul Killer had a horrific childhood--his overzealous mother punished him severely and taught him to "repent in this life, rejoice in the next." Listeners will be engrossed in alternating chapters told from the perspectives of the ruthless killer and the police who are searching for him.... Read More

Neil Dudgeon impressively narrates this audio novella, which takes place in the fictional English village of Cherringham. Jack and Sarah are hired by the Cherringham Gin Company to investigate the possible murder of its head of botanicals, a move not without opposition. In his performance of each character, Dudgeon creates an individual personality, complete with regional... Read More

This audiobook is lowbrow, high energy, and absurdly good fun. Johnny Heller narrates a 1940s-style mystery in a voice suggestive of tough guys in old detective movies. There are references to lugs, thugs, swell guys, and doll-faced dames. Protagonists Bingo and Handsome are scam artists out for a quick buck (or maybe a quarter million bucks), but they are kindhearted and two... Read More

Narrator Stephen Shanahan once again transports listeners down under--this time to Tasmania. Kieran Elliot returns to his hometown to assist his parents' move from Elliot Bay, due to his father's dementia. When the body of a young woman is found on the beach, Kieran is drawn back into memories of the terrible storm 12 years earlier that resulted in the drowning of his brother... Read More

Narrator Lucy Rayner clearly differentiates dialogue, narrative, and recorded voices in this novella, which explores technology, credit, and ambition in a future England. In Harmony's world, success and relationships depend on the enhancements (nanobots) a person buys; for example, a dental nano provides a perfect smile and fresh breath for only a few pounds a month. Rayner's... Read More

Set 18 months after the 1992 riots in the Lynwood section of L.A., this mystery follows two gang members, Wizard and Dreamer, as they're arrested and enter the legal system for crimes they may not have committed. Seven narrators convincingly portray a dozen characters-- from the young Hispanic prisoners and their families and friends to the world-weary prosecutors, parole... Read More

Narrator Lameece Issaq brings calculating serial killer Scarlett Clark to life in this new audiobook. The English professor at Gorman University uses her power and the fact she is mostly overlooked to plan and carry out the brutal murders of sexual predators on campus. Eileen Stevens portrays Carly Schiller, a shy student who is desperately trying to survive her first year on... Read More

Narrator Angie Hickman takes listeners to Maika'i, Hawaii. As Christmas approaches, Saffron is busy organizing a community Nativity party at her egg farm. She attends the world's most prestigious chicken show, where the owner of the front-runners, French hens, is murdered--bashed with the winner's trophy. With the chickens having gone missing and several competitors being... Read More

The venerable author's latest legal thriller brings back attorney Jake Brigance, this time defending a teen accused of killing a sheriff's deputy. Grisham starkly lays out how the deck is stacked against the poor in small-town Mississippi as they struggle with closed minds, mounting financial challenges, and other obstacles. Narrator Michael Beck is superb. He is a vocal... Read More

Listeners hearing this courtroom drama will feel like members of the jury that is evaluating the arguments of Louisiana attorney Jack Carney, as brought to life by narrator Kevin Stillwell. He delivers a perfect interpretation of a Louisiana drawl and flawlessly conveys the tonal patterns of that region. All the other characters are carefully portrayed as well; old men sound... Read More

This knotty thriller is all the more absorbing because of narrator Will Damron, who captures the quirkiness and humor of its brilliant protagonist, Dr. Lucas Page. An astrophysicist who helps the FBI on unsolvable cases, Lucas has to uncover the mastermind and motive behind multiple seemingly unconnected explosions before more people die. He himself comes close to death--and in... Read More

Narrator Amir Abdullah depicts Chicago's wealthy enclaves, struggling neighborhoods, and mouthwatering foods while introducing former-cop-turned-PI Ashe Cayne. Listeners join him as he interviews aloof billionaire Violet Gerrigan, who wants him to find her missing 25-year-old daughter, Tinsley. As Cayne focuses on the secretive family, he learns that Tinsley is kind, generous,... Read More

Fact and fiction are interwoven in this historical novel about Wernher von Braun and his team of rocket scientists, who in this thriller are on the verge of defection to the U.S. David Rintoul, who narrates with a plummy English accent and a detached air, presents characters on both sides of WWII with equanimity. The story traces the impact of Hitler's decision to unleash... Read More

Narrator Sophie Amoss offers her best take on the hard-boiled detective in this police procedural about a serial killer who is targeting young, female violinists. While the premise seems like an intriguing setup for an audiobook, Amoss has the deck stacked against her. For instance, she convincingly portrays an exhausted young detective who suffers from a combination of grief,... Read More