New Reviews: Mystery & Suspense

Emilia Fox's stylish narration brings Freya and her eccentric Aunt Carol to life as they set out to discover the truth behind the death of their old friend and mentor, Arthur. Their adventure escalates as they find themselves sharing an English manor house with some shady individuals. Fox creates believable characters in both the protagonists, injecting just the right amount of... Read More

This supernatural thriller provides an enjoyable wrinkle in narration. The audiobook doesn't feature a single narrator voicing all characters or a full cast with an individual narrator voicing each character. The members of the ensemble each take a major character and whomever that character interacts with. Rachel Fulginiti shines as Andi Wyndham, who buys a bone pendant that... Read More

Powerful, enlightening, and entertaining are some of the superlatives that might come to mind as listeners are transported to the world of trial attorney Jack Lee in Virginia in 1968--brought to life by a uniformly outstanding cast. Narrator MacLeod Andrews uses accent, tone, and pace to masterfully portray Lee and the other white male characters. Lee partners with attorney... Read More

Narrators James Urbaniak and Jesse Vilinsky grip listeners throughout the roller-coaster ride of this inventive thriller. The story features the California Bear, a serial killer who mysteriously disappeared decades ago. As interest in the long dormant case is reignited, an ex-police detective, Hightower, and his cohorts go on a mission to reveal the real Bear. The plot unfolds... Read More

Tanis Parenteau delivers Marcia Muller's latest intense Sharon McCone mystery. At first, Parenteau's scratchy voice is unappealing, but as she navigates more twists and turns than a carnival ride, her tone fits the story. Vandalism has hit several upscale San Francisco neighborhoods. PI McCone's agency is hired by a neighborhood watch group to keep an eye on local streets.... Read More

Pete Cross provides a suitably lighthearted narration for this quirky, twisty, high-flying murder mystery set in a circus called Mysterium. This second installment in the Hayden and Friends mystery series follows a pint-sized gay middle-school teacher, Hayden, and his best friend, Hollister, as they seek the culprit in the murder of one of the circus performers. Although... Read More

In the final book in the Danny Ryan Trilogy, a masterpiece of crime writing, Ari Fliakos delivers an astounding, empathetic performance. Rhode Island Irish mobster Danny Ryan's journey began decades ago when he evolved from a longshoreman to a small-time mobster and then to a multimillionaire Las Vegas hotelier. Winslow based Ryan's journey on the Greek tragedies THE ILIAD, THE... Read More

Rory Kinnear's performance of the fifth Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery is "something of a masterclass," says author Anthony Horowitz in a recorded postscript that praises Kinnear's flair and fluency. Indeed, Kinnear's voice--rich and resonant, with precise articulation--is one of the many pleasures in this outing of the comical, ill-matched pair as they investigate which... Read More

The spirited, engaging voice of narrator Bronwen Price takes listeners back to Edinburgh, Scotland, where a detective duo is solving a very personal cold case in the late Victorian period. In the fifth adventure of the Angus Brodie and Mikaela Forsythe crime-solving team, Angus is searching for the person who murdered his mother 30 years earlier. Uninvited but undeterred,... Read More

This post-Cold War thriller set in Moscow in 1976 is primarily a murder mystery with a cameo of Henry Kissinger. Its enjoyable listening benefits from David Aranovich's well-paced narration. The central character is Viktor Moroz, a Russian refusenik who stumbles on a murder scene and is given a choice: Find the murderer, or the KGB will name him the murderer. From there, the... Read More

When an Amish man is brutally murdered, his shadow life is exposed, and secrets are revealed. Narrator Kathleen McInerney channels Police Chief Kate Burkholder with precision as she investigates the crime. When she discovers the extent to which the victim, Aden Karn, was himself a perpetrator, she is filled with controlled rage. Upon hearing of his toll on others in the... Read More

Buckle up for another thrilling adventure with Finlay Donavan and her eclectic crew. Angela Dawe returns to narrate Finlay's escapades as a single mom, romance writer, and accidental criminal. Dawe seamlessly captures the essence of each character, from Finlay and her partner-in-crime, Vero, to the diverse supporting cast. Particularly noteworthy is Dawe's skill in portraying... Read More

Mari Oyaizu Carson enthusiastically brings to life the delightfully eccentric inhabitants of a senior mobile home park. At the outset, Stewart Johnson and his daughter determine that he's a good fit for living there--even though the well-rendered perky saleswoman irritates Stewart. As time passes, nosy neighbors are intrusive, and bigmouth Suzy unhesitatingly shares advice. But... Read More

Narrators Almarie Guerra and Feodor Chin reunite to bring the second installment in the Daniela Vega series to life. FBI agent Dani Vega emerges as a female counterpart to author Lee Child's hero Jack Reacher--savvy, justice driven, and a military-trained fighting machine. The narrative delves into Vega's past, recounting the haunting discovery of her father's murder when she... Read More

Narrator John Rubinstein returns to take listeners on a ride-along with psychologist Alex Delaware and Police Lieutenant Milo Sturgis as they solve another complicated crime. Rubinstein has perfected the voices of Milo and Alex, while skillfully performing secondary characters male and female, including a precocious male teenager. This 39th addition to the series provides... Read More

Music piracy meets murder in this fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable audiobook. The story features criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck and focuses on Imani Nichols, a pop superstar who is at odds with her estranged husband. Jonathan Davis delivers a superb performance, giving every character a distinct personality that reveals the depth of author James Grippando's story.... Read More

Sarah Cullum commendably portrays 19-year-old Jane Austen as she's traditionally known and as an intrepid amateur sleuth. Listeners attend a ball with Jane, where a body is found. Unfortunately, Jane's handicapped brother finds himself under suspicion because he has the victim's necklace in his possession. Jane is determined to find the murderer. Cullum masterfully delivers the... Read More

In a crisp British accent, Jane Collingwood fills this mystery with tension as police investigate the 1990 disappearance of Charlotte Salter, who never arrived at her husband's fiftieth birthday party. Collingwood portrays Charlotte's 15-year-old daughter, Etty, as frantic, while her four brothers, who are mostly stoned or drunk, are voiced with all the nonchalance of... Read More

Christina Delaine's deep, rich voice makes for a mostly easy listen as she narrates this cat-and-mouse thriller. Listeners may find Delaine's slow-paced and low-pitched delivery a bit monotone in contrast to the adrenaline-fueled scenes. The story is told mainly from the perspectives of the hired assassin, Leo Sealy, and his target, smart and well-trained security expert... Read More

Dual narrators Alexandra Dowling and Jaye Jacobs tackle a twisting tale in this engaging audiobook. When she is abruptly summoned to the Gravesdown Estate to discuss a possible inheritance, Annie Adams is eager to meet her famously paranoid Great-Aunt Frances. But Frances is murdered just before Annie arrives, and Annie's attempts to investigate may put her squarely in the... Read More

Not every listener has felt that Tana French's stand-alone novels have lived up to the pleasures of her psychologically shrewd Dublin Murder Squad series, but THE HUNTER marks a return to form, at least in Roger Clark's thrilling audio performance. Here Cal Hooper, an American emigré like French herself, has moved to a ferociously insular Irish village. He's a retired Chicago... Read More

Narrator R.S. Klein leads a full cast in this spirited mystery. Listeners first meet Mitchell, an ex-cop turned private investigator whose confidence and offbeat humor serve him well. He is portrayed by Tom Westley. When acid-tongued Eleanor Marbury-Coyne, splendidly portrayed by narrator Laura Ann, calls on Mitchell to rescue her husband from a loan shark, the action takes... Read More

Rachel Botchan impressively conveys this disturbing story based on an actual unsolved murder in 1800s Killingly, Connecticut, and Boston. When Mount Holyoke student Bertha Mellish disappears, listeners meet her family and other students from the college, including her best friend, Agnes. Botchan deftly re-creates the period diction, snobbish members of the upper class,... Read More

January LaVoy and Will Damron give sterling performances in this audiobook about a woman who is suspected of committing a murder five years earlier and the popular true-crime podcaster who exposes her. LaVoy is simply outstanding as the often funny Lucy Chase; she adopts a sardonic, fatalistic tone that matches Lucy's character. LaVoy also is great in supporting roles,... Read More

This story of a woman's descent into domestic abuse hasn't lost any relevance since its 1997 publication. Narrator Alix Dunmore nails each character with her varying pitch and English accents. Young Ruth is struggling in her news radio career and in the early years of marriage to the overconfident and spoiled Patrick. Eventually, she's drawn out of their Bristol flat and... Read More

Narrator Scott Brick dons a trench coat and breathes life into a former black-ops government assassin code named Orphan X. When Evan Smoak left the Program, he reinvented himself into a righter of wrongs for victims needing a savior. Brick employs perfect timing and emphasis to portray Evan and plays him with heart. Initially asked to find a little girl's dog, he soon finds... Read More

Jessica Matten, a Canadian actor of Red River Métis and Cree heritage, deftly narrates the ninth installment in this series, drawing from her role as Officer Bernadette Manuelito in the DARK WINDS streaming series. Matten skillfully conveys the full range of emotions of the characters, young and old, illuminating the complex dynamics of family relationships. Former tribal... Read More

Stina Nielsen's melodious voice and elegant performing style work well for this autobiographical novel. She narrates with understanding and emulates the main character's musical musings. Her tone and timbre are just right for Jodie Rattler, the singer-songwriter who has luck in her career but challenges in her love and family lives. The references to twentieth-century music... Read More

This compelling psychological thriller adroitly weaves together a murder mystery with salient truths about being Black and in the crosshairs of law enforcement. Breanna's romantic vacation in New York City with her boyfriend, Ty, becomes a nightmare when a stranger winds up dead inside their swanky vacation rental and Ty goes missing. Ariel Blake skillfully conveys Breanna's... Read More

Popular NBC television personality Al Roker is the coauthor and narrator of this fast-paced murder mystery. Roker portrays a character much like himself--a charming morning show cohost named Billy Blessing. Billy is a celebrity chef, as well as a news commentator, and he owns a famous New York restaurant. Listeners are inundated with the names of television executives, media... Read More

Narrator Daniel York Loh sounds refined and reserved as academic Lao She in this atmospheric twist on the cases of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Lao admiringly recounts the feats of Judge Dee Ren Jie, who is investigating a series of murders of Chinese men in 1920s London--murders the police seem uninterested in solving. Dee has a prodigious intellect and advanced fighting... Read More

AudioFile Golden Voice Simon Jones delivers Agatha Christie's classic locked-room mystery to perfection. After the overdose death of Mrs. Ferrars and the murder of his friend Roger Ackroyd a short time later, Dr. Sheppard recounts a story of guilt, blackmail, and despair. Hercule Poirot is renting the cottage next to Sheppard's and soon is drawn into the investigation. Jones... Read More

Katherine Littrell portrays Theodosia, who gives up her law studies in Australia and goes to stay with her brother, Gus, in Kansas to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. When she finds the body of a famous writer who had befriended her in a coffee shop, she and Gus find their world turned upside down. They're drawn into a world of preppers, conspiracy theorists, and book... Read More

Felix, the son of the much admired author Dick Francis, has written a horse-racing novel worthy of his acclaimed father's series. In this colorful mystery, the distinguished Golden Voice narrator Martin Jarvis gives voice to Theo Jennings, a bloodstock auctioneer in New Market who happens to overhear two buyers discussing skullduggery and possible equine murder. Jarvis portrays... Read More

Narrator A.J. Cook utilizes her considerable acting skills in portraying single mother, divorce lawyer, and suicide hotline volunteer Felicia, whose life was forever changed by her sister's suicide. She is matched in talent by actress Tess Albertson, who portrays Chloe, a teenage rape victim who has called Felicia's help line. Albertson conveys Chloe's humiliation at the horror... Read More

Imogen Church's portrayal of soft-spoken Lyla heightens the tension in this nod to one of Agatha Christie's most beloved mysteries, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, set on a stormy desert island. Lyla and her boyfriend have been cast in a TV game show in which five couples compete for the title of "The Perfect Couple." As the couples are cut off from the mainland and someone begins... Read More

Saskia Maarleveld is a bravura performer, particularly dazzling with European accents. Here she is performing in her own native New Zealand accents, and the result is unexpectedly confounding. While the consonants are familiar, the vowel sounds are so different from those in standard British or American English that the meaning is often hard to follow, particularly when a... Read More

Scottish actor Lauren Lyle brings a subtle touch to this audiobook, set in Edinburgh and featuring DCI Karen Pirie, the character Lyle also plays in the television series. Pirie and her team are in lockdown during the early days of Covid when they're drawn into a barely cold case involving a student's disappearance and a dead author's unfinished manuscript that seems to lay out... Read More

Chicago private detective V.I. Warshawski is once again delivered vividly to fans of this mystery series. Emotionally recovering from her devastating last case, V.I. has traveled to Kansas for a relaxing weekend to watch a college basketball game. But when a young woman disappears, she is reluctantly drawn into a complex web of suspicious circumstances involving the local drug... Read More

Allie Rose's light, genteel performance is just right for the fourth novel in Cara Devlin's Bow Street Duchess series. Once again, Lady Audrey and Bow Street runner Hugh Marsden must solve a baffling puzzle. When his half-sister, Eloisa, is brutally murdered during a ball, Hugh becomes the prime suspect. Meeting in secret, Hugh and Audrey set out to prove his innocence and to... Read More

Tony Award-winning actor Jodie Comer performs this adaptation of Miller's one-woman play with empathy and a thoughtfully calculated pace. Barrister Tessa Ensler is a top criminal defense attorney. Comer's delivery of Tessa's earnest belief in the judicial system lulls the listener into a false sense of security as she clocks win after win through her razor-sharp questioning.... Read More

Sounding similar and yet unique--as sisters often do--Saskia Maarleveld and Grace Experience use a tag-team approach to tell this wild tale of showbiz, double-dealing, cryptocurrency, family secrets, murder, and big dreams gone wrong. Maarleveld brings an urbane resilience to older sister Crissy, who impersonates the iconic "Lady Di" Spencer in an off-the-Strip Las Vegas... Read More

Megan Tusing brings home this timely story about American intolerance in a time of war. She perfectly portrays reporter Anne Lemire, who is assigned to dispel unfounded rumors in Boston in the weeks before the U.S. enters WWII. Many of the events in the story resonate with current events, in particular, people objecting to involving America in a European war. Lemire is aided in... Read More

Boady Sanden is a lawyer with lots of baggage, and it all gets unloaded in this audiobook. What starts with a request to get a new trial for a wrongly convicted murderer and seeming clairvoyant turns into a far more complex story involving Emma, whom he has raised since her father and mother's deaths and never fully come to grips with. Delivered by a team of narrators, with... Read More

Daniel Philpott's vibrant character portrayals create palpable tension in this murder mystery set in Brighton, England. Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens's Christmas is off to a sinister start: Two children have gone missing. Philpott conveys the town's growing anxiety as time passes and they are not found. His diverse voices bring out the personalities of the town's... Read More

Through Hillary Huber's masterful performance, listeners are introduced to former spy Maggie Bird, who is now happily raising chickens on her small farm in Maine. But a dead body on her doorstep and an attempt on her life force Maggie to use her espionage skills once again. Joined by her fellow former spies, the members of the Martini Club, Maggie travels back to several former... Read More

Lisa Flanagan's pleasant voice and skill with characterizations are on fine display in this intriguing new novel by Edgar Award-nominated author Nova Jacobs. Set at the Swiss physics lab CERN, the story--a mix of mystery, science fiction, and romance--starts with the suspicious death of Howard, a brilliant young physicist, in the facility's giant underground particle collider.... Read More

Narrator Jeena Yi transports listeners to the suburban town of Wesley Falls, where the Capstone Six, a group of diverse students, witness a horrifying event that they seek to avenge. Yi's talented narration helps listeners keep track of the plot, which is told from various viewpoints over two timelines, one covering the events in 1995 and the other taking place 20 years later,... Read More

Thriller fans will be delighted that Hillary Huber continues her successful run as narrator of the Frankie Elkin series. In the third installment, Huber brings out the sassy charm of Frankie, an unconventional cold case investigator. She's hired by a serial killer on death row to locate her little sister, who disappeared in Hawaii. Huber impeccably pronounces the audiobook's... Read More

Leslie Howard's range suits this psychological thriller in which emotions run high. A year ago, Caseham High School was rocked by rumors of a student/teacher affair involving a student named Addie. This year, Eve, a math teacher, is apprehensive about having Addie in her class after her mentor, the accused teacher, resigned due to the rumors. Addie is hiding something--but what... Read More

Narrator Robert Petkoff masterfully portrays U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport and his daughter, Letty, in the 34th addition to the Davenport series. A deranged British medical doctor decides people are killing the earth and he has the solution. Then he disappears in New Mexico. Investigator Letty Davenport is brought in to track him down. With potential catastrophe looming, she... Read More

There are few novels that are part legal thriller, part family saga, part redemption story, and that do it well. This compelling narrative is brought to life by the tremendous Edoardo Ballerini. With gentle authority, Ballerini invites listeners to meet the Devlin family, a seemingly tight unit who work in a family law firm. The story opens with favorite son John calling his... Read More

AudioFile Golden Voice Simon Vance navigates former double agent/journalist John Russell through his eighth adventure. It's the bad old days of the 1950s. The Cold War is heating up, Russia and the U.S. are at loggerheads in postwar Berlin, McCarthy's witch hunt is in full swing in America, and espionage is rampant. Russell's partner, successful TV actress Effi Koenen, is to be... Read More

Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta, portrayed by January LaVoy, works side by side with her niece, Secret Service Agent Lucy Farinelli, to solve the murders of two suspected Russian spies. At a remote crime scene in the woods, an investigator casts an unusual oversized footprint and sends it to the lab for evaluation in secret. LaVoy's warm yet businesslike delivery... Read More

Gary Hoffman masterfully narrates this historical thriller based on a true crime in Leesburg, Virginia, in 1872. Emily Lloyd, a young widow considered odd even by her friends, is charged with murdering her four children, her husband, and her aunt. In a town full of jealous wives and mysterious neighbors, everyone is already convinced of Mrs. Lloyd's guilt--except Powell... Read More

In this sequel to CITY UNDER ONE ROOF, Cara Kennedy, compellingly portrayed by Aspen Vincent, is a smart detective from Anchorage who is adjusting to her new life after the deaths of her husband and son while hiking. Now she learns that what was determined to be an accident may have been murder. Blaire Chandler energetically takes on the role of Ellie, a hard-boiled character... Read More

Inspired by a true event--the 1911 murder of muckraking writer David Graham Phillips--this well-researched mystery casts author Edith Wharton as a reluctant detective probing the death and life of a man she abhorred. Kitty Hendrix performs in a low-register breathy voice that emphasizes Wharton's mix of high-society manners and fierce determination. Her moderate pace allows... Read More

Heads up, listeners: This audiobook runs over 29 hours. Listening feels like the equivalent of bingeing on a twelve-season streaming spy thriller. Harding's deep voice for the protagonist, Kane, a specialist who infiltrates extremely hostile areas, seems more mature than the character but sustains interest throughout. In efforts to address threats to the United States, Kane... Read More