New Reviews: Fiction

Author Jeanne Thornton performs her novel with a charming casualness that will immediately draw listeners in. In 1998, three queer teenagers bond over creating video games in the early days of Internet chat rooms. Nineteen years later they are all trans women in their 30s, and though they've lost touch and never met in person, they're still haunted by the game they never... Read More

In this engaging collection of short stories by Filipino writer and journalist F.H. Batacan (SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES ), Amielynn Abellera and Ramón de Ocampo alternate narrating the riveting mysteries. Abellera is good at voicing the more suspenseful stories with her faster, clipped style of speaking, while de Ocampo tackles the introspective character studies by languidly... Read More

Profanity seems to be the only way to adequately describe the outrageous behavior of a classmate of Florence's 10-year-old son, Dylan. Narrator Georgina Sadler's resigned matter-of-fact delivery sets a hilariously irreverent tone in this addictive listen. Just as it seems there might finally be an opening for Florence to revive the pop band career of her youth, Dylan's... Read More

Karen Russell, the magical realism and prose virtuoso, conjures the American Dust Bowl. Her vibrant imaginings are voiced by a stellar cast. Sophie Amoss shimmers as the Antidote, a "prairie witch" who takes verbal deposits; Asphodel Oletsky, a teen recently orphaned when her mom was murdered, is vividly portrayed by Elena Rey; and the masterful Mark Bramhall inhabits the sane,... Read More

This collection of 14 stories by Lydia Millet is timely and clever. Featuring four talented narrators, Hillary Huber, Devon Sorvari, Patrick Zeller, and Pete Cross, the stories and characters overlap and interweave. Huber's four narrations are droll and sardonic, with a sassy, smart teen vocalization in "Artist." Sorvari's narrations are leisurely, thoughtful, and clear; one... Read More

Traci Kato-Kiriyama's magnetic performance of this penetrating psychological study is a wonder to hear. Her skilled narration illuminates the complexities of this meditative story of shifting perceptions. With admirable ease Kato-Kiriyama deftly slips into the persona of the unnamed female protagonist, a 49-year-old married theater actress. Her deliberate pacing and subtly... Read More

Catherine Ho delivers a masterful performance of Susanna Kwan's poignant debut novel about identity and creating a sense of home amid displacement. Set in a rain-drenched near-future San Francisco, the story follows Bo, a young elder-care worker who faces uncertainty after her mother's disappearance. When Mia, Bo's centenarian neighbor, offers the solitary Bo a job, she readily... Read More

Narrator Cia Court's portrayal of a troubled woman's journey of self-discovery is intriguing and engaging. Heather literally flees from her terminal cancer prognosis with a cross-country road trip and a final confrontation with her absent father over his real and imagined sins. Listeners feel Heather's anger over learning her fate and her refusal to surrender to despair. Court... Read More

Erika LeonGuerrero narrates this speculative family drama, taking listeners into a world in which human extinction is scientifically predicted to occur within the next four generations. Charlie and Maggie Tannehill, twin sisters on the brink of adulthood, become involved in a government-led program aimed at delaying humanity's decline through incentivized reproduction.... Read More

English actor Hattie Morahan narrates this novel of a secret past, grief mixed with guilt, and the dangerous consequences that result. Beth is a quiet farmer's wife who is living a peaceful existence, but her happiness comes at the cost of keeping silent about her past. When a chance encounter brings wealthy Gabriel Wolfe back into the picture, Beth has to determine whether to... Read More

In a tone of authority and wry humor, narrator Adam Grupper portrays Lev Davidovich Bronshtein--better known as Leon Trotsky--as he visits New York City in 1917. Littell's Bronshtein becomes a hero to the socialists scrambling around the Big Apple's streets as he wrestles with questions relating to his revolutionary ideology, his place in his own family, his relationship with... Read More

This audiobook delivers an epic story about the conflict between art and commerce. Micky Shiloah's youthful voice embodies Tobey, who is fleeing the 2024 California fires with a plan to steal three paintings by Di Stiegl from his father for quick sale. In alternating chapters, Nancy Peterson captures the ingenue spirit of Di, whose photorealistic art brings her fame until she... Read More

Maggi-Meg Reed is at the top of her game in her nuanced portrayal of Sybil Van Antwerp. Sybil shares her life in letters to friends and family, as well as strangers and authors she admires, including Joan Didion and Ann Patchett. However, there's one mysterious letter she writes but never mails. A divorced septuagenarian, Sybil is slowly going blind. As an adoptee who has... Read More

Narrator Jo Yuan gives an animated performance in this witty literary translation about South Korean corporate office life. Kim Jihye is a 30-year-old intern at Diamant Academy, an adult education company. Originally hoping to be hired as a permanent employee, she comes to realize that this is likely never going to happen. Instead, another intern, Lee Gyuok, is brought on.... Read More

Cassandra Campbell skillfully narrates this devastating audiobook about a couple named Addie and Leo as they navigate Leo's diagnosis of Lewy body dementia. As Leo's disease progresses, Addie struggles to come to terms with the loss of her husband as she knew him and an uncertain financial future. After an incident with his sister's family, Leo is sent to a care home and then... Read More

Robyn Maryke deftly delivers this exploration of a woman's journey into polyamory. The narrator, who never reveals her name, begins the story with recollections of the times her husband, Paul, encouraged her to flirt with and maybe kiss other men. As a wife, she reflects on her role in their marriage, while as a spiritual person, she grapples with moral discomfort as Paul... Read More

Amrita Acharia makes the most of this dystopian reimagining of the rise of fascism in Nepal. She narrates the lives of two women whose fates intertwine in a world shaped by revolution, power, and shifting identities. Kranti, the daughter of a revolutionary, marries into a wealthy and influential family, only to find herself entangled in its internal struggles. Rozy, mistress of... Read More

This dystopian novel, set in an uncomfortably near future, features an innocent woman who is incarcerated for her dreams. Exceptionally well narrated by Frankie Corzo, with brief bursts of affectless officialese delivered by Barton Caplan, the story works remarkably well as an audiobook. Much of the narrative is the protagonist Sara's thoughts, feelings, and reactions. Corzo... Read More

Nicole Cash delivers a steady and engaging narration of this complex story of immigration to the U.S. from modern-day Nigeria. She captures the novel's emotional depth and the shifting landscapes of Nigeria and New Orleans as Amina's arrival in America coincides with a hurricane. Cash guides listeners through Amina's journey from Ibadan to America, toggling between youthful... Read More

Versatile performances by Amanda Troop and A.W. Miller heighten the drama in this Parisian getaway. When Taylor Quinn checks into a Paris hotel alone for her honeymoon, she busies herself by observing newlyweds Cassie Quinn and Olivier, a Frenchman who is desperate for an American visa. Troop brings depth to her portrayals of the conflict-averse Taylor and the manipulative... Read More

Golden Voice Cassandra Campbell narrates this story told almost entirely in dialogue. It takes place at a major New York City museum and spans 24 hours, beginning at 5 a.m. on the day of an important fundraising gala. The various characters grapple with dramas both personal and professional. Campbell creates distinct voices for the vulnerable director, her overworked assistant,... Read More

Lauren Graham's approachable yet flawed performance gives voice to this ironically titled exploration of family, love, loss, and secrets. The Endicott siblings--Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude--who once enjoyed a close bond, have not seen each other in three years. Their estrangement plays out in chapters alternating across both time and characters as they are brought together... Read More

Sarah Slimani gives an engaging and often funny performance of this satirical debut novel. Nadia is a London lecturer who, after writing an academic article about the deradicalization of ISIS brides, takes a job in Iraq to head a UN program to repatriate those women to their homes. Slimani captures the many layers of the novel, which uses satire as a vehicle to explore... Read More

Eliot Sumner narrates a genre-defying near-future novel that often seems like a fairytale. Two children, Briar and Rose, are left to fend for themselves with just a few cans of food in what is most likely rural Britain. Their free-thinking mother is missing, and they fear the government will find them before she does. The story is told in Smith's signature stunning prose, which... Read More

Nigerian author Funmi Fetto's narration anchors this wide-ranging collection of short stories with a steady, immersive presence. She modulates her voice to reflect the unique emotional terrain of each character. Fetto makes it easy to distinguish between Ifeoma's escalating tension as she tries to leave her abusive husband, Nkechi's cautious resilience, and Riliwa's evolving... Read More

Bahni Turpin and Ashley J. Hobbs dazzle with their performance of this historical novel inspired by true events. When Nikki drives into the mountains of North Carolina to visit her grandmother for the first time, she doesn't know what to expect. Soon, she's learning all about her ancestor, Luella, who was queen of a small kingdom there called Happy Land. Hobbs narrates from... Read More

Imagine a world in which Harriet Tubman and four of her compatriots enter the present time to tell their own stories on the hip-hop stage. Then imagine this same story expresses empathy for being queer in the US and in the hip-hop music scene. Listeners may know author/narrator Bob The Drag Queen from "RuPaul's Drag Race" or from HBO's "We're Here," and he does not disappoint... Read More

Emily Woo Zeller delivers a sharp and nimble performance of this offbeat romantic comedy. Joannie has the opportunity to revive a childhood crush on an unpredictable guy or proceed with the dependable guy next door. Golden Voice Zeller balances the tangled web of relationships with clarity, adapting her delivery to reflect the shifting dynamics of a dizzying list of sound-alike... Read More

Japanese narrator Yuriri Naka's penetrating narration of this International Booker Prize longlisted audiobook will grip listeners. In her debut novella, Saou Ichikawa, who suffers from a congenital muscle disorder, has fashioned a persuasive denunciation of Japan's cultural insensitivity toward disabled persons. Its main character, Shaka, a 40-something woman who suffers from... Read More

John Kenney's latest novel successfully walks a tightrope between dark humor and genuine warmth, and Sean Patrick Hopkins's narration provides the necessary balance. Bud Stanley is a newspaper writer who one night drunkenly writes and publishes his own obituary, setting in motion a grimly amusing series of events. Hopkins's even tone perfectly conveys Bud's sarcastic wit, as... Read More

Narrator Yu-Li Alice Shen delivers a wild, bingeable listening experience in this fast-paced debut. Identical twins Julie and Chloe, who lost their parents at age 4, grew up worlds apart. Julie, who was raised by their miserable, greedy aunt, works a dead-end job, while Chloe, who was adopted by a wealthy family, lives a life of luxury and is a popular influencer. One day,... Read More

Kelsey Jaffer and Ines del Castillo team up to deliver this touching epistolary novel featuring heartfelt narrations. The story begins when Frida, who is living in Paris, contacts the Seattle bookstore where Kate works in search of a book. Known for her friendly demeanor, Kate is chosen to correspond with Frida. As their friendship grows through a shared love of books and... Read More

Narrators Hillary Huber and Allyson Ryan deliver captivating performances of Bartz's second novel. Thea, a social worker, is certain she knows the patient who has been brought to her unit. And the patient, Catherine, has a resemblance to Thea. When Catherine leaves the unit, she leaves behind clues for Thea, which lead Thea to a retreat center in New Mexico. As Thea... Read More

Amy Alexander lends her voice to the second installment of McCall Smith's Perfect Passion Company series. As Katie settles into her new role of running her cousin's matchmaking business, she finds herself growing closer to her neighbor, William, a visiting Australian textile artist. With William's help, Katie works to find mates for an influx of new clients who are all looking... Read More

Rebecca Lowman's propulsive narration brings listeners into the tensions of a couple whose affair leads them into danger. Nick, a high-powered attorney, and Jenny, a successful novelist, have secretly met for six years. Each lies to their spouse, so they can spend one night in a Manhattan luxury hotel. When fire alarms go off, Nick and Jenny try to leave the room but are told... Read More

Eric Yang blends tension and restraint as he narrates this novel, set in a reunified Korea, where the line between human and robot is constantly blurred. Estranged siblings Jun and Morgan reunite to uncover the mystery behind their missing sibling, Yoyo. Yang brings a tough compassion to Jun, a detective in the Robot Crimes Unit, whose latest case involving a missing robot... Read More

Cynthia Farrell tackles the challenges of narrating the fictional biography of the divisive Malinalli, known as La Malinche in Mexico. Malinalli's peaceful and loving family life is shattered when her brother and father are murdered by the Aztec emperor Moctezuma. Malinalli then finds herself given to the conquistador Hernán Cortés and becomes his interpreter. Using her... Read More

Boyd Barrett flawlessly brings to life the eccentric but lovable residents of a small town in Georgia. Listeners meet independent Sarah Lapis Harris--"Slappy"--who buys her family's home at auction, angering her seven brothers. As she settles in, she's continually interrupted by her junk-collecting, sermonizing, flirty neighbor, Fin--who is rendered to perfection. The town is... Read More

Hillary Huber narrates this charming story of a cross-country road trip, an elderly woman with a wild past, and the subdued college student she convinces to be her getaway driver. Louise is a senior citizen with a newly healed hip, a need for privacy, and a secret past. Tanner is a college student who was recently divested of her soccer scholarship after a major injury and is... Read More

Kelly Marie Tran is an excellent choice of narrator for a novel that follows four Vietnamese American cousins whose lives are drastically altered when a wave of violence leads to their community's internment. While Ursula and Alvin remain free, Jen and Duncan are sent to a detention camp, where they struggle with isolation and the harsh conditions. When Jen secretly finds a way... Read More

Fredrik Backman, the talented Swedish novelist, is a witty writer and a keen observer. Golden Voice narrator Marin Ireland grandly performs this story of art, friendship, and what it means to be a teen. Ireland replicates the snarky tone of Louisa, who has just released herself from foster care to go see the work of art that is the fulcrum of the plot. Ireland captures the... Read More

Narrator Evan Sibley captures the tone of empathy and regret in this novel about a young couple's budding relationship. Natch sees himself as "some wild thing let loose on the world." He works as a tree trimmer in northern Georgia and lives simply in a cabin at the end of a dirt road. One day he meets Asha, who works at a convenience store and hopes to put herself through... Read More

Actor Peter Outerbridge, who doesn't have a large body of work as a narrator of audiobooks, is outstanding in this debut novel by fellow Canadian Mooney. Although the story is told from the point of view of a 12-year-old boy in the early 1950s, it's not nostalgic, and Outerbridge captures the forthright, occasionally detached, tone of the preteen. The other primary... Read More

Sebastian Croft gives a quiet, emotional performance of this tender debut novel by Irish poet Seán Hewitt. Sixteen-year-old James's small world breaks open when a new boy, Luke, arrives in his rural village in the north of England. James's feelings for Luke overwhelm him, and over the course of a year their friendship slowly transforms his life. Croft's soft narration captures... Read More

Soneela Nankani delivers a grounded, evenhanded performance as she voices the inner conflict of a woman who is caught between two identities. Lata Murthy decides her actual life is too boring and creates another, more glamorous, self with potentially disastrous consequences. Nankani's style reflects Lata Murthy's shifting inner life as she steps into the world of her new... Read More

Ava, Ray, Sasha, and Sky arrive at a controversial treatment center that promises relief through extended sleep. They're all being treated for loss and heartache, and their diverse stories create an engaging tableau. The outstanding group of narrators juggle this journey of loss, hope, and uncertainty. Ava, a book illustrator, struggles with guilt, while Ray, a firefighter,... Read More

Award-winning Icelandic actor Olafur Darri Olafsson is a wonderful choice for the voice of this novel about contemporary Icelandic farmers. He speaks as Orri, the son of a cattle farmer and a Lithuanian Jewish university professor, who over the course of the novel comes to a deeper understanding of his parents and their lives. The narrator is, of course, impeccable with... Read More

This audiobook has a strong character-driven plot. Actor Jeremy Sisto is a convincing and talented performer who skillfully immerses listeners in the psyche of Corby Ledbetter, particularly with his tone. But this novel is the unremittingly dark story of a man whose life unravels. Corby, an out-of-work commercial artist, is a stay-at-home dad who has taken to morning drinking... Read More

Mark Bramhall's nuanced and slyly humorous portrayal of gruff but tenderhearted PJ Halliday ensures that the 63-year-old divorced father comes across as sympathetic despite his many flaws. PJ's loneliness is mildly quelled by his daily breakfast with his patient ex-wife, Ivy, and her partner, Fred. A narrative complication occurs when PJ learns that the husband of his high... Read More

Marin Ireland's narration of this family dramedy maximizes the humor behind finding a half-sibling--only to find out there may be dozens more. Ireland's performance captures Madeline's mix of reluctance and curiosity as she joins her newfound half-brother, Reuben, on an unexpected road trip. Ireland's subtle vocal shifts distinguish each sibling, reflecting their varied... Read More

Matt Godfrey's horrifying first-person portrayal of the serial killer Dan Morley is perfect for this first novel by Robert Bloch, author of the 1960 movie PSYCHO. Dan is molested by a teacher and later becomes a successful author/screenwriter who leaves a trail of mayhem behind him. The 1949 setting comes alive with Godfrey's dynamic delivery of timely jargon--such as "swell"... Read More

Narrator Josh Bloomberg takes listeners through a novel that explores the grief and mysteries of our childhood that plague our adulthood. Culture writer Jacob Goldberg must create a successful podcast for his company, or he'll lose his cherished spot at the magazine he's worked at for decades. After speaking with a former high school crush about his need for a topic worth... Read More

Andrew Eiden charmingly performs this first-person story of Denny Voss, which recounts a series of misunderstandings that lead to his conundrums and, eventually, his arrest for murder. Thirty-year-old Denny is cognitively challenged, and Eiden's portrayal displays Denny's persistent optimism and heart of gold in a natural way. As each of his well-intentioned... Read More

Maria McCann flawlessly portrays two elderly Robin Hoods. Listeners meet the former high school sweethearts who reunite in their new retirement home. Their differences show McCann at her best, with gritty Beth and hesitant Barry forming an indomitable team who fight to right social wrongs. Laughs abound as they use a can of SPAM to deactivate their tracking device as they score... Read More

Kristen Sieh's performance brings the listener into the life of a complicated woman whose sexual desire is fixated on commercial airliners. Lisa works as an online comment moderator in San Francisco. She's good at her job, but she reserves her passion for airplanes. She perceives flights as dates, turbulence as flirtation--and a smooth flight could lead to something more.... Read More

Jones's debut novel continually shifts between Margaret's traumatic girlhood and her current life. She's a divorced mom with two daughters, a dominating mother, an earnest ex, and a new boyfriend whom she enjoys, especially sexually. Narrator Rebecca Lowman embraces her character's inner life. Lowman's tone and tempo are just right as she voices Margaret's anxious thoughts and... Read More

Careful and culturally conscious casting ensures that this audiobook about First Nations residents of Winnipeg pulses with authentic voices. The ensemble cast brings to life the young members of the St. Croix High School hockey team and their community. The story unfolds in chapters that each foreground a different character and are distinct in perspective and tone. Together,... Read More

Carol Schneider performs the many voices in this comic novel with a sure sense of its humor and pathos. She does accents well, shifts smoothly among the many characters, and gives a distinct tone and tempo to the three leads: children's author Frances Partridge, whose "snap" occurs at a middle school; auto mechanic Geraint Blevins, who reacts creatively to his unctuous boss... Read More

Karissa Vacker carries most of the narrative load in this delightful "coming-of-retirement-age" novel. Exploring the ins and outs of aging and what those changes all mean to a long-term relationship, Vacker brings both Kim and Grant to life, as well as a quirky cast of characters in Palm Springs as the couple seeks to escape winter in the Midwest. When Grant goes missing from a... Read More

Marin Ireland's skillful third-person narration engages listeners in a complex plot that shifts through multiple points of view and timelines. Close attention is required to follow the characters and the secrets they're determined to keep. The author plants seeds about the twenty-year-old murders of a group of young women, tangled relationships, and the present-day story, which... Read More

Fans of world literature will sink into this latest offering by a Nobel laureate from Britain who was born in Tanzania. The story illuminates the intertwined nature of our lives--even in contemporary society. Ashley Zhangazha's delivery brings nuance to this coming-of-age story set in a changing Tanzania. His performance captures the distinct rhythms of each character,... Read More

Aida Reluzco's narration brings depth to each character in this coming-of-age novel, which follows eight Italian women from vastly different backgrounds as they navigate the complexities of education, independence, and societal expectations. Banned in 1938 by the Fascist government, this story paints a wide picture of Italian womanhood. Some arrive at college eager to learn,... Read More

Honor Gilles and Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy provide an alternating narration of this audiobook about two 20-something British Iranian friends. Shirin and Kian meet again after 10 years and embark on a romantic relationship. Gilles depicts Shirin, an assistant editor, who is subjected to racist microaggressions in the workplace. Shirin is outraged when the publishing house... Read More

Leslie Howard's narration highlights the emotional upheaval and deep-seated anxiety of college student Jane Sharp. After her father's death, Jane finds solace in an online group of true-crime enthusiasts. Jane assists the group with some early cases, but when the murders of three college women in Idaho hit the news, Jane becomes obsessed. Howard delivers an edgy, slightly... Read More

An earthquake has hit Portland, Oregon, causing widespread chaos, and a woman is trying to find a way home. Ariel Blake narrates this story of nine-months-pregnant Annie, who must find a way to reach her husband and make her way home from crib-shopping through the widespread disorder that has resulted from the quake. Blake's dramatic narration captures Annie's fears and... Read More

Betty Shamieh portrays Arabella, a New York City director descended from a long line of Palestinian women. Grandmother Zoya and daughter Naya are performed by Jacqueline Antaramian and Lameece Issaq. The women passionately share how their traditions provide strength in the face of adversity. Together, they pour out these characters' stories with humor, sarcasm, and respect for... Read More

This audiobook is a contemporary take on the classic epistolary novel. Hillary Huber narrates the story of two transplanted chefs from New York who end up in the hick town of Goodnight, Kansas, after a business disaster. Besides dealing with culture shock, the Solvang family ends up confronting a polluting tire company, the town's major employer. The novel is told through a... Read More

It's possible that another performer could make this delicious audiobook more fun than Harriet Walter has, but hard to see how. "The usual desire to kill" is the emotion felt by two English sisters who are trying to cope with their aging and blithely infuriating parents who have moved themselves to a ramshackle stone house in rural France. Walter's astringent delivery is... Read More

Listeners join Alex Carter, wildlife biologist and conservationist, as she accepts an assignment to research the endangered jaguar on a protected reserve in New Mexico, where she discovers that a white supremacist group is threatening locals. When the group learns of the potential impact of Alex's studies, her life is soon in danger. Eva Kaminsky's stylish narration is... Read More

Narrator Caroline Hewitt's approach to this audiobook is gentle but skilled. She provides a warm yet ultimately moving performance about a woman's journey, both geographical and emotional. Veronica is traveling in Europe, searching for insights into her ancestors. Her first stop, an Irish castle, includes an encounter with Niall, a fellow foodie and kindred spirit. Actual... Read More

Jenna Coleman's skilled narration elevates this heartfelt and hilarious family drama. Lila attempts to co-parent her kids with her ex-husband, who left her. Her oldest daughter has been skipping school, and her sweet and grieving stepfather has quietly moved into their home, which is in constant need of repair. Lila faces writer's block and is navigating the complexities of... Read More

Octogenarian Eliza Pickney is the matriarch of her vast homestead in the lush South Carolina Low Country, and her plan to preserve the family land in a conservancy disrupts her descendants' expectation of inheritance. The story unfolds in two timelines: Jenna Lamia charmingly narrates Eliza's stories from her early life, while Cassandra Campbell superbly portrays Eliza in her... Read More

This eco-thriller is set on a research island near Antarctica. Saskia Maarleveled portrays Rowan, a woman who washes up on the island half-dead. Steve West depicts the island's caretaker, Dom. Cooper Mortlock portrays 9-year-old Orly. Kat Littrell voices teenagers Fen and Raff, along with scientist Alex. As Rowan's injuries heal, she suspects that there's something the... Read More

This moving audiobook is a tribute to the women of Ireland who championed reproductive rights and changed the laws of a country where all forms of birth control were prohibited in the 1970s. It's not merely a polemical piece; it's a poignant, heartwarming novel about Irish women from different backgrounds who formed deep attachments to one another and to the cause of... Read More

Narrators January LaVoy and Shayna Small deliver vivid, highly animated, and thoughtfully developed performances in this audiobook. The saga begins in 1865 with a couple separated by slavery and war and makes its way to the present day and a new couple. Thanks to the skilled narrators, the wide array of characters come to life whether they're speaking in 1865, the 21st century,... Read More