New Reviews by Title: K-O

Actor Kelsey Grammer, star of the TV show "Frasier," delivers an emotional examination of his own life through the lens of the 1975 abduction, torture, and murder of his 18-year-old sister, Karen. Kelsey was two years older. This is a brutal listening experience, as was the crime and its impact. Grammer's narration is intense, warm, even slightly lighthearted at times. One can... 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

Author and narrator Tori Eldridge invites listeners into an entertaining and enlightening new series featuring Ranger Makalani Pahukula. Drawing on her background in acting and her Hawaiian, Chinese, and Norwegian heritage, Eldridge brings depth and authenticity to both her storytelling and narration. Her knowledge of Hawaii's culture, language, spiritual beliefs, and customs... Read More

The affection many listeners will feel for the Australian author during the opening passages of this audiobook will grow steadily as he describes overcoming personal challenges on his way to becoming a successful actor, husband, and father. With his humility and perspective, his stories from childhood to the present (he's 60 now) are captivating, and the lessons he shares are... Read More

Steven Weber superbly delivers Peter Swanson's intriguing mystery. The audiobook's structure goes backwards from 2023 to 1982--telling a story that's like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Ultimately, the puzzle's picture is dark and mind-boggling, but all the pieces fit. Thom and Wendy Graves have been married for 25 years. Wendy is a published poet, Thom, a university English... Read More

Narrators Kristen Sieh and Daru Oda serve up a darkly humorous, twisty ride in this debut. Evie Gordon is an SAT tutor for wealthy kids in L.A. When she discovers the murdered family of one of her students, along with an unknown woman named Jae who is still alive, she and Jae become the prime murder suspects and go on the run. Sieh, who voices Evie, handles most of the... Read More

Narrators Almarie Guerra and Feodor Chin find FBI agent and former military code breaker Dani Vega up to her neck in trouble as hit man Gustavo Toro dies in her arms in a botched sting operation. Toro has left behind an "if you're watching this, I'm dead" video and a list of cryptic clues implicating a mysterious mastermind who's been operating in the shadows for decades.... Read More

Beth Eyre and Angus King narrate a historical novel set in 1613 during the reign of King James I of Scotland and England. King James's messenger, Andrew Logan, has been sent to Scotland on a clandestine mission, accompanied by his daughter, Phoebe, and court scrivener. At the start of the journey, English Phoebe dislikes Scottish Andrew immensely, and Eyre leans into Phoebe's... Read More

Aida Reluzco narrates a postapocalyptic tale of knights, shape-shifting demons, and a woman who is willing to do anything to protect her wife. Reluzco conveys Shrike's grim determination when she discovers that the knight who has come to slay the demon plaguing her village is none other than Sir John of Cincinnati, a legendary demon killer. Shrike knows she must act fast to... Read More

Narrator Kirby Heyborne joins the Meskimen family--Jim, Tamra, and daughter Taylor--in energetically giving voice to a dozen new stories by the winners of the Writers of the Future contest. In this year's crop, AI features strongly with Heyborne creating a tone of schoolboy innocence in "The Boy from Elsewhen" by Barlow Crassmont. Taylor Meskimen finds a deceptively... Read More

This long, drawn-out audiobook is a fictional account of the ultra-glamorous lives of two of the richest women of all time, Barbara Hutton and Doris Duke. The smooth, nonjudgmental voice of narrator Whitney Dykhouse describes their lifestyles. Listeners hear about designer clothes, priceless jewels, and sumptuous meals; valuable antique furnishings, enchanting villas, and... Read More

The author narrates her own work, a memoir about the period when her Missouri-raised children were coming of age. The title is a misnomer; the story really recounts a series of educational and entertaining road trips across the country as they visited state parks, caves, small-town museums, and many other colorful places. Kendzior uses the political landscape of the times we... Read More

David Thorpe, who has narrated many works of fiction, does a very good job with this history of Budapest from the end of WWI. At that time, the city was home to various political movements, besides being a splendid center of culture. In the spring of 1944, Hungary was invaded by the Germans, and the large Jewish population was then at the mercy of the Axis powers. When Budapest... Read More

Chris Andrew Ciulla narrates a thought-provoking story about a small team of observers who arrive at a dying planet and confront an unusual alien race. Warin's only job is to monitor and report on the final days of Retti 4, where an extinction-level virus is about to wipe the planet clean of the "rettys" that inhabit it. He learns the aliens aren't primitive but are vastly... Read More

Narrator Julian Elfer has undertaken many daunting subjects: the pharmacist of Auschwitz, the Borgias, lost expeditions to the Greenland ice cap. Here, he faces down the challenge of a 300-year generational narrative in which all the principals are named either Ptolemy or Cleopatra. At the early death of Alexander, Ptolemy, his shrewdest commander, took the grandest prize:... Read More

Earl Weaver, the legendary manager of MLB's Baltimore Orioles for 17 seasons, was known for his on-field theatrics as much as his strategy. Johnny Heller's gravelly voice, conversational tone, and high energy do a good job of conveying Weaver's character. Heller is mostly comfortable with the baseball jargon and stats--always a potential pitfall for narrators--and even with the... Read More

Three narrators--Karissa Vacker, portraying anxious Kerry; Erin Bennett, portraying determined Siobhan; and Julie Webster, voicing upbeat Alison--take on this tale of horror. When Kerry arrives midwinter at an empty Catskills motel supposedly vacated by Siobhan that morning, she's confronted with two feet of snow and a dead body. Later, when the body disappears, Kerry, an... 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

Laysha Ward narrates her own story with clarity, confidence, and a comforting tone. She invites listeners of all ages and backgrounds to reflect on the lessons she learned from her 32-year corporate career. Ward also shares guidance she received from luminaries like Coretta Scott King and Maya Angelou. With sincerity and strength, she encourages listeners to know themselves,... Read More

The challenge for narrator Susan Ericksen is to construct while deconstructing. Tart, dismissive, at times even derisive, Ericksen captures the spirit of the author's dour reassessment of art history's most hallowed figure. Here is a very different portrayal of Leonardo da Vinci, one that strips away hyperbole and idolatry to focus on what's verifiable about da Vinci's life and... Read More

Marni Penning portrays Callie McCallahan, who returns to her hometown of Hoker, Kentucky, when she inherits her uncle's property. The land abuts a tree farm belonging to Tanner Patrick, who had a crush on Callie in high school, though she never noticed him. Callie's cousin is staying with her, and Penning gives her a timid voice, matching her personality. When Callie's... Read More

Chris Tester and Caroline Hewitt narrate this locked-room steampunk mystery, which takes place aboard the airship LADY AIR in 1890. As the airship makes her maiden voyage from New York City to South Hampton, Cora Beaumont, its collected and self-assured owner, must deal with multiple murders. She is aided by aristocrat Nicholas Tristan, her fiancé's older brother. Hewitt... Read More

Narrator Robert Petkoff teams up with author John Sandford for another exhilarating romp featuring U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent-turned-thriller-writer Virgil Flowers. Assigned to solve a twenty-year-old crime, they're forced to collaborate with true-crime bloggers to crowdsource clues. Petkoff masterfully differentiates the diverse male... Read More

Richard Russo is thoughtful and reflective as he narrates his new collection of essays, which has two parts. The first half, "Life," focuses on his family and his blue-collar hometown in upstate New York; the second half, "Art," delves into the writing process and how writers essentially steal ideas from the world around them. He poignantly states, "All art thrives on... Read More

Brian Nishii delivers a performance that could not be better suited to this touching, well-documented personal growth audiobook. The author, a psychology professor and native of Japan, explains through vivid personal stories and accessible research that meaning and purpose in life are not enough. We can stay busy working for something we believe in, something important, but... Read More

In this audio original, a follow-up to her 2019 book, CONSCIOUS, Annaka Harris continues her exploration of consciousness through recorded interviews with 20 experts in philosophy and a variety of sciences. As a listening experience, the interviews are often pleasantly chatty, and the author's command of her subject allows listeners to stay connected to the core ideas in her... Read More

Narrator Natalia Payne draws the listener into three short romances, tailoring her narration to match each story. In one story, Natalie returns home to help her parents and encounters a beekeeper named Garrett. Payne brings out her initial frustration with him before warming her tone as the two draw closer. In the second story, Payne voices characters who range from the hero's... Read More

Daniel and Alexander Macmillan were sons of a Scottish crofter. Together, they founded a small publishing company in London in 1843. By the time Alexander died in 1896, they had published Lewis Carroll, Thomas Hardy, and Rudyard Kipling, among many others. This audio biography of the brothers and their company, narrated by the author, focuses more on the creation and growth of... Read More

Multilevel marketing companies such as Mary Kay and Amway promise the freedom, security, and status of being your own boss but seldom deliver on those promises. This gripping audiobook reveals the industry's misleading recruitment practices, financial tricks, and cunning social manipulation. Nikki Massoud narrates with documentary seriousness that resonates with every personal... Read More

Some of the poems in this collection were recorded at a reading in New York City, where Kay grew up. Her hometown is also one of her subjects. In those recordings, she connects with her audience, and we can hear the joy that she and they share in her very fine readings of her very fine poetry. She also reminds us of her successful background in spoken-word poetry--although even... Read More

An audiobook for the soul. This exquisite work of nature writing celebrating Scotland's Cairngorms mountains remains a classic of ecological observation. Tilda Swinton's rendition of Nan Shepherd's poetic prose mesmerizes. Her tone is exceptionally clear, her pace adds drama, and her style of narrating is immersive. Written in the 1940s, the book remained unpublished until the... 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

Patti Murin skillfully narrates this engaging romance, capturing a wide range of emotions. Katie, a video producer, must choose between making a Coast Guard recruitment video or losing her job. To complicate the assignment, she doesn't know how to swim, and she will be working alongside Tom, known as Hutch, a well-meaning individual who dislikes social media. An anxious Katie... Read More

Sharmila Devar's evocative, compassionate narration suits this audio biography. Born to a South Asian mother and a Caucasian father in India, Queenie Thompson, later known as actor Merle Oberon, traveled a challenging route to become the first of her ethnicity to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Film critic Mayukh Sen, himself of South Asian descent, tells Oberon's story,... 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

Emily Woo Zeller delivers this hopeful domestic drama about an unnamed Chinese American woman who is navigating a divorce and an illness. Weeks after her husband, Sam, bluntly confesses to an affair and moves out of their home, the woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. She copes with the separation by writing a manual about her ex-husband and sharing Chinese folklore that was... Read More

Ivan Mok, Quyen Ngo, and a full cast narrate this award-winning 2020 graphic novel. Mok portrays 13-year-old English-speaking Tien, and Ngo portrays his mother, Helen, a Vietnamese refugee. Mok shows Tien's confusion as he crushes on a male classmate. Ngo conveys Helen's despair at losing her own mother and her longing for the past. Mother and son have always bridged language... Read More

Lauren Ambrose continues her stellar performance of Nita Prose's quirky and heartwarming Molly the Maid series in the newest adventure of our favorite Regency Grand Hotel head maid and events coordinator. During an "Antiques Roadshow"-like event, Molly learns that her favorite trinket is actually a rare Fabergé egg. Soon, the precious keepsake is stolen. Molly launches an... Read More

Writer Brad Meltzer is one of those rare people whose voice exudes sincerity, honesty, and a love of humanity. This brief work is largely based on the commencement speech he gave at his son's graduation from the University of Michigan. As anyone who's ever attended a speech by Meltzer knows, his words are always inspiring and real. Here, he talks about his own career and life,... Read More

Listening to bestselling author Judith Viorst narrate her own stories and poems--and share tales from others about life in the "final fifth"--is a special experience. Listeners will appreciate the bittersweet humor and candid reflections on the ups and downs of life in one's 90s. Viorst shares her own journey, including moving from the home where she raised her children to a... Read More

Master storyteller David Timson appears to be having lots of fun delivering this British Golden Age Mystery. His performance captures each nuance of the novel's gallows humor. Dr. Edmund Bickleigh, a philanderer whom women find appealing, states that he must murder his shrewish wife, Julia. Bickleigh meticulously plans Julia's demise in hopes of marrying his latest wealthy... 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

With his appealing baritone, Golden Voice Stefan Rudnicki draws listeners into this first outing of Inspector Alan Grant. An unidentified man is stabbed while waiting in a long line to see the final London performance of a popular musical comedy. Grant can't understand how none of the others in the queue saw anything. Nonetheless, he takes the few clues he has and begins his... Read More

Dion Graham takes listeners to New York City to recount the 1983 killing of a Black man by transit cops and its aftermath. Michael Stewart was a promising young artist and model who was part of the East Village art scene; his death galvanized the community. Author Elon Green's leggy story encompasses the sensational (the removal of Stewart's eyeballs during autopsy) and the... Read More

Prévost's 1731 novel of a flawed and tragic love is richly served by two fine performers. Sean Barrett plays the framing part of an older man to whom Manon's lover, the Chevalier des Grieux, tells the story of their blighted romance. Barrett's warm, rich, slightly raspy timbre brings gravity and warmth to his role. His intelligence especially shines as he narrates the... Read More

This audiobook provides an extraordinary exploration of Anne Frank's life from her early years to her tragic demise, emphasizing the enduring significance of her diary through various media such as books, theater, and more. Narrator Erin Bennett approaches the text with profound respect for Anne and her memory while skillfully conveying the numerous other narratives within the... Read More

Talented actors Lesley Manville and Tim McMullan bring drama and rich characterizations to their narration, just as they do in the Masterpiece television adaptations of Horowitz's series. Their dynamic performances create an audiobook experience that's fun, immersive, and expertly voiced. Though this may be the final installment, ample backstory allows new listeners to jump... Read More

Narrator Maggie Ollerenshaw is perfectly matched to 89-year-old Margaret Winterbottom in this debut mystery. Listeners quickly learn that Margaret is an unreliable source of information--not out of malice, but due to frustrating memory gaps. She joins her teenage grandson, James, to uncover who murdered her neighbor and dear friend, Barbara. Ollerenshaw skillfully... Read More

Twain's twang, as delivered by Jason Culp, runs through this compelling and comprehensive audiobook like a vein of gold. He convincingly portrays the great humorist in all his guises--raconteur, lecturer, parent, public figure, wit, and philosopher--homespun and not. Culp expertly narrates the exposition (and in a 44-hour biography there's plenty) and modulates his voice and... Read More

Author and narrator Tourmaline invites listeners inside her warm and revealing biography of Marsha P. Johnson, an LGBTQIA+ icon, Black trans activist, and irrepressible spirit. In a deliberate, earnest performance, she explores the pivotal 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, one of many key moments in Johnson's eventful life. Tourmaline adds vibrancy to quotations from... Read More

Mary Robinette Kowal narrates her latest science fiction novel, putting her skills to excellent use in the fourth installment of the Lady Astronaut series. It's the 1950s, and Elma York has just landed on Mars to prep the planet for its first group of settlers. A pilot and mathematician, Elma has already paved the way for women in space, but now she faces unexpected hurdles:... Read More

Euan Morton, who narrated the first in this duology, concludes it with the strength it deserves. Story and narration find new depth as 13-year-old Max, a German Jew trained by British spies, returns to Berlin amid the horrors of the Nazi regime. His official mission? Infiltrate the heart of radio propaganda. His personal mission? Find his parents. Morton's narration has an... Read More

Elyse Durham's debut novel takes listeners from the 1941 Siege of Leningrad through the Cold War via the lives of Maya and Natasha, twin orphaned sisters. Illegitimate daughters of a prima ballerina who died shortly after their birth, they are raised and trained by the state to live their mother's destiny in the Kirov School of Ballet. Yelena Shmulenson's narration captures... Read More

Narrators C.J. Bloom and Alexander Cendese deliver hilarious performances in this contemporary romantic comedy. Juniper Perry has always had a secret crush on her best friend's older brother, Beau. Now as they work together on a dating app, Juniper can finally flirt with him anonymously. Bloom's expressive, upbeat performance perfectly balances Juniper's quick wit,... Read More

Author and mortality expert Joanna Ebenstein sounds lovely in this sincere and well-organized reminder that death is coming, so live now as well as you can. Performing this audiobook (whose title is Latin for "remember you must die"), she is a gentle messenger, full of grace and charm as she explains how writers, thinkers, and people in ancient cultures embraced mortality to... Read More

Ariana Delawari reflects the uncomfortable mix of feelings of Cassie Perera, which began with her betrayal of her best friend, Ben, in sixth grade, when the two were caught swapping outfits. She denies her friendship to avoid revealing her same-sex attractions, hiding behind being perfect at school, church, and home. Delawari carries listeners forward into Cassie's junior... Read More

Times have changed for John Rebus in this audiobook: He's not just a retired detective; now he's an ex-cop in prison who has been convicted of murder. Siobhan Clarke is heading up a missing-person investigation from a different Edinburgh office, while her friend Christine Esson has her old job and is investigating a murder that took place two doors down from Rebus at the... Read More

Senn Annis narrates this sci-fi thriller. The principal storyteller is Raina. She and Cedric are genetic engineers who were blacklisted in the industry when technology they developed was misused. When an eccentric billionaire approaches them to genetically engineer a solution for the survival of humanity, Raina sees a way of regaining the respect of their peers and escaping... 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

Leighton Pugh masterfully delivers Emile Zola's heady mix of urbane prose, playful dialogue, and meticulous descriptions of stock market trading and manipulation in this one-of-a-kind cautionary tale. It's the roaring 1860s of the Second French Empire. Growth and prosperity are in the air, the Suez Canal is almost complete, and a devious stock market speculator plans to... Read More

Canadian author James Arnett's historical fiction tells a little-known chapter of America's first civil war, the Revolutionary War. Simon Vance narrates with the gravitas of a history professor, highlighting the motivations and humanity of two Loyalist farmers, Richard Lippincott and James Moody. Lippincott, a Quaker, is trying to live a peaceful life amid the guerrilla... 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

Sanya Simmons narrates this debut audiobook set in a coal mining community in southwestern Virginia. Bennie is trying to find out what happened to her best friends and other mine workers who have disappeared inside the mountain. When Bennie rescues a half-drowned white woman named Motheater in a stream near a borehole, she soon discovers that Motheater possesses a strange form... Read More

In a youthful voice, Elena Rey introduces an Oregon school and library that are in danger of shutting down. Listeners meet bright, empathic 13-year-old Alex and her beloved grandmother, a retired librarian she's lived with since her mother's death. Rey's scenes of library staff, patrons, and youth council kids are delightfully rendered. Listeners are privy to Alex's nervous... Read More

When Sloan McPherson stumbles upon a vagrant who is suffering from amnesia in a Florida swamp, she discovers a connection to Mr. Whisper, a villain who uses mind control for his schemes. She joins forces with three other investigators to track down Mr. Whisper, each being the lead in one of the author's other series. Multiple narrators tell the story from each investigator's... Read More

Siobhan McSweeney captures each nuance of this creepy yet moving mystery set in 1952 in a decaying English seaside town. Listeners meet Nora, who leaves a convent after 30 years to search for a young novice named Freda, whose letters to her have mysteriously stopped. The suspense begins as Nora moves into Freda's boardinghouse, where residents include a retired puppeteer, a... Read More

A quartet of narrators tells the story of Amber, a wannabe private investigator who moves in with her heretofore unknown grandmother in her retirement community when her latest relationship fails. Her grandmother, Jade, portrayed by Cynthia Darlow, is a true-crime podcaster. When a member of the podcast team is found dead, Amber puts her PI knowledge to the test. Darlow... 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

A steamy holiday fake-dating romance features a full-cast narration from Samantha Brentmoor, Jason Clarke, and others. Brentmoor portrays Fable in a breezy voice, while Clarke plays Fable's gravelly voiced employer, Wilder, the owner of a football team. As Fable and Wilder engage in games in and out of the bedroom during a holiday wedding, the chemistry they have is obvious... Read More

Mark Niemann-Ross's kind, patient delivery fittingly introduces his favorite--and only--mother-in-law. Listeners meet feisty, active Greta, who resides in Evergreen Meadows Senior Community, where her daughter and son-in-law take up temporary residence to spend time with her. Niemann-Ross's colorful descriptions include Evergreen's residents, staff, meals, and social... 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

Actor Jeremy Renner narrates his memoir about the horrendous injuries he suffered on New Year's Day 2023. In a freak accident, he was run over by his 14,000-pound Sno-Cat, a vehicle used to groom snowy and icy surfaces. Neither his prose nor his narration is stellar; he uses street language, occasionally pauses mid-sentence, and runs words together at ends of sentences.... Read More

Emily O'Brien voices 16-year-old Mullory Prudence and the other characters in this novel with a wide vocal range and quirky accents. James Babson's baritone pitches provide an abundance of variety for other characters, as well. Mullory is bombarded with multiple invitations to Stoutmire Estate to compete in a game of mystery royale for the chance to win a sizable inheritance.... Read More

Kirt Graves and Evan Parker charm listeners with this steamy rom-com featuring two 40-something queer men. Kent Lester takes pride in his career as a school principal, but his personal life suffers from a lack of romance. Enter Vincent Manda, a sweet, if high-strung, man with whom Kent has an awkward one-night stand. While both men hope to forget what wasn't their finest dating... 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

Narrator Emily Pike Stewart has the energy and pitch needed to create authentic characters and captivate listeners. Working as a wilderness guide, Emlyn has a new simple life that keeps her safe and prevents her from thinking about her past--that is, until the man who ruined her life and left her for dead years ago shows up to ask for her help in finding Janessa. Reluctantly,... Read More

Evan, an orphan and trained killer, is back in this riveting thriller. While the author does a magnificent job with pacing and story development, he shines with dialogue. And Scott Brick is sensational. Anything Brick narrates is a sure bet, and he really is at his best here. Evan and his pal Tommy have a falling out and find themselves at odds with each other. Complicating... Read More

Faladé re-creates a post-WWII Paris filled with verve, trepidation, and heartbreak. As the City of Lights mends physically and emotionally from the war, it's overflowing with international students--Africans, Indo-Chinese, Arabs, and Americans. Narrator Jasmin Walker shines as she portrays Minette Traoré, a spirited French-born girl of Senegalese descent, and Cecile Rosenbaum,... Read More

Journalist and television personality Juan Williams's audiobook arrives four decades after his first book, EYES ON THE PRIZE (1987), which covered the mid-twentieth-century Civil Rights movement. This work argues that Barack Obama's presidency and the development of the social media age reflect the emergence of a second civil rights movement. Fueled in part by police killings... Read More

The personal approach of the author's narration is perfect for this nonfiction title about the art of conversation. Jefferson Fisher promotes connection rather than division, and his country drawl ensures that his message is relatable and real. The three "c"s of communication-- control, confidence, and connection--will resonate with listeners because of Jefferson's... Read More

Philanthropist Melinda French Gates, a woman of significant personal and financial means and privilege, deftly writes and narrates this relatively brief reflection on life's transitions. Gates focuses on the days that follow a series of catastrophic events. The ex-wife of Microsoft Founder Bill Gates provides a helpful, consistent, upbeat text and audio performance. Her warm... Read More

A new contribution to the exciting stories of women who fought against the Third Reich, this audiobook is narrated by Gilli Messer with excellence. Providing various accents and voices, Messer brings honesty and insight to the story's characters. Elena Bruskina is a young Jewish woman who becomes a sniper for the Soviet Union after seeing her family murdered in the Minsk... Read More

Gilli Messer narrates a horror novel about a mysterious tropical island that is home to a resort run by a religious cult. Julia is a struggling journalist who is barely surviving a divorce and separation from her daughter. Her great-aunt offers her a large sum of money to travel to the island to retrieve samples of a special flower and learn the truth about a mysterious death.... Read More

Narrator Will Damron introduces listeners to Michael Connelly's newest character, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Detective Stilwell. Damron skillfully delivers this police procedural, rich with the detail, atmosphere, and character depth that we expect from Connelly. What sets this story apart from most of Connelly's others is its setting, Catalina Island, where police patrol in... Read More

Suzanne Toren's slower pacing, mature vocal timbre, and suffer-no-fools confidence make her performance a perfect fit for the late author's last audiobook, a collection of works written in the five years before her death at 96. Toren modulates her outsized dramatic talent to capture the full measure of class, wisdom, and charm of the New York City icon who was well known for... Read More

Vikas Adam masterfully draws listeners into this nonstop thriller featuring disgraced former NYPD detective Sami Kierce. The story begins with a secret from more than 20 years earlier, when Sami, fresh from college, backpacked through Europe and had a brief romance with a beautiful American woman. Fast-forward to the present: Twists and turns come quickly as Sami investigates... 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

Edoardo Ballerini splendidly narrates three of the Russian writer Gogol's best-known works. All three display the author's use of the grotesque and surreal. "The Nose" and "The Overcoat" also exhibit Gogol's satire of the Russian bureaucratic hierarchy. Anyone wishing for an entry into Russian literature would do well to listen to these three works. Golden Voice Ballerini has a... Read More

Narrating with a steady, measured rhythm, NEW YORK TIMES columnist Maureen Dowd introduces the listener to the best of her long-form, in-depth interviews with some of the most recognizable personalities in popular culture. Dowd is most at ease and sounds practically playful when discussing her favorites, such Kate Winslet, Paul Newman, and Candice Bergen. She's a bit more... Read More

Four narrators authentically convey the emotional weight of teenagers thrust into a dangerous magical competition that is part of a murder mystery. When the Holtzfall heiress is murdered, a sometimes deadly contest to determine the next heir begins. Karissa Vacker voices Nora, daughter of the murdered heiress. She and journalist August, voiced by Colin White, work to uncover... Read More

A fitness trainer turned executive coach offers conversational advice on being successful in a business landscape overpopulated with competitors and their ad pitches. Goodman is a wonderful teacher, down-to-earth and practical. His own entrepreneurial experiences give flesh-and-blood validity to his ideas on carving a niche for what you offer, building a customer base, and... Read More

Karissa Vacker strengthens this audiobook with her depictions of sadness and confusion as fifth-grader Pearl sinks into depression. Vacker captures the dismal messages in Pearl's brain, nasty communiqués from mean inner voices. Vacker also depicts caring family members and friends who note Pearl's changed behavior and worry. Vacker conveys Pearl's healing with the aid of a... Read More

With his erudite-sounding English accent, Justin Avoth ably narrates Nabokov's memoir of his early years in pre-Revolutionary Russia and his life as an emigré, ending with a chapter about his time as a translator for the U.S. Army in Berlin immediately after the end of WWII. A composer himself, Nabokov (first cousin of writer Vladimir Nabokov) offers many vignettes of famous... Read More

Narrator Stephen Graybill uses a measured tone and deliberate pace to tell the raucous story of the founding and vicissitudes of National Public Radio. Longtime listeners will recognize well-known names like Bob Edwards and Susan Stamberg, but Oney also dives deep into how managers and producers covered controversial issues, warts and all. Oney documents the network from its... Read More

This is a serious and, at times, personal discussion of one of America's finest 20th-century writers. Colm Tóibín makes interesting connections between the American Black experience and that of the Irish. In fact, Tóibín winds up making meaningful connections between Baldwin and James Joyce, Henry James, and Oscar Wilde, among others. Gary Furlong's relaxed, pleasant tone and... Read More

Bonnie Tsui is clearly fascinated by how our muscles work and why we should use them. Her performance is appealing--full of joy and heart. She reels us in with her appreciation for both muscles and people. Tsui profiles the first woman to lift Scotland's massive Dinnie Stones and a champion high school runner who runs to honor his great-grandfather, who ran 50 miles to escape a... Read More

A full cast performs this love letter to home, family, and the power of connection. Over the course of 12 linked stories, each performed by a different narrator, listeners meet the young people who inhabit The Entrada, an apartment building that has been home to countless immigrants who have come to the U.S. seeking to build better lives. From shy Lila, just arrived from... Read More

This captivating fantasy-romance audiobook is delivered with emotional depth. After the mysterious death of her husband, Queen Calla must marry by season's end or lose her crown. To avoid another heartbreak, she hosts a series of deadly trials to choose a new king, only to be confronted by her former love, General Matthias. At that point, Calla must decide between love and duty... Read More

Patti Murin manages to unite generations in this Old Hollywood and Gen Z mash-up. When legendary actress Julia Mann wakes up from a drunken stupor to find her rival, Tony, dead in her pool, she's ordered to attend AA meetings. There, she meets Natasha Mason, a young, unemployed spitfire who becomes her sponsor. As the two women bridge the many divides between their... Read More

Atkins's historical audiobook novel-in-verse shines a light on an important chapter of American history, beginning with the 1913 Women's March and ending with the 1920 ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. Chanté McCormick gives the historical, mostly forgotten, Matilda Young a compelling voice. Matilda's voice gains confidence and strength as she grows from a shy... Read More

Yetide Badaki returns to narrate the next audiobook in the She Who Knows series. Najeeba, now in her 40s, has lost her daughter, Onyesonwu, after the events of the author's novel WHO FEARS DEATH. Onyesonwu saved the world, erasing a history of genocide but also erasing her own existence. Only Najeeba remembers this forgotten history. Badaki's portrayal of Najeeba features a... Read More

In this suspenseful story narrated by Harry McEntire, 12-year-old Atlas Wade and his father are on a team that is attempting to be the first to scale Mount Everest. A rival team of Nazi climbers is also on the mountain. McEntire's tenor voice and English accent enliven Atlas, who is angry at his father for taking him climbing when he's still grieving the death of his mother.... 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

Annie B. Jones shines as she narrates her first book, an essay collection about all the ways an ordinary life can feel extraordinary. An independent bookstore owner and host of the popular podcast "From the Front Porch," Jones narrates with confidence, a lively intonation, and expert pacing. The Florida native has a sweet voice with an audible smile that welcomes listeners into... Read More

Mark Bramhall narrates an adventure about unlikely friends: Orris, a rat, and Timble, an owl. Bramhall's deep voice, distinct enunciations, and gentle rhythms are a perfect match. Bramhall's portraits are well defined for the young, enthusiastic Timble and the older, grumbly Orris. Bramhall deepens his characterizations of the friends' developing relationship, which faces a... 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

Kaffe Keating and Heather Long give masterful performances of Everett's debut thriller about 10 strangers who have been kidnapped and brought to a mysterious house. Keating's and Long's nimble narration of strangers who range from an arrogant army captain to an ornery, lonely woman and a young, single mom with an infant daughter is full-bodied and keeps listeners invested.... Read More

This audiobook is a love song to otters. Nearly a prose poem about the playful mammals, it is presented charmingly by narrator Jayne Entwistle. With her warm voice and English accent Entwistle becomes the author in this first-person account. She makes Darlington's text come alive. You can almost feel it as she tells of stepping onto the soft bottom of a shallow marsh and of... Read More

Narrator Marisa Calin shines a light on women's opportunities in this unconventional historical rom-com. Lady archaeologist Georgina Harrington doesn't back down from any challenge, and Calin's voice is imbued with her steely resolution. To locate her missing cousin, Georgina teams up with Alexander Lovett, heir to a dukedom, despite not being pleased that both their families... Read More

Ali Reynolds takes a call from Clarice, her husband's ex-wife. Clarice's husband is dead, and she is accused of his murder, but she doesn't remember doing it. Narrator Karen Ziemba ably performs this whodunit. Ali uses her artificial intelligence bot, Frigg, for the investigation. Ziemba gives the bot an upbeat, eager-to-please voice that fits Frigg's persona. She sometimes... Read More