New Reviews by Title: A-D

John Hopkins's rich, dramatic voice suits this account of the 13 days in 1962 when the world was on the verge of a nuclear catastrophe: the Cuban Missile Crisis. Hopkins artfully meets the challenge of describing the mutual brinksmanship that took place between the Soviet Union and the U.S. when Russian missiles were discovered a mere 90 miles from American shores. Hopkins... Read More

Robbie Daymond narrates Jack Shannon's first-person story, embracing the teen's wit, sardonic tones, and talent for grifting. Jack's mother, the CEO of a casino, has been arrested, and he is determined to get justice--by any means necessary. At boarding school, Jack has made four self-proclaimed asexual online friends. He calls on them to join him in Las Vegas to take down his... Read More

Elizabeth Knowelden zestfully presents Bristol, England, in 1911. Listeners meet eccentric and down-to-earth Lady Hardcastle and her feisty, dedicated companion/confidante, Flo Armstrong. When the ladies and several friends attend a play, no one expects that the corpse on the stage is real. Lady Hardcastle, Flo, and her twin sister, Gwen, swing into action, even before the... Read More

Tim McInnerny narrates this remarkable historical novel with solid credibility. He chronicles the extraordinary-but-true manhunt for two signatories of the death warrant for King Charles I. In an English accent, he describes the dangerous journey of the regicides, Edward Whalley and his son-in-law, Will Goffe. This is an exciting story, as well as one that is largely accurate.... Read More

Julia Whelan narrates the story of a couple who are struggling with a rough patch in their marriage. Lauren and Ryan met at 19, and married at 24. Now 29, they are struggling to remember why--or even if--they still love each other, so they decide to take a year-long break. Whelan perfectly captures the arc of their relationship, which moves from awkward college flirting to the... Read More

Writer, historian, and television personality Lucy Worsley narrates her comprehensive biography about the world's most popular crime novelist, Agatha Christie. Listeners will hear many illuminating details about this elusive mystery icon. The biography follows all 85 years of Christie's life--from her privileged childhood to her years married to the handsome but unfaithful and... Read More

Saeed Jones, an award-winning poet, unapologetically writes and speaks with conviction and purpose. This poetry collection evokes past and present personal experiences, as well as iconic moments and figures who have shaped popular culture. Jones creates poetic tales that honor artists like Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Luther Vandross, and more. His words draw listeners in... Read More

Narrator Karissa Vacker meets the challenges of this thriller about the unsolved case of a missing infant. Isabelle Drake is facing the one-year anniversary of a parent's worst nightmare: the disappearance of her son, Mason, who was taken from his crib. Though her estranged husband is moving forward, she's desperate to keep the case active, even though it triggers disturbing... Read More

British actor Tim Bentinck narrates this remarkably witty and pithy audiobook with a sense of informed fun. He has a fine ability to mimic. Americans, French people, and Germans all are nicely emulated, and his restrained glee suits the encyclopedia maven Garfield's writing. He paces his delivery intelligently. Chock-a-block with factoids, this audiobook traces how knowledge... Read More

In a tone that sounds deeply felt, Nene Nwoko delivers this complicated, tragic story of a family torn apart by the civil war in Rwanda. Her approach underscores Blanche's confusion and trauma at fleeing as a Tutsi child and returning as an adult with her half-French children. Nwoko's delivery is slow, almost to the point of being pedantic, but this is a story that many will... Read More

Reza Aslan narrates his historical exploration of the complex American evangelist and democratizer Howard Baskerville and his work in Iran in the early twentieth century. Aslan sets a moderate pace while explaining the religious and political aspirations that were the roots of Baskerville's work. For those who are history buffs, this is an intriguing listening experience about... Read More

How do you teach the story of slavery in America? That's the challenge addressed in this inspired poem narrated by Stacy Gonzalez. A teacher discusses the painful truths about slavery with her class of incredulous students who try to comprehend the horror, the sadness, and their teacher's distress. As Gonzalez speaks in tones taut with emotion, a sense of foreboding and fear is... Read More

Narrator Moira Quirk takes listeners through the multiple twists in this thriller based on school-day grudges. Ruby is halfway across the world when she discovers that her best friend and several other classmates have been systematically killed in her hometown of Missbrook Bay. When she returns to profile the killer, Ruby quickly learns that she might also be a target. Quirk... Read More

A talented team of narrators transports listeners to Mississippi, 1964, a world of segregation, violence, and the fight to secure Black people the right to vote. Sisters Violet and Marigold Richards, portrayed by Janina Edwards and Shayna Small, are both fleeing north--Violet from a possible murder charge and Marigold from an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. What both want is a better... Read More

Narrator Justine Eyre intensely narrates the adventures and love story of two archangels. Alexander of Persia and Zanaya, Queen of the Nile, the two archangels, have loved and challenged each other for eons. At the start of the story, the pair are in a regenerative sleep when they are awakened to help combat a third archangel who is bent on destroying the world. Eyre takes... Read More

Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Jerry Saltz (HOW TO BE AN ARTIST) and narrator Mark Bramhall combine their considerable talents to present this eclectic collection of Saltz's writing from 1999 to 2021. From cave paintings and Renaissance masters to contemporary superstars and the marginalized misunderstood--this is an accessible exploration of the places, events, and... Read More

Natalie Naudus has plenty of opportunity to shine as the narrator of this audiobook. It's the first installment of The War Arts Saga, inspired by martial arts films with magic thrown in for good measure. The Chosen One, Jian, has been raised in luxury with a cadre of warriors to instruct him. Naudus has no trouble making clear that he is a spoiled brat. Eventually, he becomes... Read More

Rupert Degas narrates this collection of stories published in 1901. Degas's aristocratic English accent suits the audiobook's tone of moralistic ethnocentricity. In fact, the authors use the preface and final chapters to frame this work as a quasi-Christian Bible prequel. Most stories, however, seem without bias, and Degas portrays the celestial host of characters with... Read More

In the closing of this duology, Bahni Turpin brings this story to life by embodying specific characters and masterfully representing the cultural spaces with great precision through characters who are from vastly different worlds. This YA fantasy is the story of Rue, a powerful teen who escapes imprisonment and fights to return magic to her kinfolk, the Ghizoni people. Turpin... Read More

Kristen DiMercurio's warm, expressive voice invites listeners to return to Bright Falls as interior designer Astrid Parker and carpenter Jordan Everwood prepare for a televised renovation of the Everwood Inn. After a disastrous first encounter, they initially bristle at their professional arrangement to work on the inn. The producer requests that the women play up this angle,... Read More

Madeline Ostrander narrates in tones of warning, anger, and sadness as she ticks off the environmental crises facing the world. She adds something else, too: sentiment. Ostrander voices the fears of a female smoke jumper as the fires come near her town and endanger her home. Listeners hear Ostrander's gently spun account of life in a village in the Alaskan permafrost before... Read More

A full cast performs the second book in the Atlas series. Six of the world's most talented young magic wielders are offered a place in the Society, an organization veiled in mystery. When one of the six disappears, the other five must decide whether they will set aside their ambitions to find her or continue on their path to power. The audiobook features a large cast of... Read More

Pete Cross heads a team of skilled narrators in this exploration of how censorship impacts the lives of young people. Mac Delaney is disturbed when his friend Marci shows him the blacked-out sections of their new reading assignment, THE DEVIL'S ARITHMETIC, a real-life book about WWII and anti-Semitism in Poland by Jane Yolen. When the kids' concerns are dismissed, they will... Read More

Marilyn Singer gives a spirited performance of her collection of poems tracing a family's celebrations of all the Jewish holidays throughout the year--both those that are familiar and those that are less so. Each holiday is presented, first, with a playful, sweet, or solemn poem, which Singer delivers in a lively, welcoming voice. Then she expands upon the holiday a bit more,... Read More

In narrating this audiobook original, Isabella Star LaBlanc may have felt herself trapped in a horror trope. But she's made the most of finding this unexpectedly haunted house. LaBlanc expertly captures the deterioration of a babysitter named Charlotte, whose plans for a quiet night of preparing for the SATs go up in smoke. Charlotte is accustomed to being the smartest person... Read More

Carlotta Brentan is the latest narrator for The Witches of Thistle Grove series. This third book focuses on Nina Blackmoore, who attempts to heal her broken heart by going on a date with a person picked by her best friend. Not only is eclectic and nonbinary Morty not Nina's type, but Morty's family owns the very pub that the Blackmoore family has been trying to buy.... Read More

A talented ensemble conveys the horror, occasional humor, and bizarre behavior of contemporary humanity. These short stories examine modern life with all its contradictions, regrets, and frightening realities. Standouts are Helen Laser's "Reply Hazy, Try Again," about a flea market Magic 8-Ball that takes over the life of an endearing but gullible woman. Her voice alters as her... Read More

Podcaster Nora McInerny's collection of essays will have listeners nodding and chuckling in recognition as she observes life in the Internet Age. McInerny recounts pivotal moments in her life, both poignant and cringe-worthy. Her experiences cover her childhood in the 1980s, college years in the early 2000s, young adulthood, motherhood, the loss of her first husband to cancer,... Read More

Ann Marie Lee's delivery of Davis's exhaustive biography brings to life one of America's extraordinary authors and journalists, Stephen Crane, best known for his Civil War novel, THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE. Davis touches on all aspects of Crane's remarkable life and career, with Lee providing a pleasing authoritative tone. Listeners will learn much about Crane's entire body of... Read More

Soneela Nankani's lilting voice turns this genre-bending novel--part comedy/part mystery--into an exciting adventure. Five years after Geeta's brutish husband disappears, everyone in her tiny Indian village believes she murdered him. Soon, other village women seek her help to rid themselves of their vicious husbands. This results in danger, confusion, and occasional hilarity.... Read More

Imani Jade Powers narrates a charming story about the power of books. Maggie Banks comes to Bell River to help her best friend during her maternity leave but ends up changing the town forever. Powers is a delight as Maggie, taking impish delight in Maggie's tendency to blurt out wildly inappropriate things for a laugh or to fill a silence. She also captures Maggie's vulnerable... Read More

Kirby Heyborne's narration of this last story in the Barabbas Trilogy envisions the protagonist's life after he is chosen to be set free instead of dying for his crimes. In this audiobook, an older Barabbas travels with his family to a turbulent Rome to see Saint Paul and share their faith with all who will listen. Heyborne's interpretation of Barabbas is full of power and... Read More

Barry Abrams narrates a wonderfully compiled series of essays about baseball, viewed through multiple lenses. It's inclusive, with sections on Latin ballplayers, women, and others. Principals range from lesser-known competitors to stars. Abrams really has cornered the market on sports audiobook narration. His almost impish-sounding voice paired with his fun-loving style always... Read More

Christine Lakin's enthusiasm and authenticity lure the listener into the world of beavers. Author Leila Philip casts a wide net as she delves into their cultural significance for some North American tribes, stresses how vitally important beaver dams are to clean water even today, and recounts how John Jacob Astor became rich from trading beaver skins. Lakin clearly conveys the... Read More

Israeli American author Moriel Rothman-Zecher delivers a dazzling narration of his novel of trauma, identity, and sexuality in 1930s Philadelphia. The story centers on three characters: recent arrivals to America Leyb and Gittl, who are the only Jewish survivors of a pogrom in their Ukrainian village, and Charles, a Black intellectual whom Leyb meets in a gay bar. Charles, who... Read More

Narrators Wesleigh Siobhan and Jakobi Diem take romance, heartbreak, and sex appeal to the next level. Yasmen (Siobhan) and Josiah (Diem) divorced after devastating experiences, but they can't run away from the love that created their family and growing business. This dramatic story has emotional ups and downs that both narrators perform passionately in complementary... Read More

Kristin Atherton narrates this gothic mystery with a distinct accent and tone for each character. When young Signa arrives at Thorn Grove to live with her wealthy relatives, she enters a world of privilege and mystery. Her ability to interact with ghosts compels her to solve her aunt's murder, but can she do so in time to save her cousin who is dying of the same illness? Signa... Read More

Narrators Ell Potter and Sebastian Brown bring their A game to this lovely historical romance. Painfully shy heiress Julia Wychwood, whose controlling parents are reclusive, selfish hypochondriacs, proposes to scarred, quiet war hero Capt. Jasper Blunt, who needs to marry well to save his estate. She wants peace and safety. He wants to keep his secrets. Potter's exacting... Read More

In a knowing tone, narrator Kim Staunton shares two holiday romances featuring the Bennett sisters, Monica and Sebrina. Monica finds love with PI Landon on a singles cruise, while Sebrina falls for another doctor, her housemate, Parker. Staunton shares the sisters' reluctant attitudes toward romance, knowing, as listeners do, that they have both found their perfect matches.... Read More

Kimberly M. Wetherell's skilled narration creates the perfect backdrop for this dark academic thriller. After a disastrous relationship, American PhD student Isabel heads to Scotland, where she reconnects with an old friend before finding herself at the heart of a series of mysteries old and new. Wetherell's strong narration, including her exceptional use of accents, is... Read More

Narrator Clifton Duncan's ease with German accents helps immerse listeners in the milieu of the Soviet sector of Berlin, where a German couple find themselves in 1945, expecting twins. The division of the city after WWII mirrors the later experience of their sons, aspiring artists Peter and Rudi, in 1961. At first, they are in opposition over contradictory beliefs, and, then,... Read More

Narrators Amir Abdullah, Pun Bandhu, Ashley Bryant, Dani Martineck, Ouyen Ngo, and Jacob Patalive make a talented ensemble who give lively renditions of this collection from a variety of talented voices in food writing. Together they represent the wide range of writers gathered together in this annual collection, which asks foodies to reflect on their culinary journeys. The... Read More

The diverse ensemble of narrators who present this year's selection of the best science and nature writing, all with slightly different styles, reflect the diversity of the contributing writers and the topics that interest them. From the wonders of slime molds and the surprising evolutionary history of anuses to the dangers that island nations face due to sea-level rise and the... Read More

These yearly anthologies are an unpredictable lot, subject to the tastes of their rotating guest editors, and, as audiobooks, to the skill and sensitivity of their ensemble of narrators. This year's collection falls short on several counts. The stories and their themes tilt toward the offbeat and the anticlimactic. Few have a conventional storyline, or a decisive conclusion.... Read More

Tania Rodrigues narrates this audiobook at a crisp clip, with a lovely accent that adds a sense of music. As the title suggests, this novel traces the friendship between two young women from youth to adulthood. Zahra and Maryam begin their story in Pakistan, and later each moves to London and a more expansive life. Rodrigues's performance is perfectly fine--she is a competent... Read More

Narrator Nicole Lewis carries listeners through the romance between Drew Young and Jasper Williams. Drew inherits her grandmother's bookstore, along with the shop's book club. The scheming older ladies set her up with visiting author Jasper. Drew is still struggling with grief over her grandmother's death, and Lewis captures her poignant feelings in her multidimensional... Read More

An ensemble of voices delivers this candid collection of interviews with gender-nonconforming teens who struggle to be accepted. The diverse compilation of narratives presents two trans feminine, two trans masculine, and two nonbinary young people. Tanya Eby voices author Susan Kuklin, narrating in a neutral yet respectful tone that allows the more emotional content conveyed by... Read More

This is the first book, first audiobook, and first audiobook narration by British journalist James Vincent, and his history of measurement is informative, enriching, and unexpectedly lively. This is one of those rare audiobooks that makes one look at the world fresh, and whole. For American ears, Vincent's distinctive British vowels and syllabication may require some... Read More

Any fan of the Harry Potter franchise will be delighted by the detailed and thorough view this memoir affords them. Actor Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) shares stories of his early life, which includes not only the expected tales of his involvement with the Harry Potter movies, but also a frank discussion of their effect on the rest of his life, including his friends, family,... Read More

Benjamin Netanyahu's audiobook memoir is not likely to change any opinions about the Israeli politician known as Bibi, but it does offer insights into every chapter of his life, from his youth to the most recent controversies. The audio version also benefits from the performance of narrator David Marantz, whose clean, professional style complements Netanyahu's own delivery,... Read More

A supremely talented quartet of narrators will delight listeners with their vibrant and expressive voices. This addictive story follows four cousins who are navigating life as individuals and as part of a large Mexican American family. As children, they were very close, but family dynamics pushed them apart. Now, as adults, they wonder if they can be close again. All four women... Read More

Vaneh Assadourian is a strong guide for this novel about a young woman in Yazd, Iran. Helen's life is impacted when the increasing extremism taking place in the nation reaches her remote village. Assadourian's narration is assured and purposeful, much like Helen's personality. Listeners will sympathize with the ups and downs of the young woman's life, which eventually pits her... Read More

Harlan Coben challenged fellow authors to produce short audio-original thrillers inspired by birds of prey. The result is a gripping and varied collection of expertly narrated mini-thrillers. Listeners are treated to an introduction by Coben himself, and then each story is introduced by its author, who shares their experience with meeting the challenge. The theme is very... Read More

In a soothing voice, the author narrates his own exhaustive dive into the origins of Black basketball, covering much of the first half of the twentieth century in detail. He goes back even further in tracing the roots of the pioneers who laid the foundation for the game in the 1800s. Occasionally, he lightly imitates someone but always with a tone of respect that denotes a... Read More

Poet Hafizah Augustus Geter narrates her debut memoir with a deep assuredness that draws listeners in from the start. Her voice has a lilting, rhythmic quality to it; her long pauses make her prose sound like poetry. This deliberate narration serves to amplify the serious nature of her work. In a series of nonlinear recollections about her life as the daughter of a Nigerian... Read More

Fareeda Pasha's calm, eloquent narration adds a layer of reality to this chilling story. Her tone is soft yet packs a punch that heightens the drama. A young, exemplary Muslim girl is found brutally murdered, and two other Muslim girls are missing. A Muslim woman from the Community Response Unit of the police department, Inaya, must work quickly to uncover the truth in a town... Read More

Narrator Peter Noble perfectly matches the pace and tone of Carlsson's complex tale of a serial killer who first strikes on the same day as the assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme. Patient listeners will be treated to much more than typical Scandi noir. Criminologist Carlsson pours into his story his knowledge of Swedish police procedures, criminal psychology,... Read More

Joniece Abbott-Pratt brings boundless energy to her narration of this action-packed fantasy. At the end of LEGENDBORN, Bree Matthews has unlocked new powers in herself, and now she must learn to control them in order to reunite and protect her court, and her friends. Abbott-Pratt embodies all of Bree's determination and verve--as well as her exhaustion and rage--while also... Read More

Narrator Sneha Mathan's strong performance transports listeners to the streets of Mumbai as police Inspector Arnav Singh Rajput is called to investigate a dismembered body, which he soon realizes is the work of a serial killer. As he races to track down the murderer, using any methods available, his past and present converge, bringing new challenges. Mathan's narration is... Read More

Fans of Mary Oliver will recognize familiar themes in this collection of poems first published in 2014. Newly released on audio, they are narrated beautifully by Kimberly Farr. Farr's low voice is slow and even. She takes care with her words, pausing often, leaving plenty of space for the images and ideas to settle. Her narration evokes the kind of careful attention that Oliver... Read More

Cuban American narrator Giordan Diaz's mastery of the Spanish phrases and names in this historical novel, set in Cuba in 1980, adds authenticity to this excellent performance. Sixth grader Hector and his brother must publicly support the communist regime while keeping their mother's plans to leave Cuba and reunite with their exiled father a secret. Each character has a distinct... Read More

Jennifer Jill Araya brings the two sisters in Hoffman's short story to life. She projects the hurtful emotional baggage they've been carrying throughout 12 years of estrangement. When Isabel receives a mysterious letter containing the single word "HELP," she assumes it's from Sophie and heads to Brinkley's Island, Maine. Isabel's voice reflects her curiosity, defensiveness, and... Read More

In true Grisham style, this audiobook has a rich historical background, which narrator Michael Beck weaves through its tale of deceit, betrayal, and murder. Two boys, Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco, grow up as friends in 1960s Biloxi, Mississippi. They remain friends until their teen years when Keith's father becomes a well-known prosecutor and Hugh's father becomes the biggest... Read More

Quammen's focus is on the science of COVID-19--its nature, development, and possible origin--in a study that is complex and often technical. Narrator Jacques Roy negotiates the details deftly, maintaining the intelligent dispassion of a newsman or documentary narrator but with the amiable, intimate manner of an expert recounting a story in a personal conversation. His... Read More

Narrator Daniel Henning portrays musical prodigy Gleb Yanovsky from early in his career to middle age with a genuine-sounding awe and pleasure. Gleb, a classical guitarist, allows biographer Sergei Nesterov to trace his roots from Ukraine to celebrated stages worldwide as he faces personal disappointments and, ultimately, the loss of his gift from Parkinson's disease.... Read More

Christina Traister's talented narration is the perfect match for these four interconnected stories, each one packed with plenty of Deaveresque surprises. Listeners follow a developing cat-and-mouse game between Paul Offenbach, a twisted sociopath, and Special Agent Constant Marlowe, who is set on avenging the brutal murder of her friend by Offenbach. Traister creates highly... Read More

Fajer Al-Kaisi gives a riveting performance of this fever dream of a debut, using his voice to ground listeners in character and setting, even as the story shifts between the past and present, New York and Saudi Arabia. In the turbulent 1990s, Youssef and his two brothers grow up with their adoptive father, Imam Salim, above Salim's Staten Island mosque. Al-Kaisi captures... Read More

Edith Wharton's last, unfinished, novel (completed by Marion Mainwaring in 1993) is, unsurprisingly, about young women from New York's moneyed class. In this audiobook they travel to England to seek their fortunes and husbands. Carol Monda's British accent sometimes wavers, and the voices she creates for the characters are not uniformly strong and distinctive. But she conveys... Read More

Peter Noble narrates the return of the cult hero Buckaroo Banzai as he confronts the leader of the World Crime League. Buckaroo has suffered a series of losses, but his greatest nemesis still roams free. Across the galaxy, threats mount, with only Buckaroo Banzai and his allies capable of staring them down. Noble tackles the dense and meandering story with gusto. He captures... Read More

ENTREPRENEUR magazine's Jason Feifer says that times of greatest societal change offer the greatest opportunities. While his stories and examples of this concept are fascinating, his youthful enthusiasm, which may suit the content in some ways, lacks the necessary gravitas, weakening the audiobook's credibility and impact. Despite his successful podcast, Feifer could have... Read More

Chiara Atik's play is performed with flair by a vivacious cast of talented actors. The play intertwines three subplots involving pregnancy and childbirth. One features hilarious posts on a message board for "December moms," and another is about the tender but comical interactions between a midwife in 1790 and a first-time mother. The play's centerpiece tells the story of... Read More

The late Richard Ferrone is such a delight in one of his last audiobook performances. This one features Bernie Rhodenbarr, the Greenwich Village bookstore owner/virtuous and always fair burglar, who is the main character in Block's eponymous series. Ferrone hones his acting chops to a sharp and witty point. Bernie finds himself traveling between the real world and an idyllic... Read More

The thrilling cat-and-mouse game played by a serial killer named Jeremy and the local forensic pathologist comes chillingly alive through a tense narration by Sophie Amoss and Joe Knezevich. Knezevich fully realizes the gratification Jeremy experiences when he describes in graphic detail what he does to his victims, always thinking ahead to his next quarry. The pure evil in his... Read More

Molly Parker Myers narrates with authority, warmth, and, at times, outrage. Her range of expression is essential for this hybrid audiobook, equal parts memoir, muckraking, self-help, and history lesson. The premise is that dwindling federal oversight and increasing corporate governance have recast consumer rights as civil rights, contributing to the nation's great wealth... Read More

Narrator Thomas Judd (ONE MUST TELL THE BEES) continues his exceptional rendering of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in this captivating Christmas novella. Listeners find Dr. Watson delivering a dinner invitation to Holmes on Christmas Day, 1902. Knowing Holmes will refuse, he's carefully rehearsed his speech. When Watson notices that his fine French wine, Beaune, a gift from... Read More

In this sequel to CECE RIOS AND THE DESERT OF SOULS, Alamrie Guerra and Karla Serrato shine as sisters Cece and Juana. Their last adventure is not over as they thought--Juana's soul is missing. And Cece is determined to get it back. But Juana decides she needs to get it back on her own. The sisters start their journeys separately and encounter an array of magical creatures. El... Read More

Set in a corrupt Italian principality, Stendhal's 1839 comic masterpiece is often called the greatest of political novels. This fine new audiobook narration by Nicholas Boulton captures all the cosmopolitan wit and worldly detachment of its author's distinctive voice. Like many other nineteenth-century masters, and unlike today's more detached authors, Stendhal is companion and... Read More

Jennifer Jill Araya narrates the viewpoints of teenagers Eiric Halvorsen and Reginn Eiklund in alternating chapters as their separate journeys weave through this story. In the years since Ragnarok, the human realm of the Midlands has struggled from receding magic and fruitless lands. When Reginn finds herself performing a miracle in front of two wyrd spinners, she is offered an... Read More

This light, fun teen rom-com with an interesting setting, narrated by Jay Lai and Jennifer Sun Bell, will warm hearts during the holiday season. Chloe and Peter are sworn enemies whose families own competing Asian restaurants at Riverwood Mall. But once the mall is sold and the new owners decide it will be renovated into condos, Chloe and Peter need to meet in the middle and... Read More

Narrator Eliza Foss portrays Nana as she tells her grandchildren a true Christmas story from 1977. In Nana's tale, Peter the pastor and Hank the bartender switch places the week before Christmas, finding love and enlightenment in the exchange. Foss unwinds the story in a gentle old-time style that suits Macomber's wholesome message. Peter sounds more restrained, while Hank is... Read More

Johnathan McClain's gravelly voice is perfect for narrating this thriller laced with descriptions of high-tech computing. Chrysalis hires deep-voiced Jeremy Logan to foil a blackmailer who has no qualms about murdering--first, corporate officers and then, customers--to get his money on the eve of the launch of a virtual-reality invention that will turn the world on its head.... Read More

The thumbnail sketch most people have of rock-and-roll pioneer Chuck Berry doesn't come close to capturing the powerful way he used his intelligence and confidence throughout his career. Phil Morris's energetic narration sounds right for the music legend's relentless ambition and unhinged appetites. Imprisoned twice and harassed often while touring in mid-century America, Berry... Read More

Narrator Emily Tremaine guides listeners into this sinister exploration of scholarship, the occult, and those driven by a desire for power. Ann's summer job at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art takes a sudden shift when she's assigned to The Cloisters, a museum of medieval art and architecture. There, she encounters a group of driven academics, well-versed in arcane... Read More

Liz Femi is a strong, confident narrator of this memoir turned meditation on transnational migration. She brings listeners the very personal experiences of the author, a Nigerian American who recounts her memories, thoughts, and meanderings, having moved from West Africa to England and then to the U.S. Femi helps listeners sympathize with the cultural and developmental... Read More

This audio collection is difficult to describe--and even harder to resist. Zora Neale Hurston's range as an author is showcased by some supremely talented narrators whose voices radiate innocence, experience, and all the stops in between. Bahni Turpin's skills are at their best in "Drenched in Light" as she repeatedly transitions between grandmother and granddaughter without... Read More

Virtuoso narrator Dion Graham delivers the exhilarating historical narrative in this work, while a cast of 13 convincing pro voices perform a large assortment of interview quotes from key executives and pioneer artists in the hip-hop revolution. The illuminating quotes are finely orchestrated as a rapid-fire symphony of street-smart voices, creating a high-impact soundscape... Read More

Pliny's 240-odd letters reveal the Roman world of roughly 100 CE in all its complexity and sophistication. Russell Bentley enters into Pliny's many roles--lawyer, judge, landowner, poet, government official--not only by expressing the sense of the letters clearly, but also by illuminating Pliny's varied moods and emotions, often implicit and only subtly indicated. Bentley's... Read More

With his trademark tough-guy growl, Richard Ferrone captures the casual confidence, wobbly moral compass, and street-smart charm of Tony Tetro, an art forger extraordinaire. Showing up in California during the swinging 1970s, the self-taught artist found he had a natural aptitude for imitating almost any painting style--from Picasso to Dali to masters like Caravaggio. Tetro's... Read More

Narrator Julie Maisey takes listeners on a twisty journey to discover who killed Jane at a luxe couples resort in England. Maisey's performance range is highlighted by a suspect list composed of locals and visitors from afar. Jane and William are on their honeymoon when Jane is killed. Also there are William's ex-wife, Lucy, and her boyfriend. But evidence suggests that this... Read More

If you think humans have a monopoly on creativity, this compelling audiobook will make you think again. Sheri Saginor narrates with clarity and intonations befitting the amazing animal behaviors she describes. Saginor also conveys the significance of perceiving and understanding animals' creative expressions--such as how a beaver or octopus's tool use and construction of their... Read More

Gabrielle de Cuir narrates this feminist work, originally published in 1910 and long out of print. After receiving her first kiss from a man known for his wild ways, a young woman falls deeply in love with a man everyone in her life deems unsuitable. After moving to Colorado, she discovers that the man she loves has syphilis and gonorrhea, and she believes that marrying him... Read More

Samantha Brentmoor narrates a fantasy romance set among the gods and mortals of Ancient Greece. Sister to the king, Jocasta is eager to prove her worth after a curse strikes the royal couple and threatens their unborn child. Brentmoor proves adept at balancing Jo's desire to find a place among the royal household and her longing to return to the village where she grew up. When... Read More

Stephanie Racine's talented narration helps create an atmospheric backdrop for this dark mystery. The story is told from the viewpoint of Daisy Darker and switches between the present day and Daisy's 1980s childhood. Daisy and her dysfunctional family are keeping a secret. As the story begins, they have returned home to attend a rare family reunion. Tensions build as family... Read More

Author and narrator are both listener favorites, and this novel set on the Monterey Peninsula in the 1850s is sure to please fans of both. Part historical romance, part murder mystery, part ghost story, the narrative highlights the roles of women as fighters, detectives, and comrades in arms against the men who victimize them. The perspective is more modern than historical, and... Read More

Owen Findlay gives an arresting narration of this timely audiobook, which explores the damaging impact of light pollution upon the world's ecosystems. In an impassioned tone, Findlay conveys Swedish researcher Eklöf's proposals for less artificial light and a more authentic daylight to darkness ratio. The potent effects of the 150-year history of artificial light upon the... Read More

Chanté McCormick warmly narrates most of this mystery, which takes place in Brooklyn Heights. The story focuses on the shooting of a prestigious film director and the disappearance of his wife, Melissa. McCormick portrays Melissa's best friend, Imani, who uses her skills as a psychiatrist to get to the bottom of both events. McCormick deftly portrays the simmering suspense... Read More

With his conversational delivery, narrator Joshua David Scarlett keeps listeners attuned to Xavier's perspective in this romance set in a small town in Maine. After he loses his job and his boyfriend dumps him, 20-something Xavier finds himself back at his parents' house, and he's not happy about it. Xavier has big dreams for his future, and Harper's Cove has only ever felt... Read More

A full-cast production adds excitement to this story based on actual royal intrigue and murder in fifteenth-century England. The cast of five enhances the scenes, allowing the listener to hear lively conversations and bustling London streets. Moira Quirk excels as commoner Nell Gould, an unlikely lifelong friend of Prince Ned and his sisters. Quirk's emotions always ring true;... Read More

Lulu Lam is a versatile narrator, and it shows in this multigenerational novel centered on the women of the Trung family. Lam demonstrates her wide range when depicting Xuan Trung, the mother, who fled Vietnam, and her more Western daughters, Trac, Nhi, and Trieu. Lam nails the cadence for Xuan's dialogue by using a Vietnamese-inflected English that will ring true to anyone... Read More

Philippa Gregory is one of the best loved writers of historical fiction. In DAWNLANDS, narrator Louise Brearley's firm voice takes listeners to the chaotic world of England in the late 1680s, when James II was king. There are characters from earlier novels in this installment in the Fairmire series, including the villainous but intriguing Livia-- with her syrupy voice and... Read More

This musical, based on Sidney Kingsley's play of the same name and specially adapted for audio, has a lively score and a script that exposes social problems on the mean streets of New York during the Depression. The play focuses on issues of class struggle, poverty, crime, and hunger. It features 20 fully orchestrated musical numbers and sound effects, along with engaging... Read More

In this debut audiobook, the first in a series, listeners are introduced to a world in which the paranormal is real. Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby isn't much of a witch. Having failed to attain his dream career as an auditor in the Department of Unorthodox Affairs, he's stuck working at a run-down restaurant and living on ramen noodles. When he's accused of murdering the witch who... Read More

This collection of short stories by Banana Yoshimoto features five women and centers on the common theme of recovery from life-changing events. These include consuming a poisoned curry meant for someone else; encountering the ghosts of a kindly, elderly couple; and finding hope for new romance following a sexual assault. Narrator Kathleen Li matches Yoshimoto's spare,... Read More

The artistic, accomplished voice of Eunice Wong introduces listeners to the glamorous world of the stately Savoy Hotel in London, its famous guests, and backstairs shenanigans. In 1968, Priscilla Tempest, a mini- skirt-clad young Canadian, is employed as head of the press office for the Savoy Hotel. Wong gives her a clear, pleasant voice that is distinct from the voices of her... Read More

Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and his team are called out to a cultish New Age commune to determine the cause of a series of brutal murders in the third installment of Midsomer Murders, narrated exquisitely by John Hopkins. Hopkins brings his ample talent and experience to the task, giving voice to this large cast of quirky characters and building suspense with perfect... Read More

The third book in the Detective Kyoichiro Kaga series is a compelling police procedural full of twists that will keep listeners hooked. A man is found murdered in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Another man is injured while attempting to flee and is in possession of the murdered man's wallet. Case closed? Not so fast. There's much more going on than meets the eye. Narrator... Read More

Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch is exuberant and irreverent in both writing and voice. Her love of classical music has gone full circle; she loved it as a child and loves it now. But in the period between, when she was a professional classical violinist, music became a competition that sucked out its joy. Rauch's voice is full of life, sardonic wit, and relatability that make this... Read More

A full cast of talented narrators taps into the darkly magical atmosphere of Bardugo's graphic novel prequel to the Shadow and Bone trilogy. Primary narrator Ben Barnes depicts the villainous Darkling when he was known as Eryk, a young teen who hungered for companionship and stability. Eryk and his mother find refuge in a remote mountain village, where they are safe as long as... Read More

Jean-Marc Berne is the perfect narrator for this punch-packing tale of how, on the death of his daughter, Mario plunges to ever more horrifying depths as he seeks to clear his debts and save his marriage. Berne's narration is spot-on, expertly using accents to differentiate the characters. Notably, his authentic narration of the Spanish sentences and paragraphs helps set the... Read More

The voice of narrator Penelope Keith has become the acknowledged voice of the vain, clever, abrasive, and courageous private detective Agatha Raisin. Keith's imposing delivery and vivacious tone reflect Agatha's feisty personality. This is the 33rd mystery in the Agatha Raisin series, all of which take place in picturesque Cotswold villages. Though no longer written by Beaton,... Read More

Author Casey Parks narrates her blend of memoir and historical investigation with a journalist's precision, but the emotion that creeps into her voice reveals just how personal her story is. Parks spent almost 20 years researching Roy, a transgender man who lived in the same Southern town as her grandmother. As she interviews residents about his life, trying to piece together... Read More

The beguiling irony in this affecting audiobook begins with the juxtaposition of creative giants who seem at first to be from different planets. But Nick Hornby uses his detailed knowledge of the nineteenth-century English writer Charles Dickens and the late American pop star Prince to show what they shared--extraordinary artistic drive and productivity. During their creative... Read More

P.J. Ochlan narrates this WWII story of a Paris detective, Henri Lefort, who has one week to solve the murder of a German officer in the Louvre or face the fatal consequences. Lefort is given a short list of suspects by German authorities but is not allowed to visit the crime scene or see the body. What is everyone hiding--including Lefort himself, who must face his secret... Read More

It's an appealing premise: a story from the point of view of a man who walked from New York to Arizona. And this audiobook is indeed appealing, but not for that obvious reason. In the wake of a breakup, Gil's journey west has already taken place, and now he is settling into his new life alone. Paul Heitsch is an excellent narrator: clear with enunciation and sensitive to mood.... Read More

Anthony Michael Lopez smoothly presents this history of the disability rights movement and how it has progressed since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. The work includes extensive research and interviews with members of the disability community. While the ADA was a landmark piece of legislation, Mattlin discusses many of the areas in which... Read More

Narrator Michael Quinlan carefully delivers years of work documenting Donald Trump's presidency by reporters for the NEW YORK TIMES and the NEW YORKER, respectively. Quinlan narrates with a newsman's skill, meaning he is deliberate and dispassionate no matter how difficult the subject matter is to hear. While many of the stories are familiar, this work quotes the people in the... Read More

Troy Duran masterfully presents this third entry in the Bodhi Crocodile series, which conveys the best and worst of humanity through the eyes of its unlikely--mute, almost childlike--hero. Duran deftly portrays poetic scenes, along with graphic violence. Listeners meet Bodhi Crocodile and his friends, both the living and, through vivid memories, the departed. Bodhi confronts... Read More

Michael Seth Starr's book details all of the minutiae of the professional side of comedian Don Rickles, and Johnny Heller uses his best, somewhat nasal, anchorman voice to present it. While we are told that Rickles was very different from the insulting person he portrayed in his sixty-year comedy career, this audio has little, if any, insight into the man behind those jokes.... Read More

Narrator Angela Rose Masi takes on the story of a young private investigator and a case that becomes far too personal. Four years earlier, heiress Melia van Aust's family was murdered in cold blood, leaving her and her brother the sole survivors. After leaving rehab, Melia hires Rainey Hall to find out who is threatening her life. Masi's narration is slow paced and thoughtful.... Read More

Holly Adams narrates this chilling biography of Katharine Clark, the first female American journalist to report from behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. Clark's story is subtitled "The Untold Story of the Fearless Journalist Who Risked Her Life for Truth and Justice." Adams portrays the strong-willed Clark with a minimum of emotion as she and her husband, Ed, worked... Read More

Author Kim Sherwood was selected by Ian Fleming's family to write a contemporary trilogy extending the world of James Bond (007). Narrator Pippa Bennett-Warner successfully portrays the numerous central and secondary characters, male and female, of various nationalities. Her posh English accent is easy to listen to. The story introduces a new generation of secret agents who are... Read More

Narrator Moira Quirk captivates as Mererid, the last living water diviner in Gwaelod and a fugitive from the cruel Prince Garanhir. Despite her misgivings, Mer agrees to join her former handler in his quest to bring down the prince and claim a fabled treasure. Quirk's mastery of the soft accent and challenging pronunciations makes this fantasy heist loosely based on Welsh... Read More

Geena Davis narrates her hilarious memoir about growing up as a polite young lady who eventually challenged the entertainment industry. An icon of feminist film roles, Davis retraces her steps in finding her voice as an artist. Fans of her acting will find much to admire in these self-revelatory chapters. Her narration style is warm, close, and intimate. The overall feeling is... Read More