New Reviews by Title: K-O

Wallace Shawn's performance is spirited, hilarious, and dark--typically all at once. His rousing voice captures the multiple dystopian themes in this new production of the classic Japanese novella. A psychiatric patient describes his time in "Kappa Land," which is populated by mysterious spirits who are known for their menacing presence. Akutagawa deftly weaves in the topic of... Read More

Crews's novel, published in 1988, is finally on audio, and it's worth the wait. Matt Godfrey's masterful storytelling brings it to life. Part of "Southern grit lit," the story focuses on Eugene Talmadge Biggs, a prizefighter who discovers that his most lucrative skill is his ability to knock himself unconscious. Biggs capitalizes on the public's thirst to see this talent,... Read More

Expertly narrated by Imani Jade Powers, this speculative fiction enters the mind and motives of Lady Macbeth. While she's reminiscent of Shakespeare's character, many of the events depart from the play's, allowing us to see things through her eyes. Seventeen-year-old Roscille, allegedly cursed by witches, drives men mad after one look into her eyes. Against her will, she's... Read More

Narrator Marisa Calin transports the listener back to 1898 London and the Savoy Hotel, where Lady Delia Stratham works as an event planner. Lord Simon Hayden has been hired by the hotel's owners to find out why it's losing money despite being busy. Delia and Simon clash at first, and Calin captures the considerable tension between the two. Later, as they grow closer, Calin... Read More

With the jaunty ease of a favorite uncle holding forth before a crackling fire, narrator Matt Addis recounts this wild tale revolving around a gentleman who returns home to his ancestral manor only to discover that there is a mythical giant worm lurking in an underground cave below it. He soon finds that the beautiful but coldly manipulative widow next door, who has unwanted... Read More

Hanako Footman's delicate tones resonate with the otherworldly atmosphere of this short novel about revisiting cherished memories. Footman sustains the intrigue regarding Mr. Hirasaka, an affable guide of the afterlife who owns a fantastical photo studio somewhere between life and death. Although he assists each of the three characters--an old woman, a gangster, and a girl--to... Read More

Helen Laser brings a crisp no-nonsense timbre to the lush, narcissistic world of celebrities that ghostwriter Mari Hawthorn must navigate to survive in Palm Springs. Mari gets her big break when she's hired to write notorious model Anke Berben's memoir. Laser makes her excitement and trepidation palpable with a well-chosen combination of hushed tones and even diction. Anke is... Read More

Susan Duerden completes the Maggie Hope series with a strong performance as the intrepid heroine takes on a frightening mission, meeting up again with Coco Chanel, the French fashion designer and Nazi collaborator. British concerns about the Germans acquiring a fission bomb lead Maggie to Madrid, where danger lurks around every corner and double agents will stop at nothing to... Read More

It's rewarding to listen to a novel that depicts the effects of tumultuous times upon several generations of a family. Maggi-Meg Reed and Mark Bramhall portray various members of the Taylor family and their associates. Reed and Bramhall provide clear differentiation between characters, including young attorney Nick Taylor, who works for American Oil; Bet, his devoted wife and... Read More

Vikas Adam brings color to this unique international drama. His expressive voice captures the ups and downs of young Egyptian American Azaan's life in California. When Azaan's parents catch him kissing Madison, his American crush, he is exiled to Egypt. Adam dramatizes Azaan's development from a rebellious teen who is forced to study religion to an adult who poses as a fake... Read More

Narrator LJ Ganser guides listeners through this biography of Clayton Kershaw, one of the most dominant Major League Baseball pitchers in history. Kershaw has been in the limelight from the time he was a child in Dallas through his All-Star career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ganser infuses a bit of emotion into Kershaw's story, which helps listeners understand what makes the... Read More

This book, published in 1994, follows several members of a Coney Island high school basketball team. The author, who is essentially embedded in the school, spends multiple hours with the players as they go through the recruitment process and as they deal with girlfriends and life in a troubled area of New York. JD Jackson brings his usual stellar narration to the audiobook,... Read More

In this dual-perspective romance, Ellie Gossage ably performs both narrators with voices that fit their distinct personalities. Bubbly, optimistic Opal wins the lottery and uses most of her newfound wealth to outright purchase a beautiful flower farm in Appalachian North Carolina. But when she arrives at her new home, she discovers cynical Pepper, who has been living and... Read More

Travel to the Summer Olympic Games with Shaniqua Okwok, who narrates this contemporary sports romance. Hardworking Olivia Nkomo is determined to get her dream job at the Summer Games, where she hopes to meet some of her favorite athletes. Zeke Moyo, the star of Team Great Britain, is seeking the title of "fastest man alive." When Olivia and Zeke bump into each other on the... Read More

An engaging narration by Shayna Small takes listeners into the little-seen world of entitled women artists. It's Paris, 1928, and Black lesbian Louise Lloyd, an amateur detective, is living her dream. Her work as a budding photographer gives her access to an elite group of artists, ambitious women who meet weekly at the exclusive Aquarius club. When member Iris Wright goes... Read More

Four narrators lend their talents to a love story that spans decades. Leanne Woodward portrays stoic Chloe, a young librarian who is struggling to raise three younger siblings. When she stumbles upon an old book with intriguing marginalia, she strives to uncover the developing love story with the help of Joe Zack, a suave flirt portrayed by Joe Jameson, who makes him completely... Read More

Adjoa Andoh's remarkable skills of characterization and pacing are on full display in this reissue of le Carré's novel of espionage and manipulation in the Middle East. When a naïve English actress, Charlie, agrees to work undercover for an Israeli spy to identify a Palestinian terrorist, she is co-opted by morally ambiguous people on both sides. Andoh gives Charlie a light,... Read More

Adepero Oduye and Chukwudi Iwuji perform this whirlwind story told by a group of characters who are all connected by the events of a single night. In an unnamed city in Nigeria, Kalu attends a sex party to help him forget that his girlfriend, Aima, has just left him. But everything goes wrong, and Kalu finds himself sucked into the city's seedy underbelly with no way out. Oduye... Read More

Alison Larkin re-creates WWII London, where citizens are facing deadly attacks from the air and spies on the ground. Listeners meet safecracker Electra "Ellie" McDonnell and her manager, Major Gabriel Ramsey. Larkin's buoyant Ellie hesitantly approaches the intense Ramsey about mysterious murders that are taking place. Her criminal connections have no idea who's behind them. At... Read More

Sometimes metafiction--shape shifting, self-referential, time bending--can seem like a party favor. While it possesses many meta elements, this satisfying audiobook is at once a comic romp, a satire of fame in the Internet Age, and a look at race--set in rural Mississippi. This is the 2021 revision of the debut novel from Laymon, whose more recent memoir, HEAVY, was much... Read More

Even at more than 15 hours, with a story covering several decades, this audiobook never slows its pace as narrated by Edoardo Ballerini. The epic begins in 1980 with the kidnapping of a Long Island factory owner and follows the lives of his three underachieving adult children, all of whom are damaged in their own way by the ordeal. Ballerini expertly captures the Jewish... Read More

Moira Quirk is a virtuoso in narrating all manner of fantasies. Here she delights in turning to the dark side. When a lonely, bookish adolescent is offered a magical deal to hop from a cancer ward to the realms of her favorite fantasy novels, she jumps at the opportunity--with one caveat. She wants to be one of the villains. As this wonderfully campy send-up of bodice-ripping,... Read More

Vivienne Leheny will keep listeners guessing as she narrates this smart story about a thirty-year-old mystery involving the disappearance of three members of a wealthy Nevada family. The incident resulted in national headlines. Leheny's wonderfully breathy presentation adds to the drama. The story starts simply enough: Dr. Sloan Hastings sends her DNA to a genealogy website and... Read More

Narrator Michael Chance performs this timely audiobook with dignified enthusiasm that perfectly matches the spirit of the London economist's work on how to help people prepare for living longer. With a lovely accent reminiscent of the British actor Michael Caine, he adds color and sensitivity to this persuasive manifesto. The author's positive message is that instead of feeling... Read More

Three narrators, Susan Bennett, Christina Moore, and Xe Sands, combine their talents to tell the story of Dr. Lark Smith. Lark has been moved from oncology to the ER because she is deemed to be too emotional. Dr. Lorenzo Santini has offered to help her get back to oncology if she will pretend to be his girlfriend to please his grandmother. Sands gives Lark vulnerability as her... Read More

What a treat it is to listen to Kimberly Wetherell's sparkling narration of this fun and heartwarming rom-com. At age 29, Gray leaves Tulsa for a position in public relations at a prestigious private school in New Orleans, where her best friend, Cherry, lives. Having ended a ten-year relationship, Gray is encouraged by Cherry to embark on a six-week astrology dating project... Read More

An ensemble of narrators delves into this audiobook in which a Blackfeet girl's murder is tied to four teens. Loren, whose sister went missing months ago, is voiced by Katie Anvil Rich. Mara, voiced by Julie Lumsden, is new to the reservation. Brody, voiced by Shaun Taylor-Corbett, is a jokester with a crush. And Eli, voiced by Jordan Waunch, is full of secrets and spends a lot... Read More

This historical mystery brings a strong, idealistic American woman to a small village in mountainous Calabria, Italy, in 1960. Francesca is running from marital turmoil in Rome when she comes to Santa Chionia to build a nursery school. Narrator Lisa Flanagan gives Francesca a passionate, authoritative voice as she tells her story of trying to raise up the people of a forgotten... Read More

Dennis Boutsikaris returns to narrate the fifth installment of the Clay Edison series by the father-and-son duo Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman. Boutsikaris captures the personality of former deputy-coroner-turned-PI Clay Edison with a convincing guy-next-door voice. At the request of a client and driven by his own curiosity and sense of justice, Edison investigates the secrets... Read More

Alexandra Potocka captivatingly delivers the true story of Anglo-Americans Jennifer and John Dobbs after they were separated from their parents in China during WWII. Listeners meet their family as they enjoy a privileged lifestyle, which includes fine Western clothing, lavish vacations, and the services of maids. Potocka captures 8-year-old Jennifer's viewpoint as she and her... Read More

Jorjeana Marie's captivating narration brings this Narnia-inspired gateway fantasy to life. Grieving the recent loss of her mother, vet tech Emilie Wendell vows to find the half-sister she never knew, who disappeared in a West Virginia forest years ago. Desperate for a lead, she enlists the help of Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell--estranged friends who emerged from the same forest... Read More

Coauthor and narrator Lexi Underwood brings high schooler Jordyn to life in this young adult audiobook about the power of art. Jordyn wants a fresh start at her new school. But when an anonymous podcaster reveals intimate secrets about students, including a piece on Jordyn's past, she teams up with her new friends to take down the podcast for good. Underwood primarily narrates,... Read More

It's great fun to listen to Andi Arndt switching from one accent or vocal register to another. She is skillful and generous, calling no attention to herself, leaving all your focus on this first-person narrative, a tale told by an obsessive young woman named Hannah who pursues a man accused of murdering four women much like herself. First-person narratives are claustrophobic by... Read More

Frankie Corzo narrates a contemporary romance featuring childhood best friends. Laniah and Issac have always been close. Now Issac's career in L.A. has skyrocketed, putting him in the spotlight. At home in Rhode Island, Laniah and her mother struggle to keep their natural hair care business operating. Issac's plan to boost the store's sales by fake-dating Liniah for the summer... Read More

Tune in for a great experience with narrator Marni Penning as she returns listeners to the small town of Cemetery, Indiana. Berkley Carr, who hasn't had an easy life, has moved to town to run its new animal shelter. There, she encounters Lawson Salder, who comes from her hometown and is privy to her past. Berkley is from Kentucky, and Penning gives her a hint of an accent.... Read More

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson narrates her audiobook with the precision and thoughtfulness that characterize her legal decisions. She straightforwardly describes the struggles of her progenitors during segregation. Her delivery grows more personable as she depicts her childhood love of learning, as well as memories of high school debating, Harvard friendships,... Read More

Listeners should not expect risqué revelations about White House liaisons. The titular loves of Theodore Roosevelt are his mother, two wives, and two sisters. These five women were instrumental in creating the man who would become one of our most popular presidents. Author and narrator Edward F. O'Keefe tells listeners about these exceptional women who were reliable advisors,... Read More

Zara Chowdhary's writing and film background are evident in a cinematic memoir that recounts the disastrous 2002 train fire that killed 57 Hindus, ignited Muslim prejudice, and fueled riots in the state of Gujarat, India. Chowdhary describes her innocence at age 16 and her feelings of confusion, disbelief, and dawning horror as the events unfolded. Her accented English and... Read More

Golden Voice Narrator January LaVoy becomes the characters of Troy, Georgia, as they face off on the issue of banning books in libraries. Lula Dean, the prime book banner, fills her little free library with "wholesome books." Little does she know that her rival, Beverly Underwood's daughter, Lindsay, put banned books beneath the wholesome book jackets. Oh, my! LaVoy imbues... Read More

Mackenzie Cartwright and Teddy Hamilton join forces to portray the romance between Jackson Justice and April Hoffman. April is working for Jackson's lumber business in Maine when she's involved in an accident that leaves her with amnesia. Her memory lapses give insecure Jackson the opportunity to admit his feelings for her. Hamilton projects all of Jackson's masculinity, along... Read More

Sophie Dahl narrates her short adventure story featuring Mabel, a girl living in her parents' Mermaid Hotel, and Madame Badobedah (rhymes with "ooh-la-la"), the hotel's quirkiest resident. Madame Badobedah's indeterminate accent suits her mysterious background and eccentricity. Did she really steal a priceless emerald from a museum? Mabel speaks with Dahl's English accent and... Read More

Shape-shifting lion Curran, voiced by Michael Glenn, growls and purrs, while sword-wielding, magic-imbued Kate Daniels, performed by Nora Sofyan, sounds as gruff and determined as any warrior. Someone or something is destroying magical wards, making them vanish into thin air. Kate; her best friend, Andrea, portrayed by Emlyn McFarland; and 19-year-old shape-shifter and... Read More

Karen Novack takes on the joint roles of narrator and 40-year-old recently divorced Jessie, whose fresh start begins when she's hired as caretaker of an old house in the Sierra Foothills. Little does Jessie know that the house comes with secrets and strange employees. But Jessie has self-appointed protectors: the aging, ultra-stiff gargoyle/butler, Mr. Tom, portrayed by RJ... Read More

Author and narrator CeCé Telfer shares her compelling and timely story in this candid memoir. Born in Jamaica, CeCé knew she was female from a very early age but faced cultural and family pressure to hide her authentic self. CeCé's delivery is passionate and raw; she doesn't shy away from heartbreaking details. However, her narration is disjointed in parts. As she travels from... Read More

A cast of narrators tells Audrey Carlan's second "Marriage Auction" story from each character's perspective. As the auction approaches, listeners hear each couple's backstory in differently voiced chapters. From the sizzling attraction that narrators Wesleigh Siobhan and Winston James create for their characters to the world-weary bachelor Rhodes, narrated by Aiden Snow, and... Read More

Marvel Comics fans will love this behind-the-scenes look at the creation of many of the company's lesser-known characters, such as Killraven, Man-Thing, Omega the Unknown, and others. Todd Menesses delivers a punchy, well-paced work with welcome enthusiasm about the subject matter. Clearly, he gets it. There is a slight problem with his pronunciation of some words like "genre,"... Read More

This splendid romantic adventure, loosely based on the Persephone myth, receives a sterling performance by Ariel Blake. In the fifteenth century, Odòdó is a member of the women's blacksmith's guild in Timbuktu, where conditions are terrible for her and other women. When Timbuktu falls, Odòdó is abducted and spirited away to the Royal City, where her life changes forever. The... Read More

Sunny Lu, Keong Sim, and Charlie Thurston narrate a mesmerizing thriller about a woman who must confront the unreliability of her own memory. Hope's memories of her life before her time at a facility designed to reconsolidate lost memories are spotty. Each treatment is slow to bring order to the chaotic remnants of her past. But as secrets come to light, she begins to doubt the... Read More

Anna Marie Tendler narrates her memoir of a short stay at a psychiatric hospital at the beginning of COVID as she attempts to deal with self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and an eating disorder. Along with a brutally realistic take on her stay, she includes scenes of her relationship with her mother, as well as older men with whom she was sexually involved as a minor. There's also a... Read More

Landon Woodson's high-speed narration creates immediacy as best friends Drew, Darius, and Isaiah attempt to set a new BMX bike record. Eighth-grader Isaiah admits he's not a daredevil like his buddies, but, as Woodson's fever-pitched delivery shows, he's consumed by the effort. Suddenly, Darius is killed in a terrible accident, and Woodson's voice becomes subdued and somber as... Read More

Narrator Santino Fontana delivers Riley Sager's trademark psychological suspense. It's 1994; in a picture-perfect neighborhood, 10-year-old Ethan and his best friend, Billy, camp out in Ethan's backyard. The night will tragically be remembered as the night Billy was taken from the tent while his best friend slept beside him. Thirty years later, Ethan reluctantly returns to his... Read More

Kaleo Griffith's exceptional narration highlights the tension and emotions packed into Sarah Crouch's impressive debut. In Point Orchards, Oregon, the body of Dr. Erin Landry is found hanging from a tree deep in the woods on novelist Elijah Leith's property. The death appears to be suicide until details emerge from Elijah's unsuccessful novel in which a murder is made to look... Read More

The combined strengths of Joe Eyre, Sarah Slimani, Roly Botha, Laurence Dobiesz, and Tuppence Middleton create a stellar full-cast production. Listeners will be caught up in this well-executed story of a friendly get-together that turns into a murder mystery. We are taken into the opulent atmosphere of The Manor, a luxurious resort teeming with intrigue. Eyre and Slimani bring... Read More

Georgina Campbell performs this gothic tale set in 1840s England. Orabella Mumthrope finds herself marrying a mysterious, wealthy stranger to help settle her uncle's debt. At her husband's historic home, she meets his family, all of whom seem to have far too many secrets. Campbell's performance capture's Orabella's frustration as she's given a strict routine and told never to... Read More

Narrator Jennifer Jill Araya portrays a young physics professor who decides to live according to her daily horoscope after being denied tenure at her university. Miranda Reep takes a much-needed sabbatical and decides to adopt a different perspective on life. Her fortune begins to change when she meets Simon Archer, the boy next door. Araya's portrayal of Miranda's conflicted... Read More

Erin Bennett speaks earnestly about the life of comedian Elaine May, warning listeners that separating fact from fiction is difficult. But Bennett's ease with the microphone makes it a joy. Blessed with brains and beauty, May was easily bored. She told outrageous lies about almost every aspect of her life. Bennett delicately tells the story of her groundbreaking comedy with... Read More

Gabra Zackman performs this ambitious novel, which attempts to turn the legend of King Arthur on its head. In an alternative future 11 thousand years from now, an orphan boy named Ariel chooses not to pull the sword from the stone. Instead, he finds a different sword, an ancient artifact that carries with it a sentient AI that tells him of times past. From there, Ariel starts... Read More

Ellen Quay narrates a new series, The Fae Dynasty, which begins with Thea's story. Each year a new queen is chosen from the mortals and is whisked off to the fae realm. Thea learns quickly that mortal queens never go back home; in fact, they seem to vanish. She is determined not to let that happen to her. At first, Quay portrays Thea as naïve; even though her life hasn't been... Read More

Adam Nimoy recounts his struggles with his famous father, Leonard, and with his own addictions in this compelling story of family and recovery. Leonard is best known for his portrayal of the unflinchingly logical but lovable Spock from the Star Trek franchise. In life, his son experienced a different person: a distant workaholic with demons to spare. Throughout the audiobook,... Read More

You don't have to be familiar with the Beryl and Edwina Mystery series to enjoy Barbara Rosenblat's narrative gifts in this latest installment. Beryl and Edwina are hired to expose the Dinsdales, fraudulent new residents who are offering "seances." When the body of the former church organist appears where the medium's "spirit guide" is supposed to reside, things heat up.... Read More

Whitstable is a peaceful English village in which a few residents enjoy the benefits of having a garden allotment where they grow flowers and vegetables and tend bees and hens. Jennifer Kirby portrays Pearl Nolan, who enjoys a plot, along with a close-knit group of villagers. Kirby provides the wit and spark of this sharp restaurateur and independent woman. Soon, however, the... Read More

Two booksellers, gregarious Molly and reserved Emma, discover a treasure trove of books about the occult when they meet at an estate sale in this cozy, narrated with straightforward clarity by Janet Metzger. The mystery moves around a bit among a host of seemingly unconnected characters and events that are held together by Metzger's understated tone and unhurried pacing. The... Read More

This Regency-era mystery will baffle and delight listeners. In a soothing, self-assured voice, Allie Rose portrays a headstrong duchess who struggles to clear her husband's name when he is found drenched in blood beside the murdered body of an opera singer. Audrey, the attractive Duchess of Fournier, knows her gentle, intellectual husband, who is homosexual, is innocent despite... Read More

Simon Vance's finely calibrated narration makes this little-known George Smiley novel of special interest. Here le Carré tries his hand at a spy-free English mystery triggered when a faculty wife at the elite Carne School writes a panicky letter to Ailsa Brimley claiming her husband is planning to kill her. Miss Brimley asks her old war-time colleague Smiley for advice. Smiley... Read More

Stacy Gonzalez portrays 15-year-old mbar as she navigates life with her father, a gangster. They are traveling across Argentina, hunting for the person who murdered her father's partner. Gonzalez creates a sassy, likable teen in mbar, highlighting her self-confidence and self-doubt, both of which are part of her charm. Gonzalez also rises to the challenge of portraying the wide... Read More

Narrator Kitty Bang draws the listener into the romance between television production assistant Anika Fox and Luca St. Marten, the king of a small European country. Hoping to bring tourists back to his country, Luca has agreed to be part of a reality dating show. Anika starts as a production assistant but ends up as a contestant. Luca and Anika met prior to the show, but she... Read More

Dara Rosenberg employs bright, youthful tones to portray naïve 20-year-old Rose Harkness Beaufont, who suddenly learns she's half mortal and half magician--and the newly recovered heir to the House of Fourteen and Mortal Seven. On that very day, Rose must take up her mission as a warrior and witch hunter to destroy the magic of the Shadow Walker coven of Los Angeles. In this... Read More

Lee's well-researched portrait of Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon is a delightful and informative experience brought to life by narrator Jane Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer's slightly hoarse timbre and intimate tone suit the intelligent, reserved, and poised former First Lady of the United States. President Richard Nixon certainly gets his due in this audiobook, and, happily, the... Read More

To help keep her family's home from foreclosure, 12-year-old Sarah Greene and her escape room friends, Hannah and West, break into an abandoned 1950's fun house to find the legendary treasure hidden inside. Narrator Eleanor McCormick expressively channels her youthful side, as well as Sarah's levelheadedness, Hannah's spunky comebacks, and West's silliness as they go through... Read More

Sophia's current beau, the man of her dreams, surprises her with a cruise to the Galapagos Islands. Just as they are boarding, he gets an "emergency" call from his ex-wife and tells Sophia he can't go. At his insistence, she decides to go alone. Narrator Erin Bennett gives a great performance, delving into Sophia's ruminations with excellent pacing and varying tones that reveal... Read More

Listeners will find much to learn in this audiobook. Just when dire reports--fire, flood, calving icebergs--are enough to alarm anyone, this audiobook from ecological engineer Galle arrives with a refreshingly positive and heretical assertion that nature and technology can be allied. Narrating convincingly in a youthful tone that suits the author's optimism, Eileen Stevens... Read More

Marc Vietor narrates a dark fantasy epic about a family of merchant bankers and the prince who is poised to take over the kingdom. Davico di Regulai, armed with an ancient dragon eye and his own wits, steps up to control a vast banking empire. He soon learns that kindness is a weakness that will get him killed. A slow build follows Davico from childhood to adulthood. As Vietor... Read More

Ray Porter performs a Lovecraftian take on a military science-fiction thriller. When an entire space station orbiting around Jupiter vanishes, its inhabitants find themselves trapped in a realm of cosmic horror. The only way home involves a legendary weapon and spaceships that require dead pilots. Porter narrates in a gleefully theatrical tone. Monsters' and villains' voices... Read More

M.K. Asante's performance captures the essence of what makes the audiobook medium vital: a living experience that grabs listeners from start to finish. Here, Asante's work is filled with hip-hop rhythms creating rich images that embody a journey through Black history and community via the streets of Philadelphia. Assante unfolds the story of his nephew Nasir's emergency... Read More

Jack Reacher is a man on the move, traveling light, whose destination is unknown. In this short story, Scott Brick doesn't disappoint, portraying Reacher as a tough ex-military loner who only wants to right wrongs and set the world straight. Here we meet Reacher in Texas after he hitches a ride to a tiny nowhere town filled with--what else?--trouble. Brick keeps the pace moving... Read More

In this satirical audiobook, a full cast flips the script on privilege, race, and gender roles in an upper-class neighborhood called Malcolm X Estates. The narrators are deliberately over-the-top as they capture the many laugh-out-loud situations that take place when a white family moves into the Black neighborhood. Clare Brown, author and one of the key narrators, portrays... Read More

Paige McClanahan has an appealing voice and narrates persuasively at a good pace. She gives this audiobook a sense of her lived experience as a travel writer, reporter, and thoughtful interpreter of the world of travel. While she resides in France, she is a longtime contributor to the NEW YORK TIMES; her insights on tourism are based on thousands of hours of interviews. She... Read More

Ruby Corazon delights as the narrator of this debut contemporary romance featuring a librarian and an ex-NFL star. Each is attempting to get over their feelings for their ex--both of whom are newly engaged. Can they do so by hooking up with each other? Everyone thinks Marcela Ortiz and Theo Young are sleeping together anyway, so why not play along? When their ruse turns into... Read More

Euan Morton sounds like he's having a grand time narrating this strange and strangely endearing story set in the eleventh century. Tyun, a relic hunter, and Nicephorus, a monk who has had a (possibly) prophetic dream, set off with a motley crew on a sometimes madcap, often funny adventure to steal the bones of Saint Nicholas and bring them back to Bari. As the city's Norman... Read More

Natalie Naudus narrates the opening of a duology retelling the Mulan legend. Meilin escapes from her abusive father when he arranges to sell her to an equally abusive husband. She disguises herself as a boy and enlists in the army, where she augments her training with nightly sessions. A jade necklace she inherited from her mother is imbued with black magic, and she starts to... Read More

Cindy Kay amplifies the drama in this Japanese thriller with her steely voice. It's 1979, and Yoriko Shindo is kidnapped despite her attempt to fight off her attackers. She finds herself forced into working for an arm of the yakuza--she has to serve as the driver for the daughter of the brutal boss. Kay shifts between the gravelly-voiced henchmen and the sharp, critical voice... Read More

This stunning collection of short stories is narrated beautifully by a quartet of gifted narrators who bring to life the reimagined lives of the nine-tailed fox of Asian folklore. As each story unfolds, the narrator imbues it with passion, sensuality, and a healthy dose of feminist perspective. Nancy Wu, Annie Q, Jen Zhao, and Eunice Wong have engaging and charming voices, and... Read More

A trio of narrators brings to life this dark, brooding mystery. Shaun Taylor-Corbett narrates most of this story from the point of view of Toby Tucker, who suddenly marries into the wealthy Wright family, famous for their televangelist patriarch, Jerome. Severe weather strands the extended family at their Texas compound, and when Jerome is found dead, deep family secrets emerge... Read More

Christopher P. Brown performs this intimate memoir of a son's fraught relationship with his mother after she discovers he's gay. During the first year of the Covid pandemic, Corcoran's mother dies, leaving him and his two sisters to handle her affairs. From there, Corcoran takes listeners back through their complex relationship, sharing how his mother's homophobia has followed... Read More

Dion Graham's masterful narration clarifies this novel's shifts in point of view and vividly defines its main characters, 107-year-old Josey Kravitz and 12-year-old Alex. The richness of Graham's Polish accent for Josey augments the power of his storytelling and his tragic past, as well as his caring personality. Graham's delivery also reveals Alex's feelings of hopelessness... Read More

Christopher Walker performs the substantial role of legendary master thief Gideon Sable as he and his friends hunt for the ghost of an alien-possessed man in the Preserve in Bath (Britain's Area 51). Walker's clear, unaccented voice contrasts with that of his partner in crime, the lovely, magically gifted Cockney-accented Melody, aka Annie, portrayed by Jenna Sharpe. Sable and... Read More

Dorothy Dillingham Blue evokes a sense of wonder with her nuanced narration of this unique story-within-a-story. Elsy is delighted when she stumbles into the fictional town of her beloved romance series on a road trip. Soon though, she begins to worry about how this could have happened--and why. Her favorite characters aren't behaving like they did in the books, and the only... Read More

Many people have paid a high price for whistleblowing over the years. Skilled narrator Stephen Graybill's assured tone and steady delivery miraculously enliven this work by University of Minnesota ethicist Carl Elliott. Six stories reference the moral struggle that whistleblowers face, especially in the healthcare and educational arena. Elliott fought for an external... Read More

Tom Lennon smoothly re-creates the Wild West of the Gold Rush days--its heroes and villains and their exploits. Listeners meet U.S. marshal, prospector, and bounty hunter Oliver Blackstone, who, before leaving for Boston, befriends 7-year-old Mia after her parents are murdered by a miner. Lennon's delivery as both gunslinger and doting protector are spot-on. Well-rendered... Read More

Josh Bloomberg and Sharon Freedman narrate this collection of stories exploring the celebration of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Each chapter describes a ritual of the traditional Passover meal, called the Seder. Each chapter ends with a set of questions about how young people can connect these rituals to their own lives. Bloomberg and Freedman are enthusiastic narrators of... Read More

Doctor Fauci's public career spans five decades; he served seven presidents as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. His reputation is secured by a shelf of medals and awards--including the National Award for Science. Now a professor at Georgetown University, Dr. Fauci gained prominence during the COVID-19 epidemic for his confrontations... Read More

Momo Hoshi beautifully delivers this thoughtful memoir, which explores the history of humans and wheat, along with the allure and challenges of sustainable farming. Hoshi's gentle, sometimes wistful, narration of food and family casts a delightful spell. The author explores her Indian heritage, along with a type of heirloom wheat that can be traced back to the Punjab. Whether... Read More

Lucy Strange gives a lucid yet dreamy performance of a dark fantasy with massive world-building. In a future full of sickness caused by emotions, Payton is focused on becoming a "methic" in order to cure her mother's illness. With her sister, Ani, she explores the darker secrets of the hospital they grew up in before they were separated and introduced to the wilds outside.... Read More

George Guidall's sonorous delivery is dramatic yet soothing as marine biologist Doc Ford encounters another deep-sea adventure. This time, a Russian diplomat disappears while Doc is tagging sharks in South Africa. Doc returns to Florida just in time to face gangsters and a Category 5 hurricane. Guidall navigates the murderous characters, twisty plot, authentic dialogue, and... Read More

In a patrician-sounding voice, narrator Zion Jang portrays a group of Washington, DC, interns. The senators they serve, known as the "Gang of Six," are considered the wheeler-dealers of the Senate. One of them is about to die. Listeners will enjoy Jang's performance as he creates a personality for each of the interns by changing tone and rhythm. Especially notable is Cameron... Read More

Narrator Samuel Roukin introduces listeners to this unique story of the German people before and after Hitler's maniacal rise to power. Roukin deftly creates both German and Jewish characters with identifiable voices and cadences. Sophia Alexander pays no mind to Hitler's actions until the hospital where her father works is burned to the ground because he refuses to perform... Read More

Kerry Hutchinson narrates this heartrending account of Pen Farthing's escape from Afghanistan and his refusal to leave the animals and staff of his charity's rescue program behind. Operation Ark documents the events that took place when the Taliban invaded Kabul in 2021. More interested in eye-catching headlines than accuracy and substance, the media vilified Farthing for... Read More

On the face of it, an audiobook about the publication of and critical reaction to Charles Darwin's ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES wouldn't appear to be engaging. But Mike Cooper's smooth narration and charming British accent make this audiobook more accessible than its print cousin. Nonetheless, a rudimentary knowledge of Darwin's life and theories is necessary to understand the... Read More

Elizabeth Knowelden will capture listeners' hearts with her charming performance. Rival ornithologists Beth Pickering, a recent graduate, and Professor Devon Lockley are on the hunt for the death whistler bird, one the rare jewels in birding. While Beth finds Devon to be brash and egotistical at first, it's only a matter of time until Devon's charm sucks her in. Knowelden's... Read More

An ardent fan of the musical play offers a richly detailed portrait of the complicated lyricist who wrote OKLAHOMA, SHOWBOAT, and other timeless Broadway hits, Oscar Hammerstein. In the rapidly changing social climate he worked in (pre- and post-WWII), he was flawed as a man but created uplifting, socially progressive storylines that made audiences envision a more just and... Read More

This audiobook reveals often untold stories of early trans athletes and their battles for equality during a time of severe prejudice. Narrator Jennifer Pickens brings the stories in this superbly researched audiobook to life. Pickens expertly conveys the emotions of figures like Zdenek Koubek, a European sprinter who ultimately lived as a man, and Mark Weston, a British field... Read More

In this audiobook thriller, women take action against violent men, cruel women, and a world that underestimates them and takes them for granted. Sisters Paula and Julie grow up with a vengeful mother, ultimately paying the price for her choices. Three narrators take turns voicing the lead as the story jumps around in time, making the shifts easy for listeners to manage. As... Read More

Narrator Matthew Lloyd Davies brings his considerable talent to one of Graham Greene's best-known novels. James Wormold, a vacuum cleaner retailer, invents a spy ring in order to cover his daughter's extravagances. Davies manipulates accents, vocal tones, and pitch ranges to bring the characters to life. He enhances the novel's dark (sometimes very dark) humor, as well. The... Read More

Listeners will be swept away by Marissa Hampton and Jesus E. Martinez's portrayal of the simmering tension between workaholic hotelier Genevieve Raymond and her Panamanian driver, Adrián Nicolas. Instead of returning to the U.S. after opening a new resort, Gen decides to extend her stay in Colón, and her sexy driver, no longer her colleague, extends the invitation of a... Read More

Rob Shapiro immerses listeners in this historical fiction. The novel is about the infamous outlaw Butch Cassidy, who planned to spend his post-outlaw days staying lying low. So here he is in Paris, where he meets talented singer Jane Touissant and introduces himself as Mr. Noble Salt. Touissant and Salt's (Cassidy's) connection and mutual goal of keeping their secrets... Read More

Elena Rey rises to the challenge of narrating this emotionally charged and hilarious story of love and trauma shared among three generations of women. Luciana, the youngest daughter in a Colombian American family, becomes exasperated when her eccentric grandmother, Abue, refuses to evacuate from Miami during a hurricane. A mass found on Abue's gallbladder throws everything into... Read More

Narrator Ann Richardson performs this beautifully crafted story about female bonding, personal growth, and the transformative power of friendship. The audiobook alternates between the viewpoints of an aging, reclusive bestselling author, Inez, and her cleaner, Meja. Meja lacks direction in her life and comes to help Inez declutter her cottage in coastal Sweden. The story is... Read More