by Akira Otani ; translated by Sam Bett ; read by Cindy Kay ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2024
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 of Shoko Naiki, her demanding 18-year-old charge. It's a violent, disturbing world that Shindo is pulled into, but she's unusually tough, and listeners hear her taunt her attackers as she fights back. Slowly, Shindo and Shoko form a sort of friendship, putting them both at risk. Kay ensures that the listener feels every bit of the tension in this short and memorable audiobook.
Pub Date: July 2, 2024
Duration: 3 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798892744270
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by C.J. Box ; read by David Chandler ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A
C.J. Box writes about life in wild Wyoming, short stories of people living a rugged life by choice or by circumstance. David Chandler narrates in a rough-edged whiskey voice that suggests summer heat, bitter winters, and windswept prairies, guiding the listener through 10 adventures of men like Fish and Game Officer Joe Pickett. Chandler brings the listener into this strange world where, more often than not, men have to create their own justice. His performance of the economical stories, some rarely seen, is perfect. The tale of the frozen body of a Native American basketball player turned speed freak, her arm reaching through the ice of a lake in a final jump shot, is one of the most fascinating in the collection.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781470392796
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by James Patterson & Viola Davis ; read by Viola Davis ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 9, 2026
Davis is a force of nature, and her performance is riveting.
Awards & Accolades
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Viola Davis illuminates a tale of small minds dealing with big issues. In a book co-written with Patterson, Davis portrays elected judge Mary Stone, a highly respected Black woman in Union Springs, Alabama. Fair-minded and self-assured, Judge Stone faces a case that divides the town. She is threatened by everyone from local crazies to the state’s governor. Vicious, violent actions accompany verbal threats, and it’s back to the bad old days of the Klan. Davis is simply magnificent. She is both subtle and blatant, giving texture to each of her characterizations. With deftness and artistry, she creates a world of ordinary, flesh-and-blood people and handles preconceptions based on antiquated prejudices with controlled rage. This one really is unputdownable.
Davis is a force of nature, and her performance is riveting.Pub Date: March 9, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 20 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668653685
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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