Horatio Wilkes is a wily sleuth who finds himself in Denmark (Tennessee), where something stinks. The Copenhagen River is being polluted by the paper mill run by the Prince family. Horatio's best friend, Hamilton Prince, thinks his father was murdered and is outraged that his mother, Trudy, married his Uncle Claude without a decent period of mourning. Erik Davies gives a smart, understated performance as the wisecracking Horatio, the brooding Hamilton, and the heartbroken Olivia, without becoming smug or cutesy. Alan Gratz's foray into Shakespearean convolutions is witty, literate, and fun. Young adult readers will find this a helpful "who's who" in HAMLET before they actually read about the melancholy Dane, or, having read it, will enjoy the many clever references to the original.
Young AdultPub Date: Feb. 4, 2007
Duration: 5 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Greg Chun and Michelle Lee portray the alliance and the attraction between the two main characters whose alternating chapters tell this 1506 Korean mystery. Lee’s narration is suffused with 17-year-old Isuel’s desire to free her older sister from cruel King Yeonsan. Lee projects Isuel’s willingness to learn sleuthing from Prince Daehyun to achieve her ends. Isuel’s hatred of the king, along with her determination and daring, are clear in Lee’s narration. Chun’s portrayal of Daehyun, the king’s wise half brother, has many levels. Chun shows Daehyun yielding regretfully to the increasing demands of the king while slyly plotting treason. Chun’s portrayals of the king are potent with vitriol and menace, reinforcing the author’s trigger warnings for YA listeners.
(Historical thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: May 14, 2024
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593946114
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Seventeen-year-old Matthew's emotional journey in Kao's dark coming-of-age fantasy is unnerving at times due to an exceptional performance by Shawn Jain. Jain's whispery voice is filled with a creepy calm as Matt must determine whether Rae Winter is marked by the devil. Jain emotes tenderness when Matt is with Rae and when he pines for his late mother. While Matt is at school, Jain makes it clear that the teen is carefully controlling his emotions. Jain pivots to anger when Matt is being pressured to "finish off" Rae. Listeners will cringe at Rae's rage when she discovers Matt has spied on her. Fully realized secondary characters such as Matt's landlord and a potential rival help keep this compelling production racing to its dramatic showdown.
(Paranormal. 12-18)Pub Date: June 20, 2023
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593681916
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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