With any beloved series the narrator becomes an integral part of our overall enjoyment, and so it is with this latest in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. Lisette Lecat adopts a confidential storytelling tone to deliver these vignettes about Botswana village life, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else doing a finer job. It’s a little like an African Mayberry--or like checking in with old friends, with a little judicious snooping thrown in on the part of Mma Ramotswe. It’s amazing how well McCall Smith captures the feelings of a “traditionally shaped” middle-aged lady surrounded by men she must straighten out or rescue, usually with much tact and understanding. It’s easy to see why this book won the Saga Award, given to the wittiest British book of the year. Lecat ekes out every morsel of comic nuance with perfect timing, gentle charm, and a flawless accent. As Precious Ramotswe would say, she has made us very, very happy.
Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2004
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Novelist Benet Archdale and housemaid Carol Stratford are two young, single parents who have no reason to know each other. They become tangled in a nightmarish spiral of kidnap, fraud, family violence and death. Ruth Rendell creates psychological suspense in thrillers that are compulsively readable or, in this case, listenable. British actress Imelda Staunton's reading is perfectly paced, and the characters are well defined. You'll have a hard time turning it off.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Emerson and Peabody are at it again! Uncovering antiquities takes a back-seat as the romantic archaeologists track down the master criminal who is stealing Egypt's ancient treasures. With the help of their precocious son, Ramses, the intrepid pair unravel this mystery in crowded bazaars, desert camps and the heart of the Black Pyramid. Barbara Rosenblat's reading fully measures up to the tale. She is a master of timing and nuance. Rosenblat's power for character interpretation has grown with each book in this amusing series. This is the best one yet.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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