For eight years, Julie Whitaker's family has agonized over her knifepoint kidnapping. Was she murdered? Could she be alive? The horrifying question is miraculously answered when Julie appears on their doorstep. Narrator Karen Peakes portrays the sheer joy of Anna, Julie's mother, and then her unspeakable creeping doubts about the grown-up Julie's true identity. Peakes's narration of Julie herself is tinged with a shade of vagueness that invites listeners to question her credibility. Because the points of view change between chapters, and, for the most part, Peakes maintains only minimal characterizations for most voices, it sometimes can be difficult to quickly grasp the changes. But Peakes delivers the occasionally elegant prose with grace. As doubt turns to suspicion, the plot twists become even more intriguing.
Pub Date: July 26, 2016
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781522650393
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Part of the joy of Tom Clancy novels is one's belief that the stories could come true. His latest entry stretches that some as we find international terrorists building a nuclear bomb which is used to set Americans and Russians against one another. Jay Robertson reads with a newscaster's voice, crisp and clear with a light touch of drama. However, he does little to help listeners identify Clancy's huge cast of characters, and dialects seem difficult for him as he occasionally slips in and out of character. Nonetheless, patient listeners are rewarded as the plot unfolds. This will be a welcome addition to any library justifying the price of the multi-cassettte volumes.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
John Sanford is back with another psychological thriller in his Prey series. Surgeon, psychopath and serial killer Bekker is on the loose again after the easiest jailbreak in recent memory. Ken Howard's reading moves along with all the brooding energy a reader could want from a suspense book. His narration is deep, clear and well-suited to the gravelly voices of retired detective Lucas Davenport and the other cops. While Howard manages good dialects and shifts in character, his female voices leave a lot to be desired. For the most part, the abridgment gleefully throws logic and characterization overboard in favor of thrills, but the basic flavor of many characters is still fairly well maintained.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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