Grover Gardner returns as Sicily's tenacious Inspector Salvo Montalbano in these stories from early in Montalbano's career. Stephen Sartarelli made specific dialect choices when translating author Andrea Camilleri's mysteries into English, and series narrator Gardner again faithfully follows his direction. Newcomers to the series may be surprised by Montalbano's gravelly voice and American accent, but series fans will immediately recognize and accept it, along with Officer Catarella's broad Brooklyn accent (and name-mangling tendencies). In all, there are many other returning--and new--characters, all of whom sound like they came straight out of one or another New York City borough. Camilleri's penchant for including harsh political and social realities keeps these stories well out of the cozy category, but without depriving them of their humor and charm.
Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781982517946
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
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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