Grover Gardener's accomplished narration brings alive the whole cast of characters in this long-standing audiobook series. As slightly world-weary Inspector Montalbano is faced with a new case, he also finds himself coming to terms with the fact that both he and his relationship with his long-distance girlfriend, Livia, are aging--and not necessarily aging well. Among the members of Montalbano's team is lovable but bumbling Officer Catarella. Gardner's pacing allows the twists and turns to unfold, both in the case and in Montalbano's personal life. Notably, Stephen Sartarelli has done an excellent job translating the work from the original Italian. He ensures that the humor is maintained, including Catarella's malapropisms, which work well in the audio format.
Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
Duration: 7 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781094180212
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
With this diverse group of narrators, each story is powerfully performed with emotional intelligence and perfect pacing.
Ten narrators powerfully capture the jarring and thoughtful experiences contained in the crime stories in this Swedish collection. From a police officer who quickly learns his bias can be deadly to a young woman seeking revenge on a wealthy fellow student to a mother who soon commits the very crime her son has been accused of, each story grabs hold of the listener and leaves them questioning what it means to break the law, even with the best of intentions. Each narrator takes on a separate story, and their individual performances skillfully match the emotional power and complicated examination of human nature these pieces provide.
With this diverse group of narrators, each story is powerfully performed with emotional intelligence and perfect pacing.Pub Date: May 30, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798228701991
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
Gardner’s masterful delivery adds to the story’s feeling of timelessness.
Grover Gardner’s no-nonsense delivery suits this straightforward, character-driven mystery. Once-famous Italian film director Manlio Parrini longs to get behind the camera again. His ’40s masterpiece Broken Truths made him aware that truth and freedom are illusions. Now in his mid-70s, his idea is to make a film about Augusto DeAngelis, the father of the Italian detective story. DeAngelis’ novels were banned as Hitler’s restrictive censorship laws gained dominance. In alternating timelines, Gardner sketches a bitter DeAngelis as he lies dying, beaten almost to death by fascists, and shows Parrini’s lightning-bolt realization that the same repressive bureaucracy still exists, with the same pressures exerted on art and artists.
Gardner’s masterful delivery adds to the story’s feeling of timelessness.
Pub Date: May 19, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 10 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228701809
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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