Almarie Guerra is wonderfully cast to narrate Cardinal's fabulously creepy murder mystery set in Puerto Rico and based on the El Cuco myth (a boogeyman monster). Guerra inhabits the multi-perspective story with distinguishable voices, particularly those of protagonists Lupe Dávila, a 16-year-old "GringaRican" living with her uncle, a police captain, for the summer, and Javier Utierre, a 17-year-old recovering addict who's trying to figure out why his childhood friends are dying on the eve of their 18th birthdays. Guerra's well-paced performance, including her perfect Spanish pronunciation, will keep listeners engaged with the suspenseful narrative, which is equal parts crime investigation, macabre ghost story, and slow-burn romance. For thrills and chills in a tropical setting, this is the ideal pick.
(Supernatural thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: June 4, 2019
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250227966
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The satisfying, cozy resolution affirms the magic of romance, the power of loving a place, and the rewards of taking risks.
Soneela Nankani’s quiet narration carries a wish and a promise, setting the tone for high school junior Calisa’s escape from Brooklyn to her estranged great-aunt’s B&B in Vermont. Calisa, hurt from a breakup, receives a caustic welcome from her Auntie Zee and discovers an inn in disrepair. Nankani gives voice to the inn’s strange guests, who have puzzling manners, and gradually the odd occurrences Calisa notices begin to point in a distinctly enchanted direction. As Calisa travels through the inn’s portals to magical lands, Nankani’s narration helps listeners experience the richness Calisa finds. Tension builds as Auntie Zee goes missing, the inn’s future is threatened, and Calisa must decipher family secrets.
The satisfying, cozy resolution affirms the magic of romance, the power of loving a place, and the rewards of taking risks. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 2 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217171934
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: tomorrow
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