Zookeeper Iris Oakley is thrilled when her estranged husband quits drinking and vows to rededicate himself to their marriage. Cassandra Campbell provides the perfect voice for the passionate young woman, deftly capturing her emotions after her husband dies. Is she paranoid, or is someone really out to kill her? Campbell lightens or thickens her voice slightly for other characters but filters them all through Iris's own plaintive psyche, delicately adding nuances of uncertainty where appropriate. The entire production is washed with a layer of whining that, while occasionally annoying to the listener, comes across as realistic for a woman going through the loss of her husband, career uncertainty, and attacks on her life, all in the same week.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2008
Duration: 9 hrs
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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