Fans of the author's TALES OF THE CITY will find a few surprises in this novel. San Francisco remains the backdrop; the telling details and apt phrases still pertain, but the glibness is muted, and suspense and mystery take on a new prominence. The hero of this first-person narrative, a gay author not unlike Maupin, chances to strike up a long-distance relationship with a kind of prodigy--an AIDS-suffering, abused teen who has escaped and then written brilliantly about his ghastly childhood. Maupin calls this book his VERTIGO, but the Hitchcockian notes impress one less than the overriding themes of life, death, and love. Although the author clearly loves to read aloud, he does not do so with particular finesse. However, as he is impersonating a character who reads for an NPR series, his limitation proves a kind of asset. His voice and style would easily complement those of ALL THINGS CONSIDERED's popular commentators.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2006
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Harper 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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