George Guidall makes everything he narrates better, and his performance of the Inspector Erlendur Icelandic mysteries is no exception. A gravelly voice for Erlendur exposes his loneliness and melancholy. Although the detective is working on a case revolving around a decades-old skeleton buried in a housing development, he’s preoccupied by his drug-addicted daughter, who is in a coma. The doctors tell Erlendur to talk to Eva Lind, and Guidall makes clear his initial discomfort, which transitions to an eventual unburdening. In a parallel story, a woman and her two sons are physically and psychologically abused by her husband, Grimur, during WWII. Guidall noticeably slows down the pacing for the scenes of domestic abuse, amping up the suspense and conveying the terror of the next battering blow.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2014
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781490624815
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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