Barbara Cleverly has written a stylish, suspenseful murder mystery set in the bohemian, hedonistic Paris of 1927. The story has charming but dangerous women, a stupid but vicious police inspector, an upstanding Englishman who is in jail for the murder of a fellow officer, nude dancers, knife-wielding gangs, and much more. Narrator Terry Wale’s voice lacks the sonorous quality of some British readers, but he captures the dramatic tension of each moment. He also makes the detective hero, Joe Sandilands, seem real, not like a stage-set English inspector. Listeners will enjoy the glamour of Paris between the wars and gain a look at a dark underworld of vice and murder.
Pub Date: 2008
Duration: 11 hrs
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books /Soundings
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In the latest Kinsey Millhone mystery, Kinsey is hired by an aged, wealthy man to retrieve his daughter from prison, where she has served time for embezzlement. Kinsey quickly figures out that the girl isn’t an embezzler but instead has done time for her money-laundering boss. All heck breaks loose. Judy Kaye has a warm, rich voice that seems just right for Grafton’s P.I. Her delivery mirrors the smart-aleck tenor of much of Kinsey’s dialogue. Strangely though, when Kaye is interpreting a male character (and there are many), she raises her voice to a higher register, so that many of the men sound like adolescents with changing voices, or worse, like chipmunks. It may be Kaye’s subtle social comment, though. For once the listener adapts, this odd gender reversal seems natural.
Pub Date: 2004
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Benedict Juliard, forced from steeplechase racing, becomes increasingly involved in politics and protecting his father's life. Prebble's relaxed but masterful command of characters allows an easy flow during conversations, as well as the sudden transformations from narrative to action scenes. His clear, precise speech; polished style of delivery; and sense of timing give a steady consistency and excellence to his reading. Prebble carries the main characters with ease, but he seems to delight in performing the secondary characters, who feature a great variety of accents to match their roles. Another polished performance by a master of reading.
Pub Date: 1998
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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