This legal detective novel boasts better writing than the Grisham model it resembles. Having given up criminal defense because of his guilt over a lost case, a conscientious attorney cannot escape representing his dissolute former partner on a murder rap. The case hinges upon a sexy psychopathic liar, the perfect witness of the title. The listener may at times wince at Ed Asner's narrating deficiencies--his growly, almost somnolent, pianissimo, odd rhythmic fluctuations and mid-sentence pauses. Yet, abetted by a suspenseful script, he exerts a certain hypnotic fascination. Furthermore, his voice is authoritative and his characterizations of women particularly fine. The effect is of a tiger, seemingly languid, but tense and ready to pounce.
Pub Date: 1998
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Dove 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:
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:
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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