An interesting Ozark history that doesn’t quite cohere.
Author Hale presents the case of his young cousin Haley's disappearance on Cave Mountain in 2001 and the ensuing search and rescue operation, the largest in Arkansas history. Hale connects this with the murder of 3-year-old Bethany by a small and isolated religious sect decades earlier on the same mountain. Narrating these two stories in a low, slightly gruff tone, Hale weaves together family anecdotes, Ozark lore, local and broader history, and Christian theology. While the two cases are intriguing, the work lacks focus and contains extraneous details.
An interesting Ozark history that doesn’t quite cohere.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 9 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063398153
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2026
A fascinating look into the history and operations of the worldwide Mafia, replete with revelations and insights.
This may be one of the most comprehensive works on organized crime ever written, beginning with crime organizations more than a thousand years before the Mafia existed. Nathan Osgood carefully delivers the work, allowing listeners to take in the sometimes-incredible implications. Perhaps Gingeras could have scaled back the first two hours of the work, which detail the rise of criminal organizations like Japan's yakuza, China's tongs, and many others over the centuries before finally getting to the modern-day Mafia. But once he gets to the late 1800s, the audiobook comes to life as the roots of the Mafia are laid bare and facts fly like bullets on Valentine's Day.
A fascinating look into the history and operations of the worldwide Mafia, replete with revelations and insights.Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 35 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668104569
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
An engaging true-crime tale built upon a captivating backstory.
Narrator Garrett Michael Brown has two stories to tell. One is the frightening tale of the kidnapping and murder of a wealthy Silicon Valley cannabis entrepreneur. Brown gives this one a dramatic reading, increasing his pace and using pauses for effect. The other, parallel narrative, told by Brown in an informative, conversational baritone, is about how the cannabis industry evolved from a secretive underground economy into a billion-dollar, publicly traded industry. Listeners learn how growers and processors set up inside underground shipping containers; how the pot industry relies on “trimmigrants” (imported labor) at harvest time; and how the housing crisis enabled growers to use abandoned homes for indoor grow operations. Alas, the legalization of marijuana in California didn’t eliminate the criminal element that previously controlled its manufacture and distribution, eventually setting the stage for murder.
An engaging true-crime tale built upon a captivating backstory.Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 57 mins
DD ISBN: 9798347716043
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: May 5, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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