Barton Welch brings the perfect narrative touches to this mystery set on a train ride through Australia. The Aussie-accented performance adds a comedic touch to the presentation without overdoing it, keeping a fine balance throughout. Ernest Cunningham is on the train to participate in a crime-writing festival. There are backbiting and jealousies among the attendees, and then someone dies. Welch, who narrates the bulk of the book, speaks directly to listeners as he lays out the rules of fair-play mystery solving, along with a number of clues. He delivers dialogue well, capturing the egos and insecurities of all those aboard. Narrator Megan Smart, as Cunningham's significant other, Juliette, handles the epilogue. It's a nice touch to wrap up a fun, clever listen.
Pub Date: Jan. 30, 2024
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063279100
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
C.J. Box writes about life in wild Wyoming, short stories of people living a rugged life by choice or by circumstance. David Chandler narrates in a rough-edged whiskey voice that suggests summer heat, bitter winters, and windswept prairies, guiding the listener through 10 adventures of men like Fish and Game Officer Joe Pickett. Chandler brings the listener into this strange world where, more often than not, men have to create their own justice. His performance of the economical stories, some rarely seen, is perfect. The tale of the frozen body of a Native American basketball player turned speed freak, her arm reaching through the ice of a lake in a final jump shot, is one of the most fascinating in the collection.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781470392796
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
