In the fourth Tito Amato mystery, castrato Tito and his artist brother-in-law, Gussie, are invited to the Dolfinos' country villa—Tito to star in a new opera and Gussie to do paintings of their vineyards. An unidentified man is found murdered in a hallway, the leading lady in the troupe of musicians turns out to be Tito's long-lost sister, more murders occur, and timely explanatory letters from Tito's brother in Constantinople deepen the puzzle. Descriptions of the customs and the countryside of eighteenth-century Italy are colorful, thanks to Geoffrey Blaisdell's capable reading. Blaisdell's first-person narration as Tito is appealing, and his other characterizations are nicely understated. The plotting is swift, if predictable, but listeners won't mind the contrivances since it's all a lot of fun.
Pub Date: 2008
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN:
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
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
DD ISBN:
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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