Matthew Lloyd Davies provides an expert narration of Bradley Harper's first outing in an exciting new series. It's 1888. After A STUDY IN SCARLET, Arthur Conan Doyle swears off writing anymore crime stories. He is summoned to London by Prime Minister Gladstone to assist in solving the Whitechapel murders and finding Jack the Ripper. Doyle calls upon his mentor, forensic expert Joseph Bell, the model for Holmes, and crusading journalist Margaret Harkness. They begin interviewing witnesses and suspects in London's sleazy East End. Davies portrays everyone from the posh to the poverty-stricken with assurance and credibility. His nuanced delivery highlights class prejudices and misconceptions. Holmes fans have a treat in store, thanks to Harper's original story and Davies's superb performance.
Pub Date: 2018
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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