Hockey as a metaphor for life? If so, then Bryan Gruley scores a “hat trick” in his fast-paced, powerful novel. Rich Orlow’s appealing narration adds the finesse. After failing in Detroit as a journalist, Gus Carpenter returns to his Michigan hometown and becomes editor of the local newspaper. Ten years earlier, the much-loved high school hockey coach disappeared after his snowmobile sank beneath the ice of Starvation Lake. Now pieces of his snowmobile are found—in a different lake, miles from the scene, revealing a bullet hole. Facts skitter in all directions, the mystery deepens, and Orlow beautifully captures the sense of a small town hunkering down to hide its tightly closeted skeletons and the pervasive sense of menace lurking behind almost every smile. Strong listening.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2009
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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
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: N/A
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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