Author Cara Black has created a lively, atmospheric mystery series featuring a Parisian female private investigator, Aimee Le Duc. Each murder mystery centers on a different Paris neighborhood, so each story is rich in local charm and Parisian joie de vivre. Narrating this crime novel is challenging, even for an experienced narrator like Meredith Mitchell. There are many characters of both sexes, all ages and temperaments. Adding to the challenge are the French phrases scattered liberally throughout the dialogue. Mitchell’s French pronunciation is convincing, but her use of French accents seems arbitrary. Her portrayal of the pregnant detective is exactly right, and we feel the young woman’s tenacity, tenderness, and vulnerability. This series is rapidly gaining followers.
Pub Date: June 4, 2014
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone 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
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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