Narrator Cathleen McCarron passionately delivers this mystery set in Glasgow. During a festival parade several people go missing, and a body is found folded into a box. McCarron deftly portrays a grieving mother and outspoken Detective Inspector Freddie Costello. The story's settings include a well-rendered nursing home for retired entertainers, where The Duchess--an elderly opera star--is doted upon by her son and Sandra Ryme, a cunning carer, steals things from the residents. Listeners will be shocked to hear how the murder victims are made to look like grotesque puppets. Anderson and Costello soon realize there's a madman at work. McCarron excels with virtuoso storytelling, description, and character portrayals, and her re-creation of a hypnosis scene is memorable. Subtle humor adds levity, and authentic-sounding Scots brogues provide atmosphere.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2017
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501990403
Publisher: Recorded Books/ Clipper 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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