In this Chandleresque murder mystery, faded novelist Stewart Hoag comes to Hollywood to ghostwrite the memoirs of the title child-man, who happens to be the most successful film director of all time. While doing so, Hoag solves a murder, straightens out all the director’s problems, and encounters a plethora of seamy characters, all with the help of his star-struck bassett hound. Narrator Stechschulte fully plays the novel’s strong characterization, wicked satire, and excellent pulp-fiction dialogue, misinterpreting a passage here and there, but otherwise doing ample justice to enjoyable fare.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1998
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
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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