Narrator Sean Runnette's low-key storytelling style suits the wry finesse of Handler's unlikely sleuth, Stewart Hoag--an author whose bucolic haven is shattered first by blackmail and then by a decapitated rooster and a bludgeoned actor. When the murder puts the kibosh on Act 2 of a performance designed to rescue a classic village theater filled with hundreds of East and West Coast celebs, Runnette's shift from his mild character into Katharine Hepburn mimicry is a delight. The reflections of the New York City author working with the country cops are conveyed with wit and compassion by Runnette, who seems to revel in the Handler's sleight-of-tongue style.
Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062882530
Publisher: Harper 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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