Color-blind photojournalist Kay Farrow, who first appeared in the best-selling Magician's Tale, is a fascinating twist on the hard-boiled private eye. She's tough, worldly, smart--but sweet, and surrounded by the loving, nurturing influences of her Irish father, East Indian lover, martial arts instructor and, in this novel, her late, beloved mentor, Maddy Yamada. In solving the mystery of Maddy's death, Farrow encounters plenty of sordidness, to which she responds, not with the usual posturing and wisecracks but with practicality and sensitivity. With beautiful diction, Debra Monk does yeoman's work with the well-plotted thriller. She has a firm grasp of her heroine's character and a nice feel for atmosphere. The abridgment seems too severe in some places, rendering perfunctory important moments. It is skillful enough, however, to keep the action clear and concise enough to keep the excitement high. Whatever damage it has done to characterization, Monk makes up for with her skill.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1998
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Random House 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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