In postwar Japan, Detective Minami investigates a series of killings. One expects a classic murder mystery. However, Peace's writing style, which relies heavily on repetition and poetic structure to create an atmospheric backdrop, makes this a very different listen. Mark Bramhall's narration is sympathetic, delivering the repetition and wordplay poetically. The writing style translates to audio well— perhaps too well, as it soon becomes the key focus of the book and draws the listener into the rhythm of the words and away from the plot. While Bramhall's reading is perfect in style and pace, this is an audiobook that is likely to polarize opinions.
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2010
Duration: 13 hrs
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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