Narrator Peter Berkrot adopts a tone reminiscent of Mickey Spillane in delivering this examination of a master swindler from Chicago in the early 1920s. The narration, combined with the author's somewhat breezy style, makes for an enjoyable account of a con game so brazen that it wouldn't be matched until Bernie Madoff's scheme came along. Leo Koretz duped investors out of $30 million ($400 million today) and led a mysterious double/triple life that came to light only after his nonexistent Panama timber-oil empire was exposed. Even his death—suicide by chocolate—was bizarre. Berkrot adopts a conversational style and eschews theatrics in his narration, preferring to let the story itself capture the listener. But he does add a tone of incredulity as details of the case emerge.
Pub Date: May 19, 2015
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781622315772
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An interesting Ozark history that doesn’t quite cohere.
Author Hale presents the case of his young cousin Haley's disappearance on Cave Mountain in 2001 and the ensuing search and rescue operation, the largest in Arkansas history. Hale connects this with the murder of 3-year-old Bethany by a small and isolated religious sect decades earlier on the same mountain. Narrating these two stories in a low, slightly gruff tone, Hale weaves together family anecdotes, Ozark lore, local and broader history, and Christian theology. While the two cases are intriguing, the work lacks focus and contains extraneous details.
An interesting Ozark history that doesn’t quite cohere.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 9 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063398153
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2026
Bower’s performance gives an accessible, straightforward account of a case which remains unsolved after 80 years.
This audiobook examines the 1947 murder and dismemberment of Elizabeth Short, known as the Black Dahlia, and shares new information. Narrator Michael Bower gives a deep-voiced, intense presentation that humanizes Short. He gently traces her youthful experiences in Hollywood that culminate in her death. Despite the growing list of suspects, Bower expresses author Mann’s frustrations as all are dismissed for lack of evidence. Listeners will appreciate the newscaster-style delivery, which is clear and distinct even as the number of suspects grows. The author states he intended to separate fact from fiction.
Bower’s performance gives an accessible, straightforward account of a case which remains unsolved after 80 years.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 15 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668118818
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
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