Chyna Shepherd, a psychology student spending the weekend in the Napa Valley with the family of her best friend, survives a killing spree in which all but she are murdered by Edgler Vess, a psychopath. Chyna is trapped in Vess's motor home where she must battle Vess to save herself. Kate Burton gives an extraordinary reading of this thriller, so chilling and terrifying that one can hardly bear to listen, yet one can't wait to hear what comes next. It's essential that the narrator effectively delineate the two characters in this story. Burton accomplishes this by lowering her tone for Vess's narrative and conveying the intense emotions of Chyna's struggle, as well as the memories of her troubled past. Fans of thrillers and Koontz should revel in this production.
(First printing of 600,000; Literary Guild main selection)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1996
Duration: 12 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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