The police are called out when the body of Connor Swann, son-in-law of an operatic conductor and his celebrated soprano wife, Dame Caroline Stowe, is found floating in a Thames River lock. However, Deborah Crombie's engaging English sleuths, Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James, soon begin to wonder how Swann's murder might be connected to the death of Caroline Stowe's young son twenty years earlier. Crombie's popular series delights lovers of British detective stories, and narrator Christopher Kay clearly enjoys them too. His clear pacing and warm, distinctive voice enhance the telling, enticing the listener to curl up for a satisfying listen. The characters are well drawn vocally--his Kincaid is subtly upper crust, his James, distinctly less well born. One slight irritation is that most of his women sound too breathy. But that's it. This is a pleasure.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2002
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books/ Clipper
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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