Set on the Oklahoma frontier in 1912, this suspenseful novel is terrific listening. Farm wife and mother of nine, Alafair Tucker is made of sturdy stuff, and Pam Ward’s performance captures both her toughness and her tenderness. The Tuckers’ neighbor, good-for-nothing abusive husband and father Harley Day, is found dead, frozen in the snow outside his ramshackle farmhouse. When a bullet hole is found in his head, his 19-year-old son, John Lee, becomes the prime suspect. Ward makes the backbreaking hardships, the daily struggles for survival, and the sense of community completely genuine as Alafair tries to uncover the true murderer. Donis Casey’s well-researched historical detail and Ward’s first-rate narration make this an American pleasure—complete with authentic American recipes from the time period.
Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2012
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
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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