Ari Fliakos is an ideal performer for this noir pastiche. He's mastered the world-weary Bogartian rhythm that Murphy's prose imitates, and he's good at shifting his timbre and accents for waitresses in bagel shops and all the other New York characters Murphy cooks up for atmosphere. You don't want to try to follow the plot too closely, nor is there extra credit for guessing that this is an homage to Roman Polanski's classic film CHINATOWN--the characters point it out for you. If you want a thriller that thrills, this is not for you. But if you have an appetite for metafiction aspiring to the style of an earlier period and art form, or you just loved CHINATOWN, Fliakos will show you a very good time.
Pub Date: July 26, 2022
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593590447
Publisher: Penguin 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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