by Ed McBain ; read by Ed McBain ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 22, 1998
Followers of McBain's two mystery series, Matthew Hope, the Florida attorney, and NYPD's 87th Precinct, will enjoy this story in which Hope calls on Steve Carella of the 87th for a little advice and help locating a missing husband. The two venues don't actually combine, but it's a wonderful ploy by the author. Having the author as narrator makes it even more plausible. McBain has such an astute sense of the characters and is able to convey this through their dialogue, which he snaps out with expressive ease. McBain easily transitions between Hope's interior voice and the banter of the characters even though he uses few characterizations in the voices. McBain joins the selected ranks of authors who succeed with narrations of their work.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1998
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Audio Renaissance
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Sue Grafton ; read by Judy Kaye ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 13, 2004
In the latest Kinsey Millhone mystery, Kinsey is hired by an aged, wealthy man to retrieve his daughter from prison, where she has served time for embezzlement. Kinsey quickly figures out that the girl isn’t an embezzler but instead has done time for her money-laundering boss. All heck breaks loose. Judy Kaye has a warm, rich voice that seems just right for Grafton’s P.I. Her delivery mirrors the smart-aleck tenor of much of Kinsey’s dialogue. Strangely though, when Kaye is interpreting a male character (and there are many), she raises her voice to a higher register, so that many of the men sound like adolescents with changing voices, or worse, like chipmunks. It may be Kaye’s subtle social comment, though. For once the listener adapts, this odd gender reversal seems natural.
Pub Date: July 13, 2004
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Dick Francis ; read by Simon Prebble ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 22, 1998
Benedict Juliard, forced from steeplechase racing, becomes increasingly involved in politics and protecting his father's life. Prebble's relaxed but masterful command of characters allows an easy flow during conversations, as well as the sudden transformations from narrative to action scenes. His clear, precise speech; polished style of delivery; and sense of timing give a steady consistency and excellence to his reading. Prebble carries the main characters with ease, but he seems to delight in performing the secondary characters, who feature a great variety of accents to match their roles. Another polished performance by a master of reading.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1998
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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