In Nicholas Bracewell's sixth adventure with the Elizabethan acting company Westfield's Men, events are as dramatic as ever. A fire at the Queen's Head leaves the company without a performance venue, forcing them to tour the provinces. Narrator David Thorpe brings all the histrionics one could hope for to the many over-the-top theatrical types, while giving Bracewell himself a boyish charm. When a messenger from Bracewell's hometown is poisoned and dies before delivering her message, Bracewell sets out to discover who murdered her. Thorpe brings humor to the ragtag thespians, even as they face plague and a fleecing by master criminal Israel Gunby. As someone tries to ensure that Bracewell never arrives home, Thorpe keeps the tension high and the atmosphere tense. Fun listening.
Pub Date: July 1, 2014
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books
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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