Let's face it, Simon Vance is a rock star. His performance of this complex and multifaceted murder mystery is vivid and perfectly paced. There are no fewer than four disastrous mother-child snarls in the mix here, as well as all manner of British class and ethnic variations among investigators, suspects, and bystanders, and Vance is simply at home with all of it. Fans of Elizabeth George's series will be glad to be reunited with aristocratic Detective Lynley and Sgt. Havers, who famously dresses like a slob and can't follow orders--a good thing, when the orders would have caused her to dismiss a murder as a suicide. That Havers has also taken up tap dancing is less believable, but funny. A clever puzzle, brilliantly read.
Pub Date: March 20, 2018
Duration: 22 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780525529828
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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