Narrator James Langton and author Elly Griffiths team up winningly again in the fourth outing of magician Max Mephisto and DI Edgar Stephens in 1950s Brighton, England. Mephisto is an inveterate ladies man and Stephens a sincere, straight-arrow fellow, a difference that complicates their approach to the mystery--the murder of performers in the risqué "living statues" show at the Hippodrome. The plethora of characters gives Langton ample opportunity to demonstrate his skill with a variety of British accents, which enhance the story's color and strengthen Griffiths's commentary about social class in post-WWII England. In addition, Langton's narrative voice is light, relaxed, and easy on the ear. What a fun listen.
Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780358379171
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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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