In the misty mountains of northern China during the Qing Dynasty, former imperial librarian Li Du discovers a monk dead on a snowy ledge. Painted around the seemingly self-inflicted wound on his chest is a white circle framed in gold and blue, an inauspicious symbol known as "the white mirror." Narrator David Shih gives Li Du a tempered, flat tone suitable for a man who knows much but reveals little. Doso, the lord whom Li Du sojourns with, sounds like the low booming of a large bell--intense and unnerving. Women and younger characters slip into a higher, more lyrical range. Throughout, Shih keeps his enunciation even and crisp, teasing out the clues as this tale, intricate as a tapestry, begins to unravel its secrets.
Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781427293893
Publisher: Macmillan 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
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