Twenty-year-old Paul, who is in a witness protection program, is helping to restore Kelstice Gardens as he waits to be called as the prime witness in a murder trial. Louisa, who is 20 years his senior and is on the lam, sees Paul as the doppelganger of her tragic first love, Adam. Touted as a psychological thriller, THE DARK ROSE disappoints. Narrator Jill Tanner's effort is commendable but can’t overcome the flaws of a story that meanders between 1989 and 2009, hinting at the pasts of these two characters whose lives become interwoven in the present. Her delivery is careful and has a steady pace and clear enunciation, but chapters move abruptly between time and character, creating confusion, and the ending leaves too many loose threads hanging.
Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2012
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781464008252
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Part of the joy of Tom Clancy novels is one's belief that the stories could come true. His latest entry stretches that some as we find international terrorists building a nuclear bomb which is used to set Americans and Russians against one another. Jay Robertson reads with a newscaster's voice, crisp and clear with a light touch of drama. However, he does little to help listeners identify Clancy's huge cast of characters, and dialects seem difficult for him as he occasionally slips in and out of character. Nonetheless, patient listeners are rewarded as the plot unfolds. This will be a welcome addition to any library justifying the price of the multi-cassettte volumes.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
John Sanford is back with another psychological thriller in his Prey series. Surgeon, psychopath and serial killer Bekker is on the loose again after the easiest jailbreak in recent memory. Ken Howard's reading moves along with all the brooding energy a reader could want from a suspense book. His narration is deep, clear and well-suited to the gravelly voices of retired detective Lucas Davenport and the other cops. While Howard manages good dialects and shifts in character, his female voices leave a lot to be desired. For the most part, the abridgment gleefully throws logic and characterization overboard in favor of thrills, but the basic flavor of many characters is still fairly well maintained.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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