Author Pelecanos writes and narrator James Shippy delivers a story of well-intentioned men behaving badly. Honorable but slightly shady PI Phil Ornazian tampers with a witness in order to have Michael Hudson released from prison. Hudson ends up caught between his desire to go straight and the pressure to pay back Ornazian for helping him. Surprisingly, this is also a story about the power of books to engage, inspire, and transform. All of this is set in Pelecanos's Washington, DC. Shippy deftly differentiates the characters--black and white, male and female--although his voicing of Ornazian's wife's English working-class accent is jolting. He carefully enunciates each word of the narrative with a steady, even-paced cadence, sometimes emphasizing the significance of certain phrases with strategic pauses. Pelecanos fans will appreciate this listen.
Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781549167997
Publisher: Hachette 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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