Quiet countryside, rolling farmland, hard-working villagers--sounds idyllic, doesn’t it? Throw in adultery, animal abuse, plus the tabloid press and you’ve got the makings of a good mystery. However, the lead character’s slow speech, which echoes his physically challenged status, gives the story a plodding, stuttering feel. Douglas’s attempts to differentiate the female voices fail, but he succeeds with the males. The production is unadorned and delivered in a straightforward monotone. All in all, while the story is neither gripping nor riveting, it keeps listeners mildly interested and curious until the end.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1999
Duration: 4 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books
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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