Patrick Lawlor’s high-energy take on Leo Waterman’s world is pitch-perfect. Leo is a smart-mouthed Seattle P.I. who can’t resist a wisecrack, a sob story, or a good-looking “dame.” A 1996 Shamus Award winner, Leo’s first adventure has him up to his neck in mobsters, toxic waste, and murder. The intriguing, convoluted plot sometimes stretches credibility, but Lawlor makes it all fun. He plays Leo to the hilt, with a rapid-fire delivery and a comic’s sense of timing. Lawlor gives impressive personalities to Leo’s surveillance team of street people, to Save the Earth terrorists, and to the sexy niece of an aging mob boss. Those who like well-constructed mysteries with a healthy dollop of humor will want to hear Lawlor’s amusing performance of Leo’s exploits.
Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2012
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781469217215
Publisher: Brilliance 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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