Speaking in a gravelly whisper, narrator Adams Sims is just right delivering Guy Bolton's noir mystery, set in 1930s Hollywood. LAPD detective Jonathan Craine "spins" stories that help the studios cover up potential scandals that could wreck the careers of both movie stars and executives. After the suicide of a top producer who is married to Gale Goodwin, a big movie star, MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer calls on Craine to bury the particulars. Sims displays the necessary tough-guy attitude of a Sam Spade or a Philip Marlowe, yet he allows this hard-boiled manner to melt as Craine becomes involved with Goodwin. A complicated, engrossing plot, just enough name-dropping to add period ambiance, and a strong performance by Sims make this enjoyable listening.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2017
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Bolinda Audio
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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