Dick Hill’s portrayal of Mankell’s Swedish police detective, Kurt Wallander, is masterful. In this second book in the internationally acclaimed series, two murder victims are washed ashore in a lifeboat on the Swedish coast. Their Baltic origins lead the Swedish detective into a joint investigation with a Latvian policeman. The policeman’s murder draws Wallander across the sea to a country just released from Soviet control. Hill’s Latvian detectives have just enough of an accent for distinction, and his tone darkens astutely as Wallander begins spiraling deeper into the political underworld of the bewildering country he is reluctantly immersed in. The pacing as danger escalates is engrossing as the law-abiding policeman finds himself doubting, then being pursued by, former allies.
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2006
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone 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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