The characters drawn by Henning Mankell are so real you can hear them breathe. They have quirks and foibles just like the rest of us. In a departure from his Inspector Wallander series, Mankell introduces Stefan Lindman, a young police officer who learns he has cancer. Although overwhelmed by the diagnosis, Lindman decides to investigate the torture-murder of a former colleague in north-central Sweden. Grover Gardner is unemotional and straightforward as he narrates Mankell's terse descriptions and painstakingly precise details. Gardner is extremely affecting without becoming melodramatic, especially as Lindman ponders his own mortality. As layers of the mystery fall away, ties to past and current Nazism are revealed. Gardner's performance transcends the dreary, sunless Swedish landscape, bringing just the right tone to Mankell's gritty police procedural.
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2008
Duration: 14 hrs
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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