Move over, Brother Cadfael! Falconer is a worldly priest, teaching and solving crimes in Oxford during the time of Henry II. The great beast of the title is an elephant, a gift to His Majesty from the Mongol delegation that has come for secret negotiations on behalf of Kublai Khan. When the principal delegate falls victim to an unknown assassin, Falconer must unearth the perpetrator. This brief historical whodunit offers vividly drawn characters and an intriguing plot. Narrator Stephen Thorne underplays the dramatic moments and excels at impersonating the dramatis personae.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 6 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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