I.J. Parker's mysteries, set in ancient Japan, follow the adventures of Sugawara Akitada, who was born into nobility, but due to a reversal of the family fortunes, works at the Ministry of Justice. In this, the first of the series, Akitada vies with court nobles as he investigates blackmail and murder. The story drags occasionally, but in general this is a fun blend of police procedural and history lesson. One wishes that Roy Vongtama could have helped it along. Yet his American-accented voice sounds young and inexperienced, and his tone is uninflected. Although he reads with evident emotion and assays a few "voices," the result is stilted and one-dimensional.
Pub Date: 2008
Duration: 14 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
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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