Sleuth Maisie Dobbs is hired to investigate the fatal accident of wealthy bohemian artist Nick Bassington-Hope in post-WWI London. As Dobbs hunts for the truth and Nick's missing paintings, Orlagh Cassidy unveils Maisie's character with a narration that makes a perfect composition of the text. Emotional tones convey post-war hopelessness and the painful division of the classes, adding to the mystery's tension. Characters are well defined with facile transitions, and dialogue between Maisie and her East End manservant points up the difference in their stations, as well as the warmth they have developed through working together. Writer and narrator give Maisie Dobbs a depth that results in an intriguing listen.
Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2006
Duration: 11 hrs
Publisher: Audio Renaissance
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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