Two performers narrate a complex story that moves around in time, jaunts through various locales, and bridges the romance and mystery genres. Susan Duerden's crisp British accents portray modern-day embroiderer Julia Lovat, who is stunned by the rejection of her lover and his parting gift, a seventeenth-century book. The book reveals a partial history of a 19-year-old embroiderer named Cat, who was taken from her Penzance estate by Barbary pirates in the seventeenth century. Duerden executes a variety of roles--from Julia's manipulative ex-lover to the Muslim sea captain who captures Cat. John Lee's narration equals Duerden's as he also delivers multiple characters--from Cat's caring cousin, Robert, to a seventeenth-century Dutch servant. In the end their performances make a fine duet and strengthen the story's parallels.
Pub Date: May 6, 2008
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Random House 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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