It's not easy presenting productions of the Christmas Revels in Cambridge (Massachusetts) when your crazed husband is murdering all the men in the cast who pay you a little admiring attention. The listener knows who the murderer is, what the motive is and who is marked to be the next victim. This is not so much a classic mystery as a psychological study of the town and gown folk who populate Harvard Square and celebrate the ancient rituals surrounding the winter solstice. Kate Reading has a sweet, distinctive voice for Sarah, our stage director heroine, but gives up on trying to differentiate most of the others. This solid recording will be enjoyed, especially in communities where celebrating the Christmas Revels has become a popular holiday tradition.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1996
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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