If Kafka had a sense of humor, he might have written THE MANUAL OF DETECTION. Pete Larkin's performance takes Jedediah Berry's absurd and fantastical situations and his tightly controlled, intelligent, and downright funny writing, and turns the plight of hapless Charles Unwin into a rollicking audio romp through surreal chaos. Unwin is a simple clerk in an ultrasecretive detective agency who is mysteriously (possibly erroneously) promoted to detective. As Unwin deals with cases like "The Man Who Stole November 12th" and "The World's Oldest Murdered Man," Larkin wisely keeps things low-key yet unmistakably sardonic, especially his tongue-in-cheek handling of separated conjoined twins, a mountain of missing alarm clocks, a criminal mastermind dream thief, and the seductress Cleopatra Greenwood. High marks for a spectacular narration of Berry's unadulterated nuttiness.
Pub Date: 2009
Duration: 9 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: HighBridge 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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