A master narrator can sometimes transform a good-but-not-great book into an outstanding audiobook. Such is the case with Speaking in Tongues. Renowned psychologist Aaron Mathews is bent on destroying the family of Tate Collier, the prosecutor whose brilliant but sophistical arguments resulted in the conviction and death of Mathews’s mentally troubled son. The book’s women are its most interesting characters, although the author focuses on Tate Collier’s internal struggle against the “con man” in his own personality, a theme that is difficult to take seriously. Gardner’s uniquely riveting voice and intelligent reading perfectly convey the seductive verbal skills of the two male adversaries.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2001
Duration: 9 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
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