There's no shortage of suspects for the murder of Martin Beaumont--bully, womanizer, and very successful owner of Abbey Vineyards, who is found shot in the head inside his Jaguar. Narrator Jonathan Keeble vividly portrays the vineyard's diverse and articulate staff as well as Beaumont's long-suffering wife and many enemies. His best renderings are protagonists Chief Superintendent Lambert and his assistant, Bert Hook, who have a close working relationship despite their opposite personalities. The lighthearted banter of Hook's teenage sons provides comic relief and offers a warm glimpse of domesticity. Gregson's fine writing continually improves: Details, description, and dialogue are superlative, with characters being his crowning achievement. Everything is splendidly enhanced by audio, including the less well-known Gloucestershire accent and setting.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2011
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books
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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