Scott Brick fights the urge to apply a Bogart-like tone to this prequel to Dashiell Hammett's classic, THE MALTESE FALCON. It’s 1920s San Francisco. Brick's perfect pacing draws the listener into the world of antihero gumshoe Sam Spade, before he hired his secretary and joined forces with Miles Archer. This time, instead of a jewel-encrusted statue of a falcon, it's a treasure of gold that needs to be found, and Spade delivers. Brick's voice wears the gritty dialogue and minimalist description like paint on a flagpole. Lovers of hard-boiled detective adventures will want to stand up and salute.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2009
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 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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