If Mark Twain had written To Kill a Mockingbird or Summer of ’42, it might sound something like Dick Hill’s reading of A Fine Dark Line. Hill has the ear, the pitch, and the understanding to tell the story of 13-year-old Stanley Mitchell’s all too fast coming-of-age in precisely the way author Joe Lansdale intended. In fact, Hill is the perfect match for Lansdale, who is no slouch when it comes to the oral storytelling tradition. Living in Dewmont, Texas, in 1958, where his parents own a drive-in theater, Stanley is completely ignorant of issues of sex, race, poverty, and violence. When he discovers a box of old love letters and journal entries near the ruins of a long-ago house fire, he unwittingly uncovers a forgotten scandal and several murders.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Part of the joy of Tom Clancy novels is one's belief that the stories could come true. His latest entry stretches that some as we find international terrorists building a nuclear bomb which is used to set Americans and Russians against one another. Jay Robertson reads with a newscaster's voice, crisp and clear with a light touch of drama. However, he does little to help listeners identify Clancy's huge cast of characters, and dialects seem difficult for him as he occasionally slips in and out of character. Nonetheless, patient listeners are rewarded as the plot unfolds. This will be a welcome addition to any library justifying the price of the multi-cassettte volumes.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
John Sanford is back with another psychological thriller in his Prey series. Surgeon, psychopath and serial killer Bekker is on the loose again after the easiest jailbreak in recent memory. Ken Howard's reading moves along with all the brooding energy a reader could want from a suspense book. His narration is deep, clear and well-suited to the gravelly voices of retired detective Lucas Davenport and the other cops. While Howard manages good dialects and shifts in character, his female voices leave a lot to be desired. For the most part, the abridgment gleefully throws logic and characterization overboard in favor of thrills, but the basic flavor of many characters is still fairly well maintained.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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