Banville's novel about British spy Victor Maskell is a virtuoso achievement, creating a fascinating protagonist who comes alive in breathtaking complexity. Based on the real-life Anthony Blunt, Maskell is an aesthete homosexual and the curator of the Queen's art collection, whose treachery on behalf of the Soviets is publicly exposed only when he's deep into old age. As written by Banville and beautifully interpreted by Wallis, Maskell is brilliant, sardonic and acerbic, very likely the most fully imagined spy in all of literature. Wallis is a sly and often surprising reader who captures Maskell's chary wit and his surgical perceptions while never straying from the self-loathing Maskell bears as he surveys the hollowness of his long life. Listeners should be forewarned. The Untouchable bears no resemblance to a conventional spy thriller. Instead, it's an extraordinary delineation of a character for whom betrayal is both an instrument and a consequence.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1997
Duration: 15 hrs, 12 mins
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
C.J. Box writes about life in wild Wyoming, short stories of people living a rugged life by choice or by circumstance. David Chandler narrates in a rough-edged whiskey voice that suggests summer heat, bitter winters, and windswept prairies, guiding the listener through 10 adventures of men like Fish and Game Officer Joe Pickett. Chandler brings the listener into this strange world where, more often than not, men have to create their own justice. His performance of the economical stories, some rarely seen, is perfect. The tale of the frozen body of a Native American basketball player turned speed freak, her arm reaching through the ice of a lake in a final jump shot, is one of the most fascinating in the collection.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781470392796
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Dirk Pitt, intrepid adventurer and master explorer, searches the Sahara for the deadly toxin that is killing marine life world wide. This audio, abridged by Harold Schmidt, lacks most of the adventure, as well as the humor, of Cussler's novels. Narrator Tom Wopat brings an unconventional vocal slant to the ever-cocky Pitt. Using lots of vocal characterization, Wopat brings across the smug brashness of Pitt and handles dialogue briskly. Enhanced by sound effects and small pieces of music, this is an interesting and perplexing mystery.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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