The second novel in Joseph O'Connor's proposed trilogy bristles with life. Superb performances from a talented cast reveal the thoughts and emotions of a group of righteous men and women who saved hundreds from Nazi brutality. In return for the Pope's agreeing to remain neutral, Vatican City is forbidden to the German occupiers. In this audiobook inspired by the true story of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, an escape line called "The Choir" operates within Vatican walls. The group faces constant danger from Obersturmbannführer Hauptmann, while Hauptmann himself faces Hitler's displeasure because of the high number of escapes taking place. Through individual statements and recorded transcripts, the narrators portray ordinary people doing extraordinary things. O'Connor's prose is lyrical, and each person's story feels authentic. Stunning listening.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781666675696
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Leighton Pugh's resonant baritone and evenly paced performance help orient listeners in this detail-packed novel. The alternate-history story posits that famed WWII mathematician Alan Turing invented a machine that he used to influence the location of the Normandy Invasion after the fact. The time machine is then passed to his son (born of a one-night stand with a female friend who knew that Turing was gay), and thence to his granddaughter. Each must wrestle with how to use the machine to influence history. Pugh's authoritative English voice and skill with accents lend verisimilitude to the premise. Some audible animation might have made the story sound more action-packed, but in truth, his equable delivery suits the writing in this imaginative debut.
Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063485105
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
George Blagden's pleasant performance of William Boyd's second suspense novel about occasional spy Gabriel Dax floats equably along like a story told over a glass of postprandial whiskey. It's an adventure set in 1963 England and Berlin, where, between conducting MI5 jobs, Dax and his compatriots savor many cocktails and cigarettes. Blagden's vocal register rarely varies from mid-tenor, a range that risks sounding uninflected but seems right for our hero, who is a young man, a young man caught up in the Cold War and world-changing events, including President Kennedy's famous Berlin visit. Blagden's command of American, Russian, and Latin accents adds to the verisimilitude. While indistinguishable females all murmur softly, it makes them sound mysterious and of another era.
Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781668157763
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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