Natalie Barnes, an innkeeper on Cranberry Island, Maine, becomes an amateur detective after she becomes the prime suspect in a murder case. Talmadge Ragan narrates in a conversational tone, giving police detective Grimes a deep, raspy growl. The remainder of the characters are differentiated well enough to prevent confusion in the sections of dialogue. What Ragan does not include is the Texas drawl that should belong to Natalie, as she is a transplant to Cranberry Island from Texas, or a more distinctive Maine accent for the islanders. While there's a bit of violence in this story, the two murders under investigation as well as the trouble Natalie gets herself into during her investigation, Ragan does a good job of keeping the reading light and the pace unhurried in this first installment of the Gray Whale Inn Mysteries.
Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2013
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781452686448
Publisher: Tantor Media
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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