Ellen Archer definitely has her work cut out. Kate Atkinson's latest novel featuring Jackson Brodie, private detective, weaves together multiple characters and stories that eventually converge. Joanna Hunter, GP and sole survivor of a family massacre 30 years earlier, goes missing, along with her baby. Reggie, her "mother's help," believes she’s been kidnapped. Add to the mix a train crash, drugs, mistaken identity, a couple of dogs, a whole lot of thugs, and even a tutor who is rapture-ready. Atkinson successfully juggles all the balls, and Archer is game. Archer's performance is spirited, hilarious, nuanced, and stunning; characters are distinct, and accents are convincing. Especially endearing is Archer's interpretation of Reggie, whose precociousness and Scots brogue give personality to her constant chatter and badgering of the authorities.
Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2008
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Hachette Audio
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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