In this true-crime audiobook, author and narrator Kate Winkler Dawson expertly combines historical fact with compelling storytelling. It's no wonder Edward Oscar Heinrich became known as the "American Sherlock." He was a self-made chemist who became a forensic sleuth and tackled the most baffling crimes in early-twentieth-century America--from mysterious murders to a Hollywood scandal and a train robbery. Heinrich even had his own Watson, a reference librarian named John Boynton Kaiser. However, as Dawson reveals throughout her story, there was much more to Heinrich than his similarities to literature's most famous detective. For her narration, Dawson's pleasant voice falls somewhere between conversational and professorial. The result is an informative, entertaining, and well-rounded portrayal of a man who helped pioneer criminal forensic investigation.
Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2020
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593163801
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Dr. Plotkin is an ethnobotanist who recounts his experiences searching for new medications in the Amazon rain forest. He makes an impassioned plea for the world to stop destroying this irreplaceable resource. Since the author reads his own work, we can rely on the pronunciation of some unusual botanical terms; however, his voice (presumably not trained for performance) lacks the enthusiasm and fascination the words suggest. Furthermore, with no chapter references and few pauses between sections, transitions, such as the change of location from Ecuador to Massachusetts, are awkward.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This one-volume history of Earth is a fascinating trip made that much better by the narrator’s effective delivery.
This work is like a one-semester course in geology, and it’s easy to imagine narrator David Linski standing in front of a class delivering the lectures. The audiobook is aimed at lay listeners; the science isn’t dumbed down but no background in Earth science is required. Linski’s delivery is solid, and he effectively adjusts his pace to fit the material and keep listeners engaged. He handles technical terms with ease. Author Woodward takes listeners from the formation of the universe to Earth as we know it today.
This one-volume history of Earth is a fascinating trip made that much better by the narrator’s effective delivery.Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798228699564
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
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