Too many plots and too many suspects overwhelm this sixth episode of the Temperance Brennan series. Our heroine is stalked, attacked, imprisoned, and snake bit. The forensic anthropologist is working on several difficult cases at once, dog-sitting her ex's "best friend," enjoying her daughter, and trying to dally with a handsome Canadian. Sadly, a series of weak set-ups is used to get the science across. "Refresh my memory about..." or "Ever heard of...?" signals a lecture. Moving from forensics to drugs to exotic animal smuggling, Michele Pawk's performance keeps things lively, although her delivery of data sounds like data, not the conversation of professionals. Mixed metaphors and a melodramatic story line won't matter to Tempe's many fans, and Pawk's reading does put some meat on mostly bare bones.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 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
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