She smokes. She drinks. She isn’t overly fond of small children. She lives with adopted daughters, assorted animals, and faithful servants. It’s 1928, and the very unconventional Phryne Fisher sparkles with wit and champagne elegance. Phryne’s been asked to help solve the murder of a snoopy old woman who wrote fairy stories for a magazine devoted to encouraging women to pursue nontraditional roles without actually changing anything. Meanwhile, ruthless pirates on the South China Sea have captured Phryne’s lover, Lin Chung, and her Celtic blood is set to boiling. Stephanie Daniel performs with genteel ease. Her upper-class Australian accents and her wild assortment of reputable and disreputable characters are truly amazing. Kerry Greenwood’s “Agatha-Christie-meets-Indiana-Jones” plotting and Daniel’s energetic reading make this must listening.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2004
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Bolinda 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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