Dual narrators Alexandra Dowling and Jaye Jacobs tackle a twisting tale in this engaging audiobook. When she is abruptly summoned to the Gravesdown Estate to discuss a possible inheritance, Annie Adams is eager to meet her famously paranoid Great-Aunt Frances. But Frances is murdered just before Annie arrives, and Annie's attempts to investigate may put her squarely in the killer's sights. Dowling shines as anxious Annie, expertly mixing apprehension with growing confidence as she follows the complex web of grievances and secrets nurtured in a small village over decades. Jacobs deftly portrays Frances as a young woman in 1966, haunted by a prophecy of her impending doom and concerned about the recent odd behavior of her two best friends.
Pub Date: March 26, 2024
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593828007
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An amusing audiobook that works hard to make fun of syrupy holiday romances.
Three narrators perform a funny, irreverent take on a Hallmark-esque Christmas tale. Detectives Holly Frost and Mark Shepherd, who have an enemies-to-lovers dynamic going on, are both assigned to investigate a murder in the quaint town of Christmas—a murder they must solve in order to save the town’s Jingle Bell Jubilee, and their careers. In alternating chapters, Patti Murin deftly performs Holly, who has a penchant for cursing, while Colin Donnell charmingly voices Mark. Angela Dawe pops in with interspersed comments reminding the listener not to take the story too seriously.
An amusing audiobook that works hard to make fun of syrupy holiday romances.Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 18 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250451828
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
A listen with charm, mystery, and well-depicted local color.
This new mystery series opener is set on an island off the coast of Maine. In a girlish, upbeat voice, Carly Robins portrays Audrey Sullivan, a movie publicist who escapes a scandal in LA when she inherits her grandmother’s movie theater on Pine Island. On the night of the theater’s reopening, a dead body is found in the projection booth. Audrey enters amateur sleuth mode, and the hunt is on. The story, implausible at times, has the usual comfortable components: quirky characters; an unloved victim; revealing interviews with suspects; scary chases; small-town secrets; and a likable, deftly presented heroine. Movie aficionados will love the many references to classic lines.
A listen with charm, mystery, and well-depicted local color.Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 44 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668658543
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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