Mexican author Laura Esquivel, best known for LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, brings listeners the story of Lupita, a recovering alcoholic and low-level cop. Narrator Roxanne Hernandez confidently pronounces both Spanish and Mayan terms in delivering this novel. When Lupita witnesses the murder of a local politician, she's drawn into a complex plot involving drug dealers, political corruption, and separatist indigenous communities. Hernandez doesn't successfully vary her pacing and tone enough to differentiate between the exposition and narrative. In addition, her sweet, youthful voice is not a good fit for Lupita, a troubled and angry character with a dark past. The mismatch is jarring, and, ultimately, both the performance and the novel fall short.
Pub Date: July 1, 2016
Duration: 4 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781511362641
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
C.J. Box writes about life in wild Wyoming, short stories of people living a rugged life by choice or by circumstance. David Chandler narrates in a rough-edged whiskey voice that suggests summer heat, bitter winters, and windswept prairies, guiding the listener through 10 adventures of men like Fish and Game Officer Joe Pickett. Chandler brings the listener into this strange world where, more often than not, men have to create their own justice. His performance of the economical stories, some rarely seen, is perfect. The tale of the frozen body of a Native American basketball player turned speed freak, her arm reaching through the ice of a lake in a final jump shot, is one of the most fascinating in the collection.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781470392796
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Dirk Pitt, intrepid adventurer and master explorer, searches the Sahara for the deadly toxin that is killing marine life world wide. This audio, abridged by Harold Schmidt, lacks most of the adventure, as well as the humor, of Cussler's novels. Narrator Tom Wopat brings an unconventional vocal slant to the ever-cocky Pitt. Using lots of vocal characterization, Wopat brings across the smug brashness of Pitt and handles dialogue briskly. Enhanced by sound effects and small pieces of music, this is an interesting and perplexing mystery.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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