Bernadette Dunne's performance immediately grabs listeners, transporting them back to Edo, 1703, just as a catastrophic earthquake hits, indiscriminately destroying buildings and human life, and threatening to topple the existing government. Rowland's sixteenth Chamberlain Sano Ichiro mystery begins when the bodies of two noble women and their teacher are found, apparently poisoned while playing the popular incense game. Sano is blackmailed into secretly investigating the murders when he should be restoring order to the devastated city and keeping the shogun's government from crumbling. Dunne's narration is compelling as mystical martial arts practitioners, warring samurai factions, and potentially deadly secrets abound. Dunne makes Rowland's period language and insights into human behavior completely believable. Fans will love this, and new listeners will want more.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2012
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781624060021
Publisher: Dreamscape
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.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
