A feckless young Baltimore man, convicted of a Jane Doe murder, is himself killed in prison. His sister wants to know why. When Tess Monaghan, a tough but charming Baltimore P.I., takes the case, her investigation runs the gamut from the city's ruling classes to its lowlife and most of the notes in between. Compelling and satisfying, this is a tautly worked thriller with an awfully sweet ending (note the title.) Laurence Bouvard runs out of male voices; when she gets to the bottom of her barrel, some of the men sound more like cartoon mice or ducks than the thugs they are, but she does a great job otherwise.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books
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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