January LaVoy's voice talent comes roaring through in this fast-paced crime drama set in 1920s New York City. When Evie O'Neill leaves her small town for the bright lights of the big city, she unwittingly finds herself at the center of a gruesome murder investigation. LaVoy manages to bring not only the characters but the decade itself to life. Immigrant voices drip with Irish, Polish, and Russian accents, flappers exude sass with their sultry rasps, and the gravelly tones of preachers and musicians reverberate throughout Harlem. Her portrayal of the murderer is so macabre that it's best to listen with the lights on. This first novel from a trilogy answers enough questions to satisfy while asking enough to leave listeners clamoring for the next installment.
(Historical/paranormal thriller. 14 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2012
Duration: 16 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780449808740
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Winslow’s deep voice and emotional resonance suit an overwhelmed teenager with too much on her plate.
Andia Winslow narrates this witchy YA fantasy. The witches in 17-year-old Mikaela’s coven are having their magic stolen, and as the next Witch Queen, she’s expected to solve this mystery. She also helps out at her family’s occult shop, and when a beautiful new girl in town visits Mikaela for a tarot reading, she is struck by a vision of her own murder at the stranger’s hand. Winslow easily differentiates characters of different genders and ages and seamlessly shifts between African American Vernacular English and Standard American English. She elegantly adjusts her pacing for action scenes and political debates.
Winslow’s deep voice and emotional resonance suit an overwhelmed teenager with too much on her plate. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 38 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217342082
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2026
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