This story is advertised as a mystery, reopening a thirty-year-old unsolved murder case, but mystery is a very small part of the story. Debra Winger has an almost insurmountable task to keep listener interest. The story centers on unappealing Mary Bird and her relationships and interactions with other less-than-inviting characters, past and present. Winger uses a whiney voice, which is appropriate for Mary Bird's character but annoying to listen to. Rather than a mystery about the reopening and solving of a very cold case, the novel turns out to be a character study of unattractive individuals, written in a meandering style and delivered in an irritating voice.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2014
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781490625331
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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