Bayard’s ably written historical whodunit fills in the blanks of a timeless mystery that history itself chose to leave obscure. The novel is a brilliant example of the genre, spun from the century-old rumors that the young son of the doomed Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI avoided their fate. Simon Vance intuitively understands the fun of this enterprise and attacks the narration with a headlong relish, voicing a cavalcade of characters from all strata of nineteenth-century Paris—from duchesses and marquis to thieves and prostitutes. Best of all is his portrayal of the fearsome Eugene Vidocq, the relentless, streetwise detective whose investigation of one murder leads to his determined pursuit into the fate of the young dauphin.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2008
Duration: 10 hrs
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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