Investigator Gus Landor tells how in 1831 he investigated a ghastly murder with ritual overtones at West Point, enlisting the aid of an eccentric young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe. Unlike Landor, the listener knows that the dissolute alcoholic youth will one day invent the detective story. Therein lies the central intrigue of this novel, the reason you'd buy or rent this title. What keeps you listening is the nuanced, imaginative performance of Charles Leggett. He makes you forgive his hit-or-miss Southern accent and the author's anachronisms by virtue of his total immersion in the material, which he keeps fresh and surprising. Leggett has the potential to mature into a master narrator.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2006
Duration: 15 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America
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.
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