Listeners are offered a comprehensive look at infamous crimes, the British fascination with all things lurid, and the literary genre that grew from that fascination. Anne Flosnik delivers this excellent overview at a distance, standing slightly apart from the sensational crimes she's recounting. Her dispassionate narration focuses on the Brits' morbid preoccupation with trials and public executions without exaggerating the melodrama inherent in the theatrical details. An able guide, Flosnik navigates the years from 1800-1946 via gory newspaper items, garish "penny dreadfuls" based on real crimes, and the rise of true-crime journalism. As a bloodthirsty English public clamored for even more, a new genre, mystery/detective fiction, offered opportunities for masters such as Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Arthur Conan Doyle.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2014
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An interesting Ozark history that doesn’t quite cohere.
Author Hale presents the case of his young cousin Haley's disappearance on Cave Mountain in 2001 and the ensuing search and rescue operation, the largest in Arkansas history. Hale connects this with the murder of 3-year-old Bethany by a small and isolated religious sect decades earlier on the same mountain. Narrating these two stories in a low, slightly gruff tone, Hale weaves together family anecdotes, Ozark lore, local and broader history, and Christian theology. While the two cases are intriguing, the work lacks focus and contains extraneous details.
An interesting Ozark history that doesn’t quite cohere.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 9 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063398153
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2026
Bower’s performance gives an accessible, straightforward account of a case which remains unsolved after 80 years.
This audiobook examines the 1947 murder and dismemberment of Elizabeth Short, known as the Black Dahlia, and shares new information. Narrator Michael Bower gives a deep-voiced, intense presentation that humanizes Short. He gently traces her youthful experiences in Hollywood that culminate in her death. Despite the growing list of suspects, Bower expresses author Mann’s frustrations as all are dismissed for lack of evidence. Listeners will appreciate the newscaster-style delivery, which is clear and distinct even as the number of suspects grows. The author states he intended to separate fact from fiction.
Bower’s performance gives an accessible, straightforward account of a case which remains unsolved after 80 years.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 15 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668118818
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
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