A number of minor catastrophes occur at the Ivory family's art gallery. A priceless vase is broken. A special catalog is charred to ash. A painting on exhibition is slashed. When a body is found in a cupboard, the police are called. While Allingham is masterful at characterization, mood, and detail, she has chosen to add omniscient comments such as, "They went on their predestined ways, unaware." These do nothing to advance the story and, in fact, become intrusive. Nonetheless, Francis Matthews's performance will delight Allingham's fans. His rendering of Gabrielle Ivory, the 90-year- old matriarch who chastises the modern generation for its lack of moral fortitude, is elegant and graceful; his country constable is bumbling yet cagey. Matthews provides the necessary dramatic tension to an engaging, if predictable, plot.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2002
Duration: 7 hrs, 36 mins
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
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.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
