The problem with this London-based mystery is that the Yuppies don't die soon enough. The bleak tone of Babson's novel is well portrayed by Diana Bishop. She manages to convey the depressing urban landscape of gentrified warehouse condos going unoccupied due to an economic downturn and the dispiriting effect of hard times on the young professionals who face financial and personal ruin. However, too much time is spent on giving the listener a sense of place. While Bishop's voice isn't always pleasant, it does give one a sense of the inner person. Overall, her reading is uneven but generally in step with the action, as accounts of grocery shopping are hard to enliven.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2002
Duration: 6 hrs
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.
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