Mark Billingham ably narrates the fourteenth book in his series featuring London-based police detective Tom Thorne. It can be unwise for authors to narrate their own work, but Billingham is an exception. He demonstrates that he knows his own shortcomings by using two British Indian actors to voice members of the Asian community in a story involving so-called honor killings. On the whole this works, though there is the occasional clunky line. Avita Jay's reading of the diary entries of a young woman who is being pressured by her father and brother to conform conveys exactly her defiance and desperation. Billingham avoids gratuitous descriptions of violence, keeping the focus on the strong plot of this solid police procedural.
Pub Date: June 20, 2017
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781681686448
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
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
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