Twelve-year-old Emma Graham investigates the kidnapping of Baby Fay 20 years earlier. The sharp tones of Kim Guest's voice aptly imitate the whiny main character as she drones on about life in La Porte, Maryland. Guest favors high tones and Southern accents for the female characters and softer, deeper intonations for the male characters in Grimes’s story. In between working at Hotel Paradise, run by her mother, Emma traipses around town poking her nose into everyone’s business. If the listener has trouble following the plot, take heart—this is the sequel to BELLE RUIN, and the fourth in a series. Guest connects emotionally with the story, slipping into Emma’s persona. But the story is difficult to follow and tends to involve characters only Emma cares about.
Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2011
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781101484500
Publisher: Penguin 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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