Martha Grimes's fans will be relieved to know that Superintendent Richard Jury, left for dead at the conclusion of her last book, is alive. Recovering from being shot, he is also bored. That's why he accepts Melrose Plant's challenge to figure out what happened to 15-year-old Nell Ryder, who went missing two years earlier from her grandfather's horse stud farm in Cambridgeshire. If you like abridgments, listen to this one; producer John McElroy did a difficult job as well as can be done. That said, devoted fans will miss the atmos-pherics typical of Grimes's novels; the abridgment has a pell-mell quality uncharacteristic of her writing. Roger Rees uses his fine-timbered voice to give a captivating reading and create a wealth of believable characters. He effortlessly handles the difficulty of many characters in conversation and, for a male narrator, is unusually skilled with women and children. We have one major quibble--Rees gives sophisticated Jury the broad vowels of a "plodding copper's" accent. That aside, a delightful listen.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2002
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Putnam Berkley 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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