Steve West has enthusiastically narrated most of Martha Grimes's Richard Jury books for British audiences. The title of this one derives from the name of a bar on the 42nd floor of a London office building, where the book begins. Vertigo, both the affliction and the Hitchcock film, are threaded throughout the story. Three females from the past and present have deaths related to falling, and as Jury investigates, links emerge between the present-day murder and the past deaths. Grimes fills her books with colorful regulars to aid Jury's investigation, and West's voices for them are reminiscent of BBC Radio in its heyday. They might verge on caricature for some listeners' tastes, but the approach meshes well with Grimes's nostalgic vision of Englishness.
Pub Date: June 3, 2014
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781442369818
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 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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