Listeners unfamiliar with Pearl's earlier work, THE DANTE CLUB, will easily follow his second installment, set four years later in London, 1870. Narrator Steve West's measured cadence and deft characterizations infuse British literary luminaries Christina Rossetti, Alfred Tennyson, and Robert Browning with depth and emotion as they race to find a missing Dante Gabriel Rossetti amid sinister events. Deaths predicated on Dante Alighieri's vision of Purgatory pique famed Scotland Yard Inspector Adolphus "Dolly" Williamson's interest as he also tracks Fenian Brotherhood operatives. A reluctant Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes also joins the fray, along with a familiar antagonist. West's assured tone guides escalating events and intensifying emotions, though the narrative slows at times in the second half. An afterword provides insight into the era and characters.
Pub Date: May 29, 2018
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525631316
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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