Melina Marchetta's first adult novel offers many challenges to Zaqi Ismail as the audiobook narrator, and he handles them all with confidence and ease. The plot centers around the bombing of a tour bus full of schoolchildren, then spirals outward into a complex family drama. Ismail captures the flawed narrator's array of emotions—from helplessness to determination—as elegantly as the adolescent’s inclination toward sarcasm and rebellion. While his pacing maintains the tempo of the suspenseful story, sometimes his swift reading speed jumbles the clarity of his voice. This is not an audiobook suitable for speed-listening. Kept at the normal play rate, TELL THE TRUTH, SHAME THE DEVIL is a gripping literary thriller.
Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781478907497
Publisher: Hachette 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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