Pearce's WWI mystery explores the cultural, social, and political divide among the British, Egyptians, and Turks in Cairo, played against the backdrop of the infamous Gallipoli campaign. Gareth Owen, the Welsh mamur zapt (chief of the sultan's secret police), investigates the murder of a police agent, arson that is targeting foreign liquor houses, and cotton smuggling. Torn by the complexities of his recent marriage to a pasha's daughter and the conflicting loyalties boiling to the surface at this pivotal time in history, Owen strives to pursue the clues to the crimes. Narrator Bill Wallis smoothly gives voice to an impressive cadre of Australians, Englishmen, Egyptians, and Bedouins. We hear shouts, whispers, conversations, and bellowing through megaphones. Each character is rich and distinctive, and makes listening easy and enjoyable.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2008
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America
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
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