Thomas Bethany is a man with a past who is bent on uncovering the truth behind his estranged son's death. Narrator Gerard Doyle convincingly captures Bethany's world-weary, cautious outlook in this smartly constructed story. Noirish in style, this is an audiobook in which even the "white hats" come strictly in shades of gray. Doyle manages to make Bethany and the other key figures sound simultaneously known and unknowable. The many memorable characters--Bethany himself, the eccentric millionaire game developer who employed Bethany's son, Dame Ingrid Tearney of "The Service," and a whole host of others--are so darkly intriguing and fully dimensional that it's a shame author Mick Herron is calling this a stand-alone novel. These characters and their narrator both deserve an encore.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2015
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781490656670
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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