The second in a historical crime series featuring oddly matched sleuths Blake and Avery, this audiobook is set in a Victorian London riven by poverty and class strife, corrupt policing, and political undercurrents with a huge potential to erupt in violence. Dickens is the presiding genius; his territory, his melodrama, and his political sympathies inform the story's world. Learning about the Chartist movement is one of the pleasures here, though some may find that research overwhelms the storytelling in spots. In voicing a Dickensian array of castes and characters, Alex Wyndham has the occasional miss: His corrupt Irishman, O'Toole, has a whine like chalk on a blackboard, painful to listen to. But Wyndham hits far more than he misses, and historical mystery fans will find much to relish.
Pub Date: March 29, 2016
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781681680613
Publisher: HighBridge 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
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