Frances Pratt, retired criminal investigator, has recently suffered the loss of her stepmother. She attempts to escape her sorrow by way of attending a cousin's wedding amid the clapboard mansions in a lovely, but snooty, New England town. Vivienne Benesch's characterization of Frances Pratt reveals an intelligent, intuitive sleuth unable to escape mystery and tragedy. When Pratt's cousin is found hung on her wedding day, Benesch intensifies the pace as the plot focuses on every detail of the snobbish inhabitants of this upscale haven and all their possible motives. She portrays the characters as quirky, self-obsessed, and private, making the suspense all the more intriguing.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Sound Library
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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