by Nekesa Afia ; read by Shayna Small ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 30, 2024
An engaging narration by Shayna Small takes listeners into the little-seen world of entitled women artists. It's Paris, 1928, and Black lesbian Louise Lloyd, an amateur detective, is living her dream. Her work as a budding photographer gives her access to an elite group of artists, ambitious women who meet weekly at the exclusive Aquarius club. When member Iris Wright goes missing, Iris's mother asks Louise for help. Louise agrees to try to locate her. When Iris is murdered, Louise struggles with her feelings for her new friends and her conviction that the killer is among them. Small creates a glamorous world of women who will do whatever it takes to get ahead. Her lilting voice and enthusiastic delivery turn this less-than-exhilarating mystery into entertaining listening.
Pub Date: July 30, 2024
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593739211
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Elizabeth Peters ; read by Barbara Rosenblat ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A
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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by John R. Kelly ; read by Rupert Degas ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 5, 2026
In Degas’ company, the Inklings have an adventure to die for.
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Our Verdict
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Rupert Degas’ rich baritone voice, which evokes fireplaces and peaty whiskey, is a fine choice for Kelly’s atmospheric historical mystery, set in 1936 England. When followers of a secret spiritualist society start dying, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, asks members of Oxford’s most famous literary group for help. Surely the Inklings, including J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and their associates Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie, can catch the killer. Degas’ enthusiasm celebrates the story’s cinematic details. His precision keeps the complex plot clear. And his nuanced characterizations, including Doyle’s Scottish accent and Tolkien’s pell-mell conversational style, put listeners square in the middle of the action.
In Degas’ company, the Inklings have an adventure to die for.Pub Date: May 5, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 49 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217279012
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
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