This is number eight in Nicola Upson's crime series, and narrator Helen Lloyd perfectly brings its setting and personalities into sharp focus. In the early part of the twentieth century, Josephine Tey was a popular crime writer. In Upson's series Josephine actually investigates crimes. Here, she is called to the horticultural school Moira House to help clarify the details of a death she witnessed 25 years before. Georgina Hartford-Wroe and Harriet Barker ran the school, and Dorothy, one of the students, accused the women of an "unnatural" relationship. Shortly after, Dorothy was found dead. Lloyd's tone can be coldly calculating or add depth and warmth where required. She sounds proper and persistent as Josephine uncovers myriad secrets in this labyrinthine, splendidly constructed plot.
Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Blackstone 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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