Saskia Maarleveld performs a gothic horror story about dark family secrets that haunt a pair of sisters in postrevolutionary Russia. Irina and Lili's family mansion is taken over by the Bolsheviks, who force the owners into the attic. The house, brimming with ghosts and secrets, falls deeper into decay. Maarleveld imbues the narration with a tone of intense patience that layers beautifully with the creepy plot's blend of history and folklore. Subtle accents give the setting a sense of realism. Maarleveld's voice captures the ear and keeps attention on the unexplained things haunting the mansion. As the mystery builds, Maarleveld's narration remains steadfast.
Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593911273
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Bailey Carr's perfect deadpan tone is fitting for Anya St. Clair, a fashion magazine contributor who expresses more worry over blood-soaked shoes than she does over its source. What begins as friendly competition for a promotion between Anya and her co-worker and obsession, Sarah Taft, turns fiercely fatal as Anya justifies what she's willing to do to achieve her goal. Delivering dark humor at its finest, Carr's narration is most notable for its crystal-clear quality, mostly void of emotion except for moments of rage delivered through gritted teeth. Anya's smooth voice belies her inner turmoil and disdain for the majority of humanity. Her editor, however, is a sharp and commanding presence spitting out orders that only compound the situations Anya finds herself in.
Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2018
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781978630123
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A time-traveling teacher tries to prevent President Kennedy’s assassination but finds the relationship between past and present more complicated than he expected. As the story begins in Lisbon Falls, Maine, narrator Craig Wasson delivers a spirited and thoughtful performance of Jake Epping’s first-person account. Further into the novel, however, Wasson falls headlong into that ever-frustrating pit that looms before King’s narrators: the failure to correctly pronounce one of Maine’s premier cities, Bangor. This introduces into the dialogue the standard inept, overdone imitation of the Downeast accent—and not much better renderings of various Southern tongues. The narrative passages, however, are delivered with care and enthusiasm.
Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2011
Duration: 35 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781442344297
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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