Summoned to Regensburg to the bedside of his dying sister, Jakob Kuisl, hangman of Schongau, arrives to find her and her husband murdered. Kuisl is accused and imprisoned for the deed. Back in Schongau, his daughter, Magdalena, has troubles of her own, causing her and her lover, Simon, to travel to Regensburg. Grover Gardner's performance makes even the most melodramatic turns of events seem credible. His mastery of the narrator's art does much to suspend disbelief even as scenes of certain death turn into close calls and last minute sanctuaries miraculously appear. Oliver Pötzsch offers a mind-boggling series of plot twists and well-researched seventeenth-century detail--from medical missteps to powerful cabals, from merciless mercenaries to diabolical smugglers. Gardner makes it all bloody good listening.
Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
Duration: 15 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Brilliance 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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