Set in nineteenth-century London, this entertaining mystery is made all the more fun by Charles Armstrong's animated narration. The disappearances of a lord, a clergyman, and several women; the drugging of a young milliner; the suicide of a seamstress; and rumors of an occult society bring together the unlikely duo of Scotland Yard's Inspector Cutter and Cambridge University dropout Gideon Bliss. Octavia, an aspiring investigative journalist, is also determined to involve herself in solving the myriad cases. With spot-on voices and accents, Armstrong captures each character's personality and social class, highlighting, for example, a butler's snobbery, Gideon's sophomoric ramblings, and Octavia's frustration with her boss. Armstrong varies his pacing and vocal tone to build the mystery's gothic elements and does justice to Cutter's quick wit.
Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781696603980
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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