All the continuing characters in the Scarpetta series work together in New York City to solve several murders with weird pathology. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta needs help from her husband, Benton, ex-FBI profiler; her computer geek niece, Lucy; a female prosecuting attorney; and Marino, Kay's estranged former police associate. Some of these folks, like Marino and bit players, are voiced distinctively; some, like Benton, are not. Kate Reading's talent is enlivening long (maybe overlong) conversations and injecting emotions into characters and relationships. Suspect Oscar Banes, a dwarf, is wounded in body and spirit. Mysterious Internet postings about Kay are venomous. A pathology report is read stiffly. And a celebratory lunch at Elaine's brings everyone together to close on an overall good performance.
Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2008
Duration: 15 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Penguin 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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