In much of her early work Patricia Cornwell assembles a perfect formula--overweight cop Pete Marino; bright forensic pathologist Kay Scareptta; brilliant, slightly elusive F.B.I. Special Agent Wesley Benton--with just the right amount of sexual tension among the three of them. There's also super computer nerd Lucy, Scarpetta's niece; high-tech crime scene analysis; and plenty of sawing and boiling of bones and bodies in the morgue, including those of an 11-year old girl. Serial killer Temple Gault hovers on the edges of this plot, and bubonic plague has been thrown into the mix. C.J. Critt's performance is a delightful knife-edged treat; each character is shaped with distinction, vitality, and clarity.
Pub Date: 2002
Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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