The eighth Kay Scarpetta adventure combines mystery, the Internet and a potential epidemic from a fatal virus. Scarpetta believes a recently discovered body is the handiwork of a serial killer, but when the autopsy reveals that the victim may have been exposed to smallpox, she fears that a more sinister plot is at work. Kate Reading does a wonderful job portraying Scarpetta, especially in expressing her innermost thoughts and fears. The listener feels Scarpetta's pain, anguish and anxiety as she follows the killer's trail while worrying about her exposure to the virus. Slight inflections help Reading differentiate most of the characters; she saves her best work for creating a distinct Marino and interpreting the unique accent of the inhabitants of an isolated island off the Virginia coast. The audio has all the suspense and emotional interactions that Scarpetta fans have become accustomed to.
Pub Date: 1997
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Random House 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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