SUSPICIOUS ORIGIN has a strong protagonist in investigative journalist Britt Anderson and a strong antagonist in her brother-in-law, Alec, now a widower, after a tragic fire took the life of Britt's sister. The clue that the fire moved downwards, not upwards as it naturally does, assures Britt that her sister's death was caused by a fire of suspicious origin. But who was the perpetrator? The compass needle of blame and guilt points so plainly to Alec that it is entirely possible to believe it was he who tossed the accelerant and set a match to it while his wife and child slept. Anna Fields has a voice resonant with intelligence, wit, and compassion, which fits nicely with this constrained New England story of estrangement and loss, murder and madness. As the listener's outrage toward Alex builds, Fields's voice conveys the fragility of the preadolescent who escaped the fire and the defeated rage of the frustration-filled Alec.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Part of the joy of Tom Clancy novels is one's belief that the stories could come true. His latest entry stretches that some as we find international terrorists building a nuclear bomb which is used to set Americans and Russians against one another. Jay Robertson reads with a newscaster's voice, crisp and clear with a light touch of drama. However, he does little to help listeners identify Clancy's huge cast of characters, and dialects seem difficult for him as he occasionally slips in and out of character. Nonetheless, patient listeners are rewarded as the plot unfolds. This will be a welcome addition to any library justifying the price of the multi-cassettte volumes.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
John Sanford is back with another psychological thriller in his Prey series. Surgeon, psychopath and serial killer Bekker is on the loose again after the easiest jailbreak in recent memory. Ken Howard's reading moves along with all the brooding energy a reader could want from a suspense book. His narration is deep, clear and well-suited to the gravelly voices of retired detective Lucas Davenport and the other cops. While Howard manages good dialects and shifts in character, his female voices leave a lot to be desired. For the most part, the abridgment gleefully throws logic and characterization overboard in favor of thrills, but the basic flavor of many characters is still fairly well maintained.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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