The body of a well-liked academic is unearthed in a farmer’s field. Enter Detective Alan Banks, who is dedicated to solving the puzzle surrounding Harry Steadman’s death. Banks meticulously interviews the Swainsdale locals, including the dead man’s wife, his pub pals, an aspiring actress, an author, and a folk singer newly returned to the tiny, taciturn community. Slowly but surely, Banks separates fact from fabrication until the killer is identified—although not before another murder occurs. Narrator James Langton makes listeners feel right at home in the village’s country cottages, lovers’ lanes, and manor houses. Langton delivers interior monologues and red herrings with equal finesse. The second in the Inspector Banks series is a pleasantly methodical police procedural.
Pub Date: April 12, 2010
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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