Narrator Simon Vance does a splendid job with the Detective Chief Inspector Banks series, which takes place in Northern England. Banks--who is a relatively minor character in this installment--tracks Moldavian Zelda Melnic as she exacts revenge upon those who trafficked her as a sex worker. A subplot featuring Banks's team members Annie Cabbot and Gerry Masterson is compelling and fascinating. They're charged with identifying who murdered a young woman at one of property developer Connor Clive Blaydon's sex parties. Vance's Eastern European accents add authenticity, and characters both good and evil are memorable. Tension is greatest during Cabbot and Masterson's skillful interrogations as they work to unmask the psychopathic killer.
Pub Date: March 16, 2021
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063065895
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An engaging and suspenseful listen.
Lisa Flanagan’s talented narration brings ex-detective Vinnie Taylor alive as she settles in a small town in Maryland and tries to rebuild her life. When a routine shopping trip ends in Vinnie receiving a call for help from a teen who believes her best friend has been murdered, Vinnie soon finds herself embroiled in secrets and lies, along with a past she can’t forget. In Vinnie, Flanagan creates a strong, likable character, and she also creates a thoroughly believable cast of supporting characters, including troubled teenagers. Flanagan injects the perfect amount of urgency in her narration, allowing the tension to build as the plot twists to its exciting conclusion.
An engaging and suspenseful listen.Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063439269
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
Skillfully woven backstory allows newcomers to jump right in here without missing a beat.
Narrator Cathleen McCarron returns to deliver a totally engaging listening experience in McDermid’s eighth installment of the Karen Pirie series. McCarron’s command of Scottish accents, coupled with her ability to shift seamlessly between male and female characters, draws listeners in and keeps them glued to their earbuds. Pirie, chief of Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit, and her capable team investigate a body dislodged from a rain-damaged motorway while also focusing on a supposed accidental death case. Listeners will enjoy the interplay among Pirie and her colleagues as they take bold measures to bring justice to victims’ families. McCarron’s assured narration heightens the procedural tensions and the emotional stakes.
Skillfully woven backstory allows newcomers to jump right in here without missing a beat.Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
Duration: 12 hrs, 43 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668170786
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
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