Ron Keith's Inspector Banks is an appealing character, a trustworthy guide through the investigation of arson and art forgery that develops after two canal barges occupied by squatters are swept by fire. Two of the occupants die--one a ne'er-do-well artist, the other a hard-luck stoner left alone by her boyfriend after a fight. Banks has to unravel which was the intended victim and what the motive was. At the same time, Banks's assistant (and former girlfriend) takes up with an art expert boyfriend Banks doesn't like the look of. In a superb performance, Keith deftly builds character and drama without ever going over the top as the clues and bodies pile up.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2004
Duration: 14 hrs
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
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