Each portion of this slow-burn thriller is tackled by a different narrator who adds their own unique twist to Swanson's layered characters. Saskia Maarleveld delivers librarian Martha Ratliff's chapters, highlighting Martha's curiosity and distress. Kathleen Early narrates Lily Kitner's point of view. Early's performance sounds stiff in contrast to Maarleveld's. Newlywed Martha seeks help from her college classmate, Lily, when she suspects her husband, Alan, of violence. Digging into Alan's travels, they stumble upon an old friend, Ethan Saltz. As Lily discovers the truth about Ethan, with the help of Henry Kimball, it might be too late.
Pub Date: June 11, 2024
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063205062
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A wild ride from the opening to the heart-pounding conclusion.
Narrator Alison McGirr is a perfect match for this thriller set in Melbourne, Australia. She masterfully conveys characters, including a terrified 10-year-old boy, through tone, accent, and pace. Listeners are introduced to Detective Sergeant Judith Lee, who is smart, brave, and carrying the burden of a dramatic backstory that influences her every decision. She meets with a university student who reports a psychologist’s inappropriate behavior. When mysterious packages with enigmatic messages are delivered to three seemingly unrelated people, Detective Lee is determined to find the connections between them and the student she met with. For the listener, letters from the past that are interspersed between certain chapters are confusing, but it all makes sense by the end.
A wild ride from the opening to the heart-pounding conclusion.Pub Date: July 21, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 28 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063042322
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
As buried connections begin to surface, Pressley draws listeners into Scout’s increasingly precarious situation.
Brittany Pressley delivers this Hollywood murder tale with a lively, assured performance that captures Scout’s ambition, grief, and determination. A decade after her sister, Georgia, dies under suspicious circumstances, Scout becomes the main suspect in a series of murders across Los Angeles and must clear her name while pursuing answers about what happened to Georgia. Pressley gives Scout a forceful presence, using shifts in tempo and emphasis to reflect her changing fortunes. Pressley also differentiates the supporting players through subtle changes in pitch and delivery. Her performance keeps the listener connected to the larger questions of celebrity, exploitation, and accountability that Scout's journey asks us to consider.
As buried connections begin to surface, Pressley draws listeners into Scout’s increasingly precarious situation.Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 17 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250445612
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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