FORSAKEN SOUL will appeal to fans of Ellis Peters's medieval Brother Cadfael mysteries. Herbalist/sleuth Prioress Eleanor helps solve a murder during the summer of 1273 in the British village of Tyndal, where Martin the cooper has been poisoned at the local inn. Assisted by Crowner Ralf, Eleanor and the innkeeper's niece gather clues amid multiplying bodies and disappearing suspects. Vanessa Benjamin, a native of the British Isles, provides an atmospheric reading. She clearly differentiates between the religious and coarse country folk, as well as between the sexes. She easily delivers the strong emotions of the story and depicts the deep superstition and awe-laden religious context of the period.
Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2008
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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