This convoluted story is set in 1939 Madrid at the end of the Spanish Civil War as Franco takes the reins of government. In this bloody period of Spain’s history, the Nationalists hunt Republicans as loyalty and honor vie with violence and the drive for power. The action begins with Sergeant Tejada Alonzo y Leon of the Guardia Civil shooting an unknown woman who is kneeling next to a dead Guardia as she retrieves her niece's school notebook. Elizabeth Klett narrates with a soft, uninflected American accent. She pronounces Spanish names and places in a seemingly flawless accent. But the overall sameness of her delivery becomes monotonous, making the tangled threads of the plot difficult to follow and the characters impossible to differentiate.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2011
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781926673141
Publisher: Iambik
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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