Rebecca Stott’s suspense story is both enthralling and cerebral. The main character is a callow young scholar from Scotland who finds himself enraptured with the exciting intellectual stirrings of post-Napoleonic Paris. He’s drawn into a fascinating circle of heretic scientific thinkers who also just happen to be thieves. While on one level it’s a love story, it’s more importantly the story of how gifted minds develop. Simon Prebble, one of AUDIOFILE's Golden Voices, narrates the author's elegant prose with precision and charm. He expertly differentiates the various speaking styles of the young, rather crass students and those of the suave, slightly jaded French savants. His is not an overtly theatrical performance, but one that presents this literary novel perfectly.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2009
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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