How's this for a devilishly different combination--an undertaker who's an amateur sleuth and a suspect who's a beekeeper? The setting is England's gorgeous Devon countryside. Drew Slocombe, head of Natural Burials, and his feisty assistant, Maggs, are consulted when a woman goes missing. Narrator Julia Franklin cleverly conveys characters of varying ages and classes as well as a wide range of accents. She provides emotional range as the region's farmers cope with the horror of the Mad Cow epidemic. When a child is found dead, the tension escalates and multiple suspects give Slocombe and Detective Den Cooper a real challenge. Tidbits about farming, bees, and death rituals add interest. There's even a charming blossoming romance. Franklin conveys a sense of hearing firsthand details as the story unfolds.
Pub Date: June 1, 2011
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books
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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