Stylistic flourishes, variety of tone, rich characterization, convoluted relationships, and excessive discursiveness inform this British procedural, set in Yorkshire. Abrasive Detective Superintendent Dalziel and gentlemanly DCI Pascoe, heroes of 19 novels and 10 seasons on BBC TV, investigate an apparent suicide. Exactly 10 years after his father's suicide, the son seems to have killed himself in the same place and manner. But the circumstances are suspicious. Sandpaper-voiced Shaun Dooley handles the narrative serviceably in an authentic regional accent. He excels in the many long dialogue and monologue passages, which he delivers with depth, color, and understatement. What he and the novel lack is suspense. It's as if the case were merely an excuse for a sojourn among these characters.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2006
Duration: 14 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books/ Clipper Audio
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
