In the late Robert B. Parker’s final Spenser mystery, the intrepid private eye takes a movie star’s troubled ex-bodyguard under his wing—both to provide guidance and to find out if the star he used to work for was responsible for the death of a young groupie. Aside from making Spenser’s quietly threatening police chief buddy into a shrill carnival barker, series veteran Joe Mantegna does his usual excellent job communicating the story’s humor and tension, as well as the characters’ turbulent undercurrents. The bodyguard character, Zebulon Sixkill, is further illuminated by Mantegna during several flashback chapters. While the book contains themes and scenarios fans have seen many times before, SIXKILL provides a strong swan song to the author’s entertaining career.
Pub Date: May 3, 2011
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780739384886
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In the latest Kinsey Millhone mystery, Kinsey is hired by an aged, wealthy man to retrieve his daughter from prison, where she has served time for embezzlement. Kinsey quickly figures out that the girl isn’t an embezzler but instead has done time for her money-laundering boss. All heck breaks loose. Judy Kaye has a warm, rich voice that seems just right for Grafton’s P.I. Her delivery mirrors the smart-aleck tenor of much of Kinsey’s dialogue. Strangely though, when Kaye is interpreting a male character (and there are many), she raises her voice to a higher register, so that many of the men sound like adolescents with changing voices, or worse, like chipmunks. It may be Kaye’s subtle social comment, though. For once the listener adapts, this odd gender reversal seems natural.
Pub Date: July 13, 2004
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Benedict Juliard, forced from steeplechase racing, becomes increasingly involved in politics and protecting his father's life. Prebble's relaxed but masterful command of characters allows an easy flow during conversations, as well as the sudden transformations from narrative to action scenes. His clear, precise speech; polished style of delivery; and sense of timing give a steady consistency and excellence to his reading. Prebble carries the main characters with ease, but he seems to delight in performing the secondary characters, who feature a great variety of accents to match their roles. Another polished performance by a master of reading.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1998
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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