[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with the abridged production of HOSTAGE.]--Relentlessly fast-paced, Crais's newest stand-alone novel tells the story of former frontline crisis negotiator Jeff Talley as his quiet suburban life is taken hostage. The author reads the abridged version with expressive professionalism and a believable intimacy as he follows three delinquents who kill a convenience store clerk and a police officer and then hole up in a suburban home--a house that turns out to belong to an important accountant for the Mob. James Daniels--who also co-wrote the abridged script for Hostage together with his wife, Aasne--uses his vocal talents to bring the unabridged version to life. He effectively matches Crais's style and gives flesh to Jeff Talley, the family taken hostage, and the sociopathic ringleader of the convenience store robbers.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2001
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance 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.
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