Robert Goddard makes an addition to the antiquarian mystery novel, a relatively new genre that THE CLUB DUMAS ably inaugurated and THE DA VINCI CODE brought to an apotheosis. In this one a British antiquarian seeking the identity of an eighteenth-century political essayist, known only as Junius, gets involved in investigating a kidnapping and murder that may or may not be related. The clever plot twists come from the author, but it is reader Gordon Graham who provides strong characterization and narrative fluidity. Possibly one could ask him to play for more tension and suspense, but he otherwise gives the book a quality of intelligence and sophistication reminiscent of Graham Greene.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2006
Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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