Sir Derek Jacobi and Joe Jameson's stellar performances add sparkle and verisimilitude to this delightful locked-room mystery. The first adult book by Montgomery, an award-winning children's book author, is set in a Cornish manor house during the 1910 passing of Halley's Comet. Jacobi sets the semiserious tone with resonant action updates and intense performances of yesteryear news reports. Jameson remarkably personifies everyone. He broadens his vowels to inhabit our jailbird hero; pinches his voice into an octogenarian lady; puffs into an officious butler; and lightens into a young maid. The plot, involving death by crossbow, is crazy fun. The upstairs/downstairs subplot is moving. The writing is clever and witty. Jameson and Jacobi deliver a captivating performance that celebrates the tale's mix of drama and farce.
Pub Date: 2026
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063458741
Publisher: Harper Audio
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
Hotel heiress Evelyn Murphy fancies herself a more sophisticated, urbane, and glamorous version of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. As listeners know if they're familiar with Evelyn's two earlier adventures, she resides in her father's ritzy Manhattan hotel in the late 50s, where she's surrounded by employees who satisfy her every whim. Narrator Amara Jasper expertly conveys Evelyn's flippant, bossy, whimsical, and melodramatic personality as she solves the murder of a luncheon diner and unmasks the gentleman jewel thief who preys on hotel guests. Jasper has a vivacious style that keeps events moving forward. Her English and Scottish accents are not quite authentic, but few listeners will notice.
Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781666689099
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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