Author Ruth Downie and narrator Simon Vance have devised the perfect listening escape. Forget about modern life and follow medicus-turned-investigator Ruso to Roman Britain. In Book Four of this captivating series, the Gaul-born Ruso and his Brittania-born wife, Tilla, become embroiled in the death of a local tax collector. When Ruso is asked to help solve the mystery, he and Tilla leave Londinium for northern Verulamium (modern St. Albans), where they encounter a mess of treachery, hints of buried treasure, and the legacy of the warrior queen, Boudica. As always, Vance offers believable characterizations of everyone from bored Roman bureaucrats to native baths-house guards. His smooth delivery of narrative enhances the wealth of historical facts that Downie blends into the satisfyingly complex plot.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2011
Duration: 11 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
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.
