It’s hard to come up with a fresh take on the plucky girl detective, but Claire DeWitt proves it can be done. She’s a tough, squirrelly tattooed mystic punk who, by the time we meet her, is the self-proclaimed greatest detective in the world. She’s in New Orleans 18 months after Katrina to find out what happened to a lawyer with (it turns out) some disagreeable appetites who hasn’t been seen since the storm. The city is a corrupt, crime-and-disaster-ravaged snarl, but Claire doesn’t work with anything as mundane as clues or evidence, so she’s unfazed. Carol Monda’s alto voice is perfect for Claire’s fierce implacability, and Monda’s remarkable acting range does justice to a city and a plot full of mystery and mess.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2011
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781611742572
Publisher: HighBridge 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
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