It's been 15 long years since we've had a Charles Paris mystery by creator Simon Brett. Charles has changed little; he's always looking for the next acting job--and, even more importantly, the next drink. Narrator Michael Page smoothly presents an older, more resigned and passive Charles. When the leading lady in HAMLET succumbs to poison, Charles swings into action. Brett offers his usual eccentric characters, particularly several has-been actors whom Page portrays replete with exaggerated foreign accents and huge egos. Ex-wife Francis and Agent Maurice Skelton, regulars in Brett's series, play only minor roles, and they're missed as they add humanity and humor to Charles's somewhat limited life an actor. The denouement is clever as Charles returns to London having made a compassionate decision regarding the murderer.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2013
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781624066665
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In the latest Kinsey Millhone mystery, Kinsey is hired by an aged, wealthy man to retrieve his daughter from prison, where she has served time for embezzlement. Kinsey quickly figures out that the girl isn’t an embezzler but instead has done time for her money-laundering boss. All heck breaks loose. Judy Kaye has a warm, rich voice that seems just right for Grafton’s P.I. Her delivery mirrors the smart-aleck tenor of much of Kinsey’s dialogue. Strangely though, when Kaye is interpreting a male character (and there are many), she raises her voice to a higher register, so that many of the men sound like adolescents with changing voices, or worse, like chipmunks. It may be Kaye’s subtle social comment, though. For once the listener adapts, this odd gender reversal seems natural.
Pub Date: July 13, 2004
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Benedict Juliard, forced from steeplechase racing, becomes increasingly involved in politics and protecting his father's life. Prebble's relaxed but masterful command of characters allows an easy flow during conversations, as well as the sudden transformations from narrative to action scenes. His clear, precise speech; polished style of delivery; and sense of timing give a steady consistency and excellence to his reading. Prebble carries the main characters with ease, but he seems to delight in performing the secondary characters, who feature a great variety of accents to match their roles. Another polished performance by a master of reading.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1998
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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