Richly drawn characters from every walk of life become involved with conspiracy and murder at Oxford University in the sixteenth century, allowing narrator John Lee free rein to exercise his talents. Flawlessly switching between British and European accents, he individualizes each of the myriad characters with a distinct nuance: Cockney twang for a groundskeeper, pompous tone for a campus official, or flat and unaffected intonation for a barmaid. Lee's most effective technique is to selectively thicken protagonist Giordano Bruno's Italian accent to help listeners easily distinguish between dialogue and narration. A full cast of readers, each with a native accent, could hardly do better.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2010
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780307714329
Publisher: Random House 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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