Stephen L. Carter (THE EMPEROR OF OCEAN PARK, 2002; NEW ENGLAND WHITE, 2007) offers a fascinating new political thriller spanning the years 1954-1974. From the opening words, narrator Mirron Willis makes listeners sit up and take notice. His insistent tone gives seemingly ordinary events an air of importance. Eddie Wesley, an African-American writer, uncovers a secret multiracial organization, a "Star Chamber," with plans to manipulate political destinies. Willis's performance is strong, credible, and engaging as Eddie observes Harlem high society, visits with period notables, and travels to Vietnam, and exposes political misdeeds. Willis elects to imitate the voices of famous figures—Langston Hughes, J. Edgar Hoover, Richard Nixon, John and Robert Kennedy—a risky choice that doesn't work well. Even so, Willis's performance of Carter's novel is top-notch.
Pub Date: 2008
Duration: 22 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
C.J. Box writes about life in wild Wyoming, short stories of people living a rugged life by choice or by circumstance. David Chandler narrates in a rough-edged whiskey voice that suggests summer heat, bitter winters, and windswept prairies, guiding the listener through 10 adventures of men like Fish and Game Officer Joe Pickett. Chandler brings the listener into this strange world where, more often than not, men have to create their own justice. His performance of the economical stories, some rarely seen, is perfect. The tale of the frozen body of a Native American basketball player turned speed freak, her arm reaching through the ice of a lake in a final jump shot, is one of the most fascinating in the collection.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781470392796
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Dirk Pitt, intrepid adventurer and master explorer, searches the Sahara for the deadly toxin that is killing marine life world wide. This audio, abridged by Harold Schmidt, lacks most of the adventure, as well as the humor, of Cussler's novels. Narrator Tom Wopat brings an unconventional vocal slant to the ever-cocky Pitt. Using lots of vocal characterization, Wopat brings across the smug brashness of Pitt and handles dialogue briskly. Enhanced by sound effects and small pieces of music, this is an interesting and perplexing mystery.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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