It makes sense to have the dialogue in an audiobook rendered in a regional accent to give a sense of place. To have the entire text delivered in an accent so far from standard pronunciation that the listener can't follow the story does not. Stuart's previous Belfast (Ireland) novels have many audio fans, but Michelle Ferguson, new to the series, is here so busy pronouncing everything in dialect that the narrative gets lost. The two female protagonists, DCI Flanagan and probation officer Paula Cunningham, are not well distinguished from each other aurally, nor are the two murderous young brothers at the heart of Stuart's psychological puzzle, and the more minor characters never become real to us in Ferguson's rendering.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2016
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audible Inc./ Brilliance 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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