BEVERLY HILLS DEAD is an interesting, though oddly paced, novel about Hollywood in the early days of the Blacklist. Rick Barron, head of production at Centurion Studios, is the kind of noble guy who was very rare in those terrible times when careers were destroyed by even the suspicion of Communist ties. Tony Roberts once again performs Woods's work with a voice that sounds like it was meant for the 1940s. Roberts's hero sounds like a man who always knows what he's doing, and is always right. Though the death the title refers to comes late in the novel, the story is interesting and tailor-made for audio.
Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2008
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Penguin 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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