Narrator Susan Duerden artfully depicts wartime Britain and the indomitable Maggie Hope as she works in the war effort AND encounters the Blackout Beast--a Jack the Ripper-like killer. Vivid descriptions of the countryside and Nazi atrocities evoke a you-are-there feel in the ever-changing setting. Duerden's best creation is gutsy 85-year-old air raid warden Vera Baines, who discovers a body and then provides vital clues to what happened. Listeners will be saddened to hear that WWII heroines (and their families) received no compensation if they were injured or killed. It's also frustrating to hear how men viewed these brave women. Good portraits of "K" the cat and a belligerent drunk, along with Hope's thoughts, add to the listening pleasure. The wonderful conclusion features a commanding Queen Mother.
Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780735285125
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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