While narrator Susan Bennett doesn't quite sound the age of Tawni O'Dell's 50-year-old protagonist, Chief Dove Carnahan, she does capture the backwoods Pennsylvania town where Carnahan finds the remains of a teenage girl who was beaten and set on fire. The girl is a member of a notoriously poor and criminal family, so Carnahan's work is cut out for her-- as is Bennett's. Without going overboard on stereotype, Bennett's narration portrays the individuality of the characters and the various forces working on them--historical, environmental, and socio-economic--as well as their fears, and hopes. O'Dell has written a socially complex thriller, and Bennett delivers each nuance, challenging listeners to look beyond the surface. A solid performance and a great listening experience.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2016
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501901713
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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