A diverse group of apartment dwellers in San Francisco suddenly learns that their landlord has jumped to his death. Sam, a widower and recently retired cop, finds himself trying to solve the crime by getting to know his fellow tenants. The story’s characters give life to a different and sometimes-funny police procedural, but it's narrator Tom Weiner's voices that keep listeners engaged. Weiner sounds like a cast of 20 as he navigates amid gravelly voiced Sam and his neighbors: two female African-American entrepreneurs, a no-nonsense elderly woman, a middle-aged singer, and, best of all, two drug-dealing but likable brothers. There are also assorted villains and minor characters, all creatively narrated. Never once does Weiner confuse a voice, despite the characters’ varied ages, vocal personalities, and ethnicities.
Pub Date: June 1, 2009
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone 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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