This well-researched account will please history and entertainment fans, as well as those interested in the Mafia. Through news accounts, biographies, and interviews with survivors, it chronicles mobster Meyer Lansky's almost-successful attempt to turn Cuba into the capital of the Mafia's empire. Lansky's dream, born in the 1920s, didn't take root until the early 1950s, and then Castro's revolution ended the Cosa Nostra's grip on the country. In this fascinating story, listeners encounter mobsters, like Charles "Lucky" Luciano and Albert Anastasia, politicians, like the Kennedys, and movie stars, like Frank Sinatra, George Raft, and Ava Gardner. Mel Foster's reading is competent, though somewhat wooden, and his pronunciation of difficult names and places is excellent. Still, it’s disappointing that he reads comments by the characters rather than acting them—as he does so well in fiction.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2008
Duration: 13 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Bower’s performance gives an accessible, straightforward account of a case which remains unsolved after 80 years.
This audiobook examines the 1947 murder and dismemberment of Elizabeth Short, known as the Black Dahlia, and shares new information. Narrator Michael Bower gives a deep-voiced, intense presentation that humanizes Short. He gently traces her youthful experiences in Hollywood that culminate in her death. Despite the growing list of suspects, Bower expresses author Mann’s frustrations as all are dismissed for lack of evidence. Listeners will appreciate the newscaster-style delivery, which is clear and distinct even as the number of suspects grows. The author states he intended to separate fact from fiction.
Bower’s performance gives an accessible, straightforward account of a case which remains unsolved after 80 years.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 15 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668118818
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
The audiobook illuminates the misdeeds of malevolent marketers, sleazy lawyers, and unethical doctors.
Cassandra Campbell’s narration is a model of a nonfiction performance. Her reading of exposition is careful and convincing. She knows where to pause and how to move the action forward. Law professor Burch’s investigative report of the con men, grifters, and profiteers who took advantage of women who were harmed by vaginal mesh implant removal is deeply researched. The revelations of how these “professionals” colluded to scam these vulnerable women who experienced incontinence, pain, and emotional distress after their procedures is horrific. The patients whose mesh implants were removed often had no medical workups prior to surgeries and were charged egregious hidden fees. The text also exposes the legal system’s glacial pace.
The audiobook illuminates the misdeeds of malevolent marketers, sleazy lawyers, and unethical doctors.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781668115107
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
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