Sixteen stories show off their Mississippi settings and both writers' and narrators' capacities to deliver the hallmark of American noir: the cold- blooded character's devastating effect on others. The Mississippi authors include Jimmy Cajoleas, Mary Miller, Chris Offutt, and RaShell R. Smith-Spears, each offering the perfect blend of the ordinary and the creepy. The narrators also turn in performances that enhance the characters and plots. Some stories are performed by just one narrator, always well chosen for the particular tale, while others feature a pair of narrators working together to ramp-up the rising tide of foreboding. Accents, pacing, and tonal variations are strikingly authentic and varied to make each story a fully voiced--and fully captivating--experience.
Pub Date: 2016
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781504744874
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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