This British series features Ellie Quick, a mystery-solving widow who lives in a London suburb. Narrator Julia Barrie skillfully presents a wide range of emotions and personalities as the Quick household is turned upside down when the housekeeper's past catches up with her. Barrie deftly reflects Vera's shock when her son's father comes to claim the boy he calls Mohammed. Ellie Quick bravely steps in to prove that Abdi was not only an absentee father but also Vera's rapist. Mrs. Quick's lively thoughts, down-to-earth approach, and religious musings are handled with aplomb by Barrie. Her best creation is Mrs. Quick's condescending daughter, Diana, who is mercilessly bossy to her mother. When Mrs. Quick and Vera's son are kidnapped, listeners will cheer Mikey as he outsmarts their kidnappers with all the ingenuity of a 12-year-old boy.
Pub Date: 2016
Duration: 10 hrs
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books
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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