Kate Ivory, an independent young writer of historical novels, starts out looking for a few choice tidbits about the "secret life" of Charles Dickens. She ends up in the middle of a murder investigation, flanked by her soon-to-be former lover and her soon-to-be current lover! Anne Dover's quiet, well-spoken narratation helps listeners find their way through this tangled plot. The characters stand out distinctly in manner and tone; Dover is sensitive to their range of emotional vulnerability. Against a steady stream of various academics and a small group of homeless men, Dover draws out the emerging personality of Angel, a young, traumatized woman who regains her memory within a chain of events that proves the adage, "What goes around comes around."
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1998
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
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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