Lampiao (Virgulino Ferreira da Silva, 1897-1938), a Brazilian outlaw, ruled the Sertao, a rural area in northeastern Brazil, between 1922 and 1938. Carla Mercer-Meyer narrates this fictional memoir of the life of Lampiao and his wife, Maria Bonita. At its core, BACKLANDS is a timeless tale of the conflict between outlaws and lawmen. Mercer-Meyer's voice is soft as she reads the narrative, sharply enunciating the Portuguese words and Brazilian terms. Dialogue is performed with subtle inflections and softer tones for the women's voices. Mercer-Meyer's laconic performance echoes the endlessly hard, difficult life in the Brazilian Backlands. Told in loosely connected vignettes that drift back and forth between 1922 and 1938, the story is such that listeners must pay careful attention or risk getting lost in the Backlands.
Pub Date: May 11, 2015
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
C.J. Box writes about life in wild Wyoming, short stories of people living a rugged life by choice or by circumstance. David Chandler narrates in a rough-edged whiskey voice that suggests summer heat, bitter winters, and windswept prairies, guiding the listener through 10 adventures of men like Fish and Game Officer Joe Pickett. Chandler brings the listener into this strange world where, more often than not, men have to create their own justice. His performance of the economical stories, some rarely seen, is perfect. The tale of the frozen body of a Native American basketball player turned speed freak, her arm reaching through the ice of a lake in a final jump shot, is one of the most fascinating in the collection.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781470392796
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Dirk Pitt, intrepid adventurer and master explorer, searches the Sahara for the deadly toxin that is killing marine life world wide. This audio, abridged by Harold Schmidt, lacks most of the adventure, as well as the humor, of Cussler's novels. Narrator Tom Wopat brings an unconventional vocal slant to the ever-cocky Pitt. Using lots of vocal characterization, Wopat brings across the smug brashness of Pitt and handles dialogue briskly. Enhanced by sound effects and small pieces of music, this is an interesting and perplexing mystery.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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