Masterfully read and masterfully acted by Peter Francis James, Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned is a recording to put on the top of your list. The story of Socrates Fortlow, struggling to survive in Watts after 27 years in prison, relates his Herculean struggles to maintain dignity and integrity after a harrowing passage in life. It is one of the rare works of fiction that can be listened to repeatedly, as the richness of the performance and the layers of meaning in the text bear up well. It’s fair to say this work not only starkly defines the black experience in America, but the human experience itself.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2002
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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