Take a dash of down-home "Andy of Mayberry" and a pinch of uptown "Spenser for Hire," and you'll begin to get a feeling for MISSION FLATS. Police Chief Ben Truman is even nicknamed "Opie" by his big-city counterparts. Fans of crime fiction may be put off by the tone and delivery of William Dufris, but if they hang in there, they'll discover they're feeling exactly what they're supposed to. There are few mysteries that fans of the genre can't guess at least a few steps ahead, but this one puts some welcome new moves on the most experienced readers. R.O.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
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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