This highly original police procedural set in contemporary Saudi Arabia fascinates as a whodunit as well as an inside look at a closed society. (Try being a veiled and cloistered female murder investigator in Jeddah.) Unfortunately, Kate Reading only gets her wake-up call very late in the story. The rest of the time she reads in a dozy, repetitive rhythm that has nothing to do with the excitement on the page, ending sentence after sentence with a trailing off, as if she’s encountered an ellipse instead of a period—let alone a fright, a snarl of anger, or an exclamation! Combine that with at least three egregious editing foul-ups, and it must be said the publishers have done this engaging book no favors.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2010
Duration: 15 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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