New Reviews: Mystery & Suspense

Jennifer Aquino, Christina Ho, Naomi Mayo, and Kenneth Lee perform this new thriller about two sisters who survived a small plane crash and 12 terrifying weeks in the Washington wilderness. As adults, Fiona and Violet Seng have kept their silence about the horrifying ordeal of their childhood. When their father's former lover comes forward with details, the Seng girls find... Read More

Eva Kaminsky had her work cut out for her narrating this very complicated story, which begins with the kidnapping of a young woman named Allie and involves a secret she's not even aware of. Kaminsky gives voice to Allie--and to Anna, a person in Allie's head who is part of the dark secret. Only Grace, who works for an obscure branch of the FDA, is willing to investigate the... Read More

This supernatural thriller provides an enjoyable wrinkle in narration. The audiobook doesn't feature a single narrator voicing all characters or a full cast with an individual narrator voicing each character. The members of the ensemble each take a major character and whomever that character interacts with. Rachel Fulginiti shines as Andi Wyndham, who buys a bone pendant that... Read More

Powerful, enlightening, and entertaining are some of the superlatives that might come to mind as listeners are transported to the world of trial attorney Jack Lee in Virginia in 1968--brought to life by a uniformly outstanding cast. Narrator MacLeod Andrews uses accent, tone, and pace to masterfully portray Lee and the other white male characters. Lee partners with attorney... Read More

Tanis Parenteau delivers Marcia Muller's latest intense Sharon McCone mystery. At first, Parenteau's scratchy voice is unappealing, but as she navigates more twists and turns than a carnival ride, her tone fits the story. Vandalism has hit several upscale San Francisco neighborhoods. PI McCone's agency is hired by a neighborhood watch group to keep an eye on local streets.... Read More

Pete Cross provides a suitably lighthearted narration for this quirky, twisty, high-flying murder mystery set in a circus called Mysterium. This second installment in the Hayden and Friends mystery series follows a pint-sized gay middle-school teacher, Hayden, and his best friend, Hollister, as they seek the culprit in the murder of one of the circus performers. Although... Read More

In the final book in the Danny Ryan Trilogy, a masterpiece of crime writing, Ari Fliakos delivers an astounding, empathetic performance. Rhode Island Irish mobster Danny Ryan's journey began decades ago when he evolved from a longshoreman to a small-time mobster and then to a multimillionaire Las Vegas hotelier. Winslow based Ryan's journey on the Greek tragedies THE ILIAD, THE... Read More

Rory Kinnear's performance of the fifth Hawthorne and Horowitz mystery is "something of a masterclass," says author Anthony Horowitz in a recorded postscript that praises Kinnear's flair and fluency. Indeed, Kinnear's voice--rich and resonant, with precise articulation--is one of the many pleasures in this outing of the comical, ill-matched pair as they investigate which... Read More

Fans may be disappointed that this is Maisie Dobbs's final adventure, but they will appreciate the tender way the various characters' closing stories are treated. Narrator Orlagh Cassidy masterfully conveys the returning characters, Maisie's extended family, and the newly introduced individuals, male and female, young and old. Cassidy's talented use of accents lends credibility... Read More

Narrator Johnathan McClain creates a motley crew of memorable personalities that make this thriller compelling listening. The central character is Hardy "Hardly" Reed, a drifter who works in a run-down amusement park with an assortment of losers. When Hardly sees a mother with children who appear to have been abused at the DMV, he sets out to learn who they are and rescue them.... Read More

The separate elements of this audio thriller sound standard-issue, but Megan Miranda grips you from the opening scene and never lets up. Hazel comes home to small-town North Carolina for her beloved father's memorial. Her brothers are both cops, as was their dad. The whole force would be at the gathering except that an old car has just surfaced in the drought-low water of the... Read More

The spirited, engaging voice of narrator Bronwen Price takes listeners back to Edinburgh, Scotland, where a detective duo is solving a very personal cold case in the late Victorian period. In the fifth adventure of the Angus Brodie and Mikaela Forsythe crime-solving team, Angus is searching for the person who murdered his mother 30 years earlier. Uninvited but undeterred,... Read More

Charming and engaging, Zara Ramm's voice adds joy and humor to the narration of this delightful British cozy mystery. When the ladies who run the Charity Shop Detective Agency learn that a woman has been murdered at their local dog show, they decide to take on the case. Ramm's assortment of accents and voices brings both familiarity and uniqueness to the listening experience.... Read More

Pearl Hewitt narrates this story of intrigue and treachery set in 1923 among the British upper classes. Spies Dora and Rex attend the engagement party of Prince Bertie and Elizabeth, only to find themselves embroiled in a murder. When it looks like their good friend is the only suspect, Dora and Rex set out to find the identity of the real killer. The investigation takes them... Read More

Narrator Helen Laser breathes life into this convoluted murder mystery involving reclusive writer Sebastian Trapp, who is dying; his blended family; the long ago disappearance of his first wife and son; and Nicky Hunter, who is hired to write the dying man's life story. Little does Nicky know that she'll become entangled in Sebastian's story, which overflows with allusions to... Read More

Narrator Scott Brick delivers for fans of Crichton and Patterson. Based on research and notes left behind by Crichton, who died in 2008, Patterson and Brick combine their talents to finish the story and create characters driven to the edge to save the world. Brick's smooth and empathetic performance conveys the chills and thrills surrounding a volcano on the Big Island of... Read More

Elizabeth Evans masterfully voices successful crime novelist Eleanor Dash, listeners' new best friend, who gossips about all of the people and craziness around her. Dash's behind-the-scenes insights on writing and publishing, along with her plot notes for her next book, add depth and humor to this story. She even challenges listeners to identify the murderer before the big... Read More

Narrator Brittany Pressley takes listeners through this fast-paced thriller about a unique reality show in which contestants face real and lasting consequences for their past mistakes. Under the direction of an assistant posing as the show's host, five desperate contestants arrive at a secluded Northern California estate, where they will compete to win 10 million dollars.... Read More

When an Amish man is brutally murdered, his shadow life is exposed, and secrets are revealed. Narrator Kathleen McInerney channels Police Chief Kate Burkholder with precision as she investigates the crime. When she discovers the extent to which the victim, Aden Karn, was himself a perpetrator, she is filled with controlled rage. Upon hearing of his toll on others in the... Read More

Karen Cass narrates this charming novel. Penny and Josephine Williamson are invited to Paris--accompanied by their grand-nephew, Archie--to receive the Légion d'honneur for their service in WWII. Throughout the story they reminisce over their wartime adventures. The women are in their 90s, but Cass makes it clear that they are feisty, a little quirky, and still game for any... Read More

With his amazing portfolio of voices, Michael Boatman draws listeners into PI Easy Rawlins's world in 1970s Los Angeles. Mosley's writing paired with Boatman's narration once again delivers a sociological tableau that keeps listeners engaged throughout. Rawlins accepts a missing-person case from his client, the alluring Amethystine Stoller As Rawlins's attempts to find her open... Read More

Buckle up for another thrilling adventure with Finlay Donavan and her eclectic crew. Angela Dawe returns to narrate Finlay's escapades as a single mom, romance writer, and accidental criminal. Dawe seamlessly captures the essence of each character, from Finlay and her partner-in-crime, Vero, to the diverse supporting cast. Particularly noteworthy is Dawe's skill in portraying... Read More

Narrators Almarie Guerra and Feodor Chin reunite to bring the second installment in the Daniela Vega series to life. FBI agent Dani Vega emerges as a female counterpart to author Lee Child's hero Jack Reacher--savvy, justice driven, and a military-trained fighting machine. The narrative delves into Vega's past, recounting the haunting discovery of her father's murder when she... Read More

From the start, Emily Joyce gives captivating portrayals of the many characters in this mystery. Initially, her pace is pretty slow and engaging as she allows listeners to get to know the main characters. She eventually picks up the pace that is necessary to deliver the rather involved and slow-moving plot with grace and aplomb. Her depictions of interloping friends who show... Read More

In a crisp British accent, Jane Collingwood fills this mystery with tension as police investigate the 1990 disappearance of Charlotte Salter, who never arrived at her husband's fiftieth birthday party. Collingwood portrays Charlotte's 15-year-old daughter, Etty, as frantic, while her four brothers, who are mostly stoned or drunk, are voiced with all the nonchalance of... Read More

This fast-moving story is about a couple of ex-journalists who take on a "simple" job in Havana. Timothy Andrés Pabon perfectly fits his narration to the tone of the work. Coming in at a scant 85 minutes, the audio features clever dialogue between the journalists and their Cuban contacts. George and Joe are rightfully angry because they were laid off by their newspaper in a... Read More

Christina Delaine's deep, rich voice makes for a mostly easy listen as she narrates this cat-and-mouse thriller. Listeners may find Delaine's slow-paced and low-pitched delivery a bit monotone in contrast to the adrenaline-fueled scenes. The story is told mainly from the perspectives of the hired assassin, Leo Sealy, and his target, smart and well-trained security expert... Read More

Narrator Lisa Larsen brings to life a 29-year-old long-distance runner named Riley as she returns to the rural community where she grew up. Once there, she reconnects with her eccentric family as she battles an unknown illness. When her almost-twin, Ethan, is arrested for the murder of his fiancée, Riley sets out to uncover the identity of the real killer. Larsen's strong... Read More

After years of narrating novels by Alex Finlay, Stephen Hunter, and Don Winslow, narrator Jon Lindstrom has decided to craft his own thriller, one that highlights his flinty, resonant voice and draws from his years of Hollywood acting experience. The result is an entertaining, often violent, addition to the L.A. noir genre. The plot is familiar--a washed-up B-List former star,... Read More

This stellar cast of narrators captures the temperament of each character in this mystery. When Beth's mother dies, her last words are a warning: "Don't trust . . ." Beth is left grieving and wondering whom not to trust. Then her estranged brother and sister return home for the first time since their father's unexpected disappearance years ago. The story flows quickly as the... Read More

Dual narrators Alexandra Dowling and Jaye Jacobs tackle a twisting tale in this engaging audiobook. When she is abruptly summoned to the Gravesdown Estate to discuss a possible inheritance, Annie Adams is eager to meet her famously paranoid Great-Aunt Frances. But Frances is murdered just before Annie arrives, and Annie's attempts to investigate may put her squarely in the... Read More

Catherine Ho narrates the first book in the Magical Fortune Cookie series. Felicity Jin wants to create delicious pastries like her mother; she decides her specialty will be scrumptious fortune cookies. When a very specific fortune she writes leads to a customer's death behind her bakery, she is accused of murder, and she and a friend must clear her name. Ho navigates listeners... Read More

Narrator R.S. Klein leads a full cast in this spirited mystery. Listeners first meet Mitchell, an ex-cop turned private investigator whose confidence and offbeat humor serve him well. He is portrayed by Tom Westley. When acid-tongued Eleanor Marbury-Coyne, splendidly portrayed by narrator Laura Ann, calls on Mitchell to rescue her husband from a loan shark, the action takes... Read More

James Cameron Stewart's masterful performance whisks listeners into a postapocalyptic world shrouded in buried secrets and impending mayhem. There's a haunting quality in his portrayal of the villagers on an idyllic island that is run by three scientists and inhabited by 122 survivors of a deadly fog. Stewart's expressive voice conveys the villagers' bewilderment and growing... Read More

January LaVoy and Will Damron give sterling performances in this audiobook about a woman who is suspected of committing a murder five years earlier and the popular true-crime podcaster who exposes her. LaVoy is simply outstanding as the often funny Lucy Chase; she adopts a sardonic, fatalistic tone that matches Lucy's character. LaVoy also is great in supporting roles,... Read More

This story of a woman's descent into domestic abuse hasn't lost any relevance since its 1997 publication. Narrator Alix Dunmore nails each character with her varying pitch and English accents. Young Ruth is struggling in her news radio career and in the early years of marriage to the overconfident and spoiled Patrick. Eventually, she's drawn out of their Bristol flat and... Read More

Adjoa Andoh, a Shakespearean-trained actress and Golden Voice, is a great choice to narrate this James Bond classic. Andoh scales back the superhero image associated with the bombastic Bond films and returns 007 to his literary roots, dry and elegant. The second in the Ian Fleming series takes Bond on an underworld journey to Jamaica via New York City as he tracks Mr. Big, a... Read More

Jessica Matten, a Canadian actor of Red River Métis and Cree heritage, deftly narrates the ninth installment in this series, drawing from her role as Officer Bernadette Manuelito in the DARK WINDS streaming series. Matten skillfully conveys the full range of emotions of the characters, young and old, illuminating the complex dynamics of family relationships. Former tribal... Read More

In this suspenseful thriller, Helen Laser narrates with the grit required to authentically portray Lee Ellerin, a New York city reporter turned private investigator. She's hired by the mother of Amanda, a pregnant college student who attempted suicide under suspicious circumstances and is in a coma. Marli Watson sensitively portrays Amanda in the past as she describes how she... Read More

Stina Nielsen's melodious voice and elegant performing style work well for this autobiographical novel. She narrates with understanding and emulates the main character's musical musings. Her tone and timbre are just right for Jodie Rattler, the singer-songwriter who has luck in her career but challenges in her love and family lives. The references to twentieth-century music... Read More

Narrator Stina Nielsen's soft tones are a gentle respite from this complex, sometimes vicious, murder mystery set in Sweden. The second case for Detectives Charlotte von Klint and Per Berg begins with a bomb in a public square, followed by a series of robberies, then a drowned woman in the river, then another and another, all seemingly disconnected--but are they? Throughout,... Read More

January LaVoy provides a multilayered portrayal of Leah Fox and the tragedy that shapes her life. Leah and her younger brother are on vacation at their grandmother's home in Appalachia when her parents are murdered. Gifted with second sight, Thea "witnesses" the crime and is able to put the killer in jail. LaVoy reveals the devastation felt by the family. Years pass, and Leah... Read More

Narrator Daniel York Loh sounds refined and reserved as academic Lao She in this atmospheric twist on the cases of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Lao admiringly recounts the feats of Judge Dee Ren Jie, who is investigating a series of murders of Chinese men in 1920s London--murders the police seem uninterested in solving. Dee has a prodigious intellect and advanced fighting... Read More

Pearl Hewitt narrates the first episode in this new, highly entertaining mystery series set in the upper echelons of 1920s London society. Aristocratic Lady Dorothy shows up in the drawing rooms of the elite as the glamorous femme fatale Dora Laurent. When Dora's lover, Freddie, is murdered, she proceeds to investigate and to catch the criminals. She is joined by Reginald... Read More

Mignon G. Eberhart was a popular mystery writer in the era between the world wars. Narrator Ann Richardson shares a Nebraska background with the author and brings authenticity to the production. Her sincere all-American voice chronicles a house party in a remote hunting lodge in the Sand Hills region of Nebraska. Business partners and friends join the young hostess and her... Read More

Katherine Littrell portrays Theodosia, who gives up her law studies in Australia and goes to stay with her brother, Gus, in Kansas to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. When she finds the body of a famous writer who had befriended her in a coffee shop, she and Gus find their world turned upside down. They're drawn into a world of preppers, conspiracy theorists, and book... Read More

Brian Troxell navigates this gritty story of Nelson "Nails" McKenna, a backwoods enforcer for McFalls County's crime boss. All is well for Nails until one night in a grimy roadhouse he stands up to some villains who are abusing Dallas, a fun-loving young woman--and he goes too far. With empathy and style, Troxell allows a sense of desperation into his delivery when there's a... Read More

Narrator Susan Dalian squanders a golden opportunity for a standout performance in this unique audio mystery. Dalian is perfunctory in voicing historical preservationist Kenetria Nash, who is trapped with a killer on a remote Hudson island. Ken's dissociative identity disorder takes center stage, but Dalian fails to create any vocal distinction among the cast of diverse... Read More

Imogen Church's portrayal of soft-spoken Lyla heightens the tension in this nod to one of Agatha Christie's most beloved mysteries, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, set on a stormy desert island. Lyla and her boyfriend have been cast in a TV game show in which five couples compete for the title of "The Perfect Couple." As the couples are cut off from the mainland and someone begins... Read More

Chicago private detective V.I. Warshawski is once again delivered vividly to fans of this mystery series. Emotionally recovering from her devastating last case, V.I. has traveled to Kansas for a relaxing weekend to watch a college basketball game. But when a young woman disappears, she is reluctantly drawn into a complex web of suspicious circumstances involving the local drug... Read More

This intensely interesting spy novel by WASHINGTON POST foreign affairs columnist David Ignatius makes for a gripping audiobook. The setup: Volkov, a mathematically gifted, socially awkward Russian student doing graduate work in Beijing in the '90s, falls for a lively American girl. She abruptly dumps him and disappears. (But why?) Decades later, the world's balance of power... Read More

Tony Award-winning actor Jodie Comer performs this adaptation of Miller's one-woman play with empathy and a thoughtfully calculated pace. Barrister Tessa Ensler is a top criminal defense attorney. Comer's delivery of Tessa's earnest belief in the judicial system lulls the listener into a false sense of security as she clocks win after win through her razor-sharp questioning.... Read More

Sounding similar and yet unique--as sisters often do--Saskia Maarleveld and Grace Experience use a tag-team approach to tell this wild tale of showbiz, double-dealing, cryptocurrency, family secrets, murder, and big dreams gone wrong. Maarleveld brings an urbane resilience to older sister Crissy, who impersonates the iconic "Lady Di" Spencer in an off-the-Strip Las Vegas... Read More

In this audiobook, former detective Marlitt Kaplan finds herself investigating the apparent suicide of a college student. She faces two challenges: She has no official authority, and she has to fight rumors about whether the student had an affair with a popular professor who teaches German. Saskia Maarleveld handles the narration well, shaping the introspective tone of... Read More

Megan Tusing brings home this timely story about American intolerance in a time of war. She perfectly portrays reporter Anne Lemire, who is assigned to dispel unfounded rumors in Boston in the weeks before the U.S. enters WWII. Many of the events in the story resonate with current events, in particular, people objecting to involving America in a European war. Lemire is aided in... Read More

Josh Bloomberg's narration is a fine match of text and voice. The tumultuous events that took place in Kyiv/Kiev during the Russian Civil War (1917-1922) are interwoven throughout this exciting historical mystery by Kurkov, who has been called Ukraine's most celebrated novelist. The story concerns a young engineer turned police detective named Samson Kolechko and his... Read More

In this audio mystery, listeners follow the adventures of Kit--wife, mother, devout Christian, and dedicated detective--as she investigates criminal acts in late Victorian London. The marvelously theatrical voice of Nan McNamara animates Kit, as well as a whole cast of characters, ranging from a baby to a cruel murderer who runs an opium ring. The plot is rather improbable but... Read More

Daniel Philpott's vibrant character portrayals create palpable tension in this murder mystery set in Brighton, England. Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens's Christmas is off to a sinister start: Two children have gone missing. Philpott conveys the town's growing anxiety as time passes and they are not found. His diverse voices bring out the personalities of the town's... Read More

Lisa Flanagan's pleasant voice and skill with characterizations are on fine display in this intriguing new novel by Edgar Award-nominated author Nova Jacobs. Set at the Swiss physics lab CERN, the story--a mix of mystery, science fiction, and romance--starts with the suspicious death of Howard, a brilliant young physicist, in the facility's giant underground particle collider.... Read More

Swedish Detectives Joona Linna and Saga Bauer team up to catch a methodical killer who is sending riddles about the victims. The late Saul Reichlin, born in South Africa, narrates with an almost regal tone. His pacing is solid, slowing to describe the killer's careful steps with the victims but quickening to capture Saga's frustration on the chase. Reichlin projects Joona... Read More

Narrator Robert Petkoff masterfully portrays U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport and his daughter, Letty, in the 34th addition to the Davenport series. A deranged British medical doctor decides people are killing the earth and he has the solution. Then he disappears in New Mexico. Investigator Letty Davenport is brought in to track him down. With potential catastrophe looming, she... Read More

There are few novels that are part legal thriller, part family saga, part redemption story, and that do it well. This compelling narrative is brought to life by the tremendous Edoardo Ballerini. With gentle authority, Ballerini invites listeners to meet the Devlin family, a seemingly tight unit who work in a family law firm. The story opens with favorite son John calling his... Read More

Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta, portrayed by January LaVoy, works side by side with her niece, Secret Service Agent Lucy Farinelli, to solve the murders of two suspected Russian spies. At a remote crime scene in the woods, an investigator casts an unusual oversized footprint and sends it to the lab for evaluation in secret. LaVoy's warm yet businesslike delivery... Read More

In this sequel to CITY UNDER ONE ROOF, Cara Kennedy, compellingly portrayed by Aspen Vincent, is a smart detective from Anchorage who is adjusting to her new life after the deaths of her husband and son while hiking. Now she learns that what was determined to be an accident may have been murder. Blaire Chandler energetically takes on the role of Ellie, a hard-boiled character... Read More

An ensemble of outstanding narrators breathes terror into this stand-alone thriller focused on the disappearance of college student Nina Fraser. When Nina fails to return home from a vacation with her boyfriend, Simon Jordan, the stories, lies, and the demonic use of social media create a dark hole that listeners will fall into. Listeners hear from each of the main characters... Read More

Heads up, listeners: This audiobook runs over 29 hours. Listening feels like the equivalent of bingeing on a twelve-season streaming spy thriller. Harding's deep voice for the protagonist, Kane, a specialist who infiltrates extremely hostile areas, seems more mature than the character but sustains interest throughout. In efforts to address threats to the United States, Kane... Read More