The Mulholland Books Strand Original Series is a smorgasbord of tasty audiobook shorts for mystery and crime lovers. With variations in length, subgenre, and narration style, there’s sure to be something for everyone in this collection. Some of the shorter stories, like Linwood Barclay’s JACKET MAN (17 minutes), are perfect for quick trips or listening opportunities that are too brief to engage in a novel.

JACKET MAN
Linwood Barclay, read by Kevin Stillwell
Hachette Audio

They’re also great for those new to audiobooks, who are just learning to listen. The suspense is gripping and the duration is succinct enough to keep from taxing budding attention spans. Whether listeners favor traditional mysteries, like Colin Dexter’s THE OTHER HALF (16 minutes), or plots that dabble in the paranormal, such as Michael and Matthew Palmer’s THE DEAL (23 minutes), this collection will accommodate them.

Even time periods run the gamut in this series—from the nineteenth century (Philip Kerr’s THE POCKET HANDKERCHIEF – 36 minutes) to the distant future (Faye Kellerman’s THE VOICELESS– 19 minutes). Each audiobook is strongly narrated by a single reader and is well produced. Individually or combined—the stories that make up this series are sure to entertain!—Jen Forbus

This post has been edited from its original longer form in the print issue of AudioFile Magazine, October/November 2016.