New Reviews: Mystery & Suspense

This audiobook is the first of a new cozy mystery series set on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The story, which revolves around the murder of an unlikable literary agent, is absorbing, and its gorgeous setting is a plus. The smooth, expressive voice of narrator Vanessa Daniels engages the listener and gives the characters much needed depth. Twenty-fiveyear-old Meg returns home... Read More

This Three Pines audiobook is narrated by Jean Brassard, whose exquisite Québécois accent nails the characters in Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series. Her previous novel, THE GREY WOLF, sets the stage for the stunning denouement that plays out here. It involves climate change, along with a border conflict, treason, and conspiracies. Brassard keeps the plot and its large cast... Read More

Five unique and equally compelling narrators come together to impart a glimpse of Atlanta's erotic dance scene in this gritty thriller. Two years ago, Lucky, a dancer, vanished from Boom Town, the most famous gentleman's club in the city. Before her disappearance, Lucky had been distancing herself from her lover, Lyriq, and spending time with a mysterious customer named Thomas.... Read More

Narrator Shiromi Arserio lends her vocal talents to Katherine Faulkner's latest mystery. Alice, a wealthy mother living in London, is hosting a playdate for her child when an intruder enters. She kills him with a barstool in self-defense. Arserio gives Alice a soft yet dynamic tone and captures her intense curiosity about the young man she killed. She also wants to know why she... Read More

Former FBI Director Irene Rivers is now living in West Virginia, where she finds herself embroiled in trouble. Her daughter is exhibiting at-risk behavior, and most of the police forces aren't on the up-and-up. Narrator Natalia Payne navigates this thriller well. Her varying of male and female voices is clear, with shifting tones fitting the characters. Irene's preteen nephew... Read More

The wonderful delivery of Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and Joel Richards saves this predictable yet still entertaining mystery. Morgan, portrayed by Nemeth-Parker, is near the breaking point as she cares for her mother and four-year-old twins. Hiring Dana, a relative stranger, to be her mother's live-in caregiver seems like the perfect solution. Problems begin when Morgan's mother... Read More

With his easy wit and comfortable Irish lilt, Gerard Doyle is once again the go-to narrator for Mick Herron's bestselling Slough House series. It's business as usual in this ninth story, in which the "slow horses"--demoted and/or disgraced British intelligence officers--are once again left to stand down and watch their careers crumble. Instead, they take on the case in question... Read More

Talented narrators, replete with diverse accents, dramatize Book 2 of the Amelia Peabody mystery series, featuring Egyptologist Amelia Peabody--wife, mother, and brilliantly clever archaeologist--and her husband, the intrepid archaeologist Radcliffe Emerson. Here they return to Egypt in 1892 to excavate a pharaoh's tomb and catch a murderer. Narrator Nanette Savard takes on the... Read More

Imogen Church demonstrates her superb narration skills in this fun mystery revolving around Jo Jones, an American who is settling into a new life in the north of England. Intending to uncover her English ancestors and their secrets, she rents a room in her home to a mysterious guest. When her policeman friend discovers the dead body of her guest, Jo can't help but get involved.... Read More

Heather Long provides a remarkable performance of this mystery. In 2003, a high school class is assigned to write letters to their future selves; 20 years later they receive them. Totally unexpectedly, one of the missives reveals a shocking secret about the earlier death of a classmate. That revelation leads another classmate, Miranda, to commit suicide--at least, that's how... Read More

There's a common belief that our mobile phones and devices are listening to us, and in this captivating thriller, the government allows them to do so. Questions on the right to privacy versus protectionism certainly arise. Matt Dillion as Hunter Stevens, Susan Kelechi Watson as Faith Stevens, Matthew Lillard as Tim Cannon, and a full cast bring palpable tension to solving a... Read More

Caspian Anderson retired from his secret role as the assassin Elias, but now that his parents have been taken into custody, he finds himself pressed into service again. Graham Halstead's steady, confident narration depicts Caspian's growing concern that his parents are entangled in a potentially deadly web involving the DEA and an assortment of international spies. One of these... Read More

A full cast delivers a gripping listening experience in this fast-paced audio exclusive. Australian journalist Chrissy, a new mom, stumbles upon a photograph linked to a decades-old cold case. In 1980, Michael and Gloria Katzenbach were murdered at a ski resort where Chrissy's neighbor, Linda Calway, worked. Suspense mounts as Chrissy gathers clues to the killer's identity by... Read More

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw makes this audiobook mystery equal parts thrilling and comforting as she narrates in alternating sassy and hushed tones. In 1964, mystery-and-romance-novel-loving Billie McCadie is one of the last people in Eastport, Maine, to see Gertrude alive after a mysterious man in a fedora comes to town. Soon, Billie starts receiving odd phone calls. Listeners will... Read More

Deep-voiced Ivan Sherry performs this convoluted mystery revolving around Herculaneum papyri, unexpected deaths, and prickly academics. History teacher Marcus Sinclair, having inherited a scroll and several million dollars from his Hungarian uncle, attends an academic conference about papyri in Naples, where his scroll is stolen. Sherry ratchets up the tension when a Google... Read More

Katherine Littrell and Eden Gabay present this Covid-era journey aboard the Orient Express, a celebration for Australian cancer survivor Joe Penfield, who is accompanied by his twin sister, Meredith. Spirited descriptions of luxurious decor and dining, along with an international cast, are Christie-esque. It's shocking when a blood-soaked body is found in a locked cabin and,... Read More

Two narrators portray Claire as she returns to her hometown. She's still haunted by her sister's murder years earlier. While there, she takes a job on a local farm run by the eccentric Mitchell and his wife, Marcia. After Claire discovers Marcia's hidden diary, she learns of a sinister cult that her sister may have been involved with. Karissa Vacker's talents are on full... Read More

Narrator Susan Ericksen returns to this long-running series featuring Lt. Eve Dallas, who solves murders in New York City in the 2060s. This time, a failed artist is murdering street-licensed companions and leaving them outside art establishments, posed as Old Master paintings. Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are called to the scene. Dallas is married to Irish billionaire,... Read More

Narrator Marnye Young takes listeners back in time to New York City in 1920 to create the atmosphere of Mariah Fredericks's latest mystery. The story ties together three elements: the unsolved murder of the gambler Joseph Elwell, the reporting of journalist Morris Markey for THE NEW YORKER, and the glamorous lives of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Young carefully channels each... Read More

Golden Voice narrator Simon Vance returns to deliver the eighth installment of the Millennium series, which began with THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Author Karin Smirnoff continues to build on the characters and plots she created for her prior addition to the series. Sadly, original series icons Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist are a less prominent part of the story... Read More

Listeners are treated to a nonstop thrill ride in Reese Witherspoon's first novel and Harlan Coben's debut collaboration. An exceptional cast, including Witherspoon herself, brings to life a host of vividly drawn characters from around the globe. Maggie McCabe, a gifted reconstructive surgeon who's lost her license, seizes a chance to return to the operating room when a Russian... Read More

Diver James McGregor is hired for a special job--recovering the wreckage of the GRAVE DESCEND, which recently sank off the coast of Jamaica. He soon realizes something isn't right. When he asks around about what happened, everyone's story is different. Narrator Dion Graham is at his best as he shapes voices for a variety of characters, including those with Jamaican accents.... Read More

It's 1970s Los Angeles, and detective Easy Rawlins's life is slow and laid-back, but he feels an underlying restlessness. Narrator Michael Boatman deftly portrays this ennui but soon shifts into hero mode. A missing person case involving a woman with a troubled past falls into his hands, and a tense and twisting plot unfolds. Easy's secretary is now a novice detective, and his... Read More

Christopher Ryan Brandt adds to the energy of this wild tale of two investigators, a meth-addicted hog, and a fringe group of women wielding hatchets. Hap and Leonard are ready to trade investigative work for the good life when a single mother stumbles into their office, begging for help with the hog that lives next door to her. When the hog's owners are found dead, it slowly... Read More

Fiona Shaw's inviting narration captures the humor and intrigue of this delightful new Thursday Murder Club mystery. The retirees are busy with their own lives--especially Joyce, who's helping to plan her daughter's wedding. However, when Nick, the best man, tells Elizabeth that someone is trying to kill him and then disappears, the sleuths are on the case. Shaw gives the... Read More

Sophie Amoss narrates this intriguing mystery set primarily onboard the International Space Station. Though Commander Lucy Poplasky had mused about making her mark during her mission, she never dreamed she'd find herself investigating sabotage. After an ammonia leak threatens the station's crew, Lucy must discover whether it was caused by their Russian counterparts or by a... Read More

Perfectly cast, raspy-voiced Sean Patrick Hopkins narrates this grief-filled horror story, based on true events. Seventy-seven-year-old Glenn Partridge has never gotten over the brutal unsolved murder of his young son 40 years ago. Partridge kept copious notes and lists of suspects and constantly called the police for updates. His wife, hoping to divert him, enrolled him in a... Read More

Kenny Blyth's warm Scottish accent and facility with creating characters make him the ideal narrator for Ann Cleeves's new series featuring Detective Jimmy Perez and his partner, Willow Reeves. They're now living on the Orkney Islands after moving from the Shetlands. Perez's best friend is found beaten to death with an ancient stone during an archaeological dig on Westray. Then... Read More

Narrator Lorelei King masterfully voices the second entry in this series. Recovery Agent Gabriella Rose commits to getting her ex-husband's cousin out of trouble by traveling the globe to retrieve missing art and antiquities. With her ex, Rafer Jones, Rose confronts lots of villains. The plot stretches believability, but listeners seeking a fun romp filled with colorful, and... Read More

Narrator Louisa Zhu introduces listeners to four librarians who work together at a public library in Austen. The game night held on Hazel Lee's second day on the job seems to go well--that is, until police arrive to question staff about the murder of an attendee. After another patron is killed, the librarians uncover threads that implicate one of them. To avoid being arrested,... Read More

Kaipo Schwab's strong narration is the perfect match for this inventive tale, recently translated from Japanese, which blends a murder mystery with a Groundhog Day-style time loop. Schwab excels in his portrayal of Hisato, a teen who uses his time-loop ability to try to prevent his grandfather's murder. Schwab's skillful characterizations provide clear, distinct voices for the... Read More

This character-heavy cozy gets off to a slow start as author Jo Nichols introduces its many characters. The intrepid narrators, Meg Price and Jim Meskimen, take some time to settle into the particular personalities and voices of the 14 people they portray, becoming more engaging as the story moves forward. Each chapter features a different character. Sometimes they're linked to... Read More

Marnye Young reprises her portrayal of former Army investigator Rachel Hatch in this 13th installment of the popular series. Now Hatch's only assignment is her own promise to deliver a message on behalf of a trusted associate, but, in doing so, she stumbles into chaos in tiny Riverton, Texas. Young depicts Hatch's cool capability as she unravels the surprising scheme that... Read More

Vikas Adams's excellent narration gives personality and distinction to the characters in this audiobook. Several members of the queer rights organization called the Mattachine Society have disappeared, and Private Investigator Evander "Andy" Mills is hired to find them. When Andy's investigation takes him to the psychiatric clinic where his mother works, he must confront her... Read More

The final Shady Hollow Mystery, as always, features various animal characters. Cassandra Campbell conjures them up with fitting voices and fun stereotypical personalities. Bradley Marvel, a wolf who is a famous author, is running from a dead body he found in his apartment. Not surprisingly, his usual braggadocio has been replaced by fear. Vera Vixen, a foxy reporter, has a nose... Read More

Former New York City Detective Nico Doyle has retired to Italy to enjoy the quiet life. But his peaceful existence is disrupted yet again when he's asked by a young girl to find her father and clear his name of murder. Scott Aiello's narration brings Nico and a wide cast of diverse characters to life. Aiello creates a highly believable ex-detective in Nico, and his... Read More

When the body of Oliver Beresford washes ashore with two bullet holes in it, the three indomitable belles of Marlowe are on the case. Narrator Nicolette McKenzie's sparkling performance amplifies the charm of this cozy mystery. Her distinctive portrayals capture the warmth and wit of the trio: Judith, the eloquent and plucky 79-year-old leader; Suzie, the incorrigible, spirited... Read More

Narrator Alex McKenna shines as Jet Mason in this high-stakes audiobook, author Holly Jackson's first adult suspense novel. After suffering a terrifying attack, Jet is told she has a fatal brain aneurysm and has a week to live. Instead of undergoing risky surgery, she decides to use the time to solve the attempt on her life. McKenna excels as Jet, capturing her determination,... Read More

Hillary Huber's narration of this intriguing mystery is excellent. Logan Monroe is Angelhart Investigations' biggest client. When his sister, Laura, is run off the road and her home broken into, the question of who's behind it all is puzzling and terrifying. Logan calls on private investigators Jack and Margo Angelhart to uncover what's going on and protect his family. Their... Read More

When a gay bipolar doctor concludes that the death of his boss, his archenemy, may have been foul play, his life begins to go crazy. And nobody does "crazy" better than voice-over magician Andy Serkis. Serkis matches the rhythm and satirical tone in what can only be called "comic British noir." Besides performing Scottish and posh British accents, Serkis adds a dead-on voice... Read More

Eve Passeltiner and Robert Fass use their varied vocal talents to good effect in this intriguing mystery, set amid the artist community of Florence in 1557. The novel takes the form of more than 150 short letters that document the progress of an inquiry into the murder of an artist who was working on frescoes in San Lorenzo. With more than a dozen different letter writers--male... Read More

This legal thriller grips you from the beginning as narrator Andrew Eiden uses vocal volume as a way to shape the characters' voices. Jake West is an excellent, albeit alcoholic, lawyer with a marred reputation. When he finds himself accused of a killing, he must use his legal acumen to get out of the jam while also investigating a cover-up that may involve his father's firm.... Read More

Michael Connelly proves that the criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller, aka the Lincoln Lawyer, has successfully jumped to the civil side with this riveting courtroom drama. Narrator Peter Giles, the voice for the series, smoothly shifts among male and female characters, embodying figures as varied as a troubled teenager and a seductive digital AI companion. Connelly's plot... Read More

In Claudia Gray's fourth outing in the world of Austen, Billie Fulford-Brown's narration keeps everything wonderfully droll. Amateur detectives Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney once again find themselves up to their necks in murder, this time during the height of the London Season. Jonathan has tender feelings for Juliet, but the Darcys don't approve. Fulford-Brown expertly... Read More

Narrator Victoria Villarreal elevates this ghostly mystery with her impressive vocal range. Malamar Veracruz has never escaped the shadow of her sister, Elena, who disappeared when they were teenagers. With no choice but to mature quickly, she raised her baby brother in a fractured home with an alcoholic father and an abusive mother who blamed Malamar for Elena's disappearance.... Read More

Dan Brown has done it again--created another scintillating story that mixes real science and recent discoveries with things existential--perhaps the most existential of all. Fans will be riveted by Paul Michael's narration as the story delves into the science of human consciousness and questions of what happens to our "self" once our physical body gives out. Michael captures... Read More

This inventive audiobook introduces seven unlikable guests who attend a sumptuous dinner in London that is hosted anonymously. The crisp voice of Jacqueline King introduces each diner: Vivienne, a bitter, journalist; Tristan, a standoffish computer nerd; Matthew, a womanizer; Gordon, a bulimic nutritionist; Melvin, a gay cop; Stella, a You-Tube creator; and Janet, a... Read More

In this Chicago-based audio thriller, the life of Krista Evans, a physical therapist who hosts a relationship advice show, is disrupted by a deranged follower who threatens violence. Narrator Cynthia Farrell strikes appropriate vocal notes for the live-stream professional. But, overall, the audiobook has too many lengthy renditions of the show's content to hold the average... Read More

Golden Voice Narrator January LaVoy returns to the world of Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta in this new thriller in which not even Christmas morning is safe. A serial killer is projecting ghost-like holograms into the homes of those they kill. The most recent victims point Scarpetta toward a notorious psychiatric hospital and the secrets kept by some of the most powerful... Read More

Fingerprint analyst Shaw Connolly, who works in a small community in Maine, has arrived first at many a grisly murder scene. Saskia Maarleveld portrays the gritty yet vulnerable Shaw as she continues her 16-year mission to identify her sister's killer. Her obsession is ruining her marriage and obstructing her family's ability to move forward. Maarleveld ramps up the tension... Read More

Anne-Marie Piazza gives a spirited performance in this historical mystery. She embodies the spunkiness of Kat Holloway, a cook and mother who turns amateur sleuth to save her beau, Daniel McAdam, a police informant for Scotland Yard. When McAdam goes undercover, working for a viscount in Belgrave Square, Holloway uses her cunning to keep him safe. Piazza has a delightful... Read More

Timothy Andrés Pabon delivers a superb narration of this compelling audiobook offering an unfiltered look at the demanding world of public defenders. The gripping novel focuses on PD Santi Elcano and his mentor, C.J., who must defend Michael Atwood against charges of having brutally murdered young mother Anna Weston. Both lawyers believe in Atwood's innocence. Pabon's skillful... Read More

The Finch sisters are drawn into another mystery, with Soneela Nankani returning as narrator. Remi joins Eliana and Maeve on a search for Eliana's estranged husband, Chad, after they find a severed fingertip at his ransacked home. Evidence and Eliana's strange behavior cause Remi to question her loyalty. Will this mystery unravel the sisters' new bond? Nankani portrays tension... Read More

With his rich baritone and impeccable pacing, Simon Vance gives voice to the return of Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. Characters from Cornwall to South Africa benefit from Vance's facility with accents as he delineates the many personalities and their disparate backstories, only some of which relate directly to a horrific... Read More

Fiona Hampton creates a panoply of amusing and sinister voices for the residents of Sweetbriar, budding detective Beatrice Steele's new London neighborhood. This second installment of screenwriter Searles's engaging Regency mysteries finds our intrepid heroine ostensibly searching for a wealthy husband, while actually working with Inspector Drake at their newly opened... Read More

Narrators Danielle Savre, Alicia Crowder, Dan Bittner, Matt Godfrey, and Janina Edwards bring this compelling thriller to life. Jenna, a therapist, tells herself she's snooping on her husband's texts to save their marriage. What she discovers are disturbing messages between him and his cousin, Bodie, about a dancer who claims Bodie assaulted her. Jenna realizes the dancer is... Read More

Narrator Kristen Sieh is exceptional in this entertaining audiobook. The second in the Play the Fool series, it's equally enjoyable as a stand-alone story. Katie True is a tarot card reader who uses intuition and observation to solve murders on the side. She's also nursing some worry that she's behind in life as she approaches age 30. As Katie, Sieh's voice is relatable and... Read More

Narrator Liz Fodor creates a strong, believable character in attorney Camille Delaney. While providing legal aid inside a women's prison, Camille meets inmate Charli Zhao. Charli is not only serving time for a crime she didn't commit, but also, years earlier, after giving birth while shackled to a bed, she suffered the kidnapping of her daughter. Moved by Charli's plight,... Read More

Narrators Cris Dukehart and Eric G. Dove return to the North Carolina/Tennessee town of Rocky Start, where most of the inhabitants are former spies. Max Reddy, also a former operative, had been hiking the trail when he stopped in Rocky Start and formed a relationship with Rose Malone. Dukehart portrays Rose and her daughter, Poppy, while Dove portrays Max. Max wants to get back... Read More

Narrator Kathleen Early delivers a consummate performance of this complex crime novel, skillfully voicing every character--ranging from a sulky teen to a swaggering drunk--with distinction. Early's nuanced portrayals anchor the story, which introduces Deputy Emmy Clifton and her legendary North Falls family. The mystery begins with the disappearance of two teenagers during a... Read More

Narrator Carlotta Brentan skillfully voices all the characters in this audiobook. As Cath goes through her late mother's effects, she discovers two nonrefundable tickets to a fake murder week in a quaint English town. She decides to go alone to discover why her mother wanted her to attend. Brentan demonstrates talent at both English and American accents. During her stay, Cath... Read More

The lives of four women change course on Halloween when a dead body is found nearby in DeCarolis's story of deceit and abuse, deftly narrated by January LaVoy. Each woman has a secret that must be protected at all costs. LaVoy captures the apprehension that newlywed Hannah feels when she receives threatening notes in the mail. After Georgina takes Hannah under her wing, LaVoy... Read More

Kirsten Potter's resonant narrative voice guides listeners safely through the red herrings of Carol Goodman's locked-room mystery set on an isolated Greek island. A group of writers has reconvened on the island 15 years after their first traumatic meeting. Their apparently AWOL host has set in motion dangerous events with which the group copes as its members navigate their... Read More