New Reviews: Mystery & Suspense

Nneka Okoye's spirited performance brings out all of the humor, drama, and sentiment that overtakes Marchfield Square when a thoroughly disliked tenant is murdered in Number 10. The landlord, an elderly heiress, has no faith in the police, so she employs two of her tenants--Audrey, her cleaner, who knows everyone in the Square, and Lewis, a reclusive, struggling crime... Read More

James Meunier perfectly conveys these agreeable adventures, which will appeal to cat lovers and playful Sherlock Holmes fans. Listeners meet an outraged Holmes as he rescues a black cat from a beating. Since Dr. Watson has married and left 221B Baker Street, Holmes happily adopts "Cat Watson." Chapters are told from Holmes's and Cat Watson's viewpoints and demonstrate Cat's... Read More

Taking "alibis" as their inspiration, the six talented authors of this audiobook provide listeners with unique stories ranging from a woman who is on death row to a celebrity chef who is found dead in his freezer. Each story unfolds like a novella in multiple chapters. The narrators are well matched to the characters and settings, and bring the suspenseful plots to life. Each... Read More

When the President discloses the identity of CIA operative Garris Kelley after he kills an international drug lord, Kelley's life begins to unravel. His troubles escalate when he comes to the aid of Senator Frank Beemer after a shooting on the Portland, Oregon, metro. Richard Poe is a skillful narrator, whether channeling Kelley and his various pursuers or portraying FBI Agent... Read More

Vanessa Johansson adds charm and texture to this light mystery with a twist. Her warm, approachable tone fits Mia Crawford's book-loving, anxious personality, which contributes to her transformation into an accidental detective. Johansson navigates the changing moods of the story with ease--balancing beachside flirtation, quiet introspection, and rising suspense without losing... Read More

Listeners are treated to the rich audio experience of being immersed in the uproar of a 1950s community as major deals unfold to bring the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles. Jon Hamm returns to masterfully portray PI Jack Bergin in this second installment of the Audible series. He's joined by Ana de la Reguera as Lala Portal, Jack's ex and a classic femme fatale who is in... Read More

Euan Morton takes listeners through the twisted story of two successful brothers, former criminals with a wealth of ruinous secrets. The Opgard brothers have built a name for themselves as men who dream big. When a new highway threatens to bypass their small town, the brothers return to criminal means to try to keep their new business ventures afloat. This is the second novel... Read More

India's most private detective, Vish Puri, heads to London to accept the International Detective of the Year award. He's accompanied by his wife and mother. Plans soon go awry as Puri finds himself and his nephew, Jags, embroiled in the hunt for the Bombay Duck, a billionaire swindler, at the request of a top government official. Vikas Adam brings Puri and his family alive with... Read More

Nicol Zanzarella splendidly captures 1890s Chicago and its diverse communities. Listeners meet 21-year-old "Harry" Morrow, who is delighted at being chosen to be the Prescott Agency's first female detective. After enduring prejudice from fellow detectives, Harry visits an elderly woman who claims her maid is missing. Colorful descriptions of buggies, meat plants, streets, and... Read More

Jim Frangione impressively conveys the 1920s San Francisco atmosphere in these seven Dashiell Hammett stories. Listeners meet private investigator Continental Op, a self-described short, chubby, unathletic guy. In "Arson Plus," Frangione humorously conveys Op jumping into a citizen's car to follow his quarry. "Bodies Pile Up" finds three bodies tumbling from a closet, each... Read More

What happens when a pathological liar ingratiates herself into a family of three? The author uses the technique of the unreliable narrator, and narrators Andrew Eiden, Devon Sorvari, Emily Tremaine handle it well. A limited number of characters are involved, but the narrators especially shine while portraying the family's young daughter, Harper. She has clipped sentences, a... Read More

Narrators Claire Skinner and John Hopkins take listeners through this story of a long divorced couple and the crime that led to the end of their marriage. Decades ago, Isabel and Edward were attacked by a violent intruder and forever changed. Now that the attacker, a well-known serial killer, has been caught, the two must face him in court at his sentencing. Skinner's... Read More

Victoria Villarreal and an ensemble of narrators perform this dark literary thriller revolving around a serial killer who brutally mutilates victims. Villarreal performs the section of the novel featuring Professor Cristina Rivera Garza, who stumbles across a body and becomes the first informant in what will be a string of murders. Villarreal's narration is subtle, capturing... Read More

Deepti Gupti infuses a lyrical cadence into the dialogue of this touching cozy mystery. Kausar has always had strong intuition, along with the ability to read people. Over time, she's hidden these skills for fear of others finding them intrusive. Now, her strengths are vital as she seeks to clear her daughter's name after she's been accused of murder. Having spent much of her... Read More

Christina Traister portrays seasoned Special Agent Constant Marlowe, who has been a bit toughened by years of frustrating cases and hardened criminals. Finding herself downstate from her usual Chicago haunts and surrounded by vast cornfields and seemingly naïve and honest small towners, Marlowe is in search of an organized crime member she hopes to flip as a witness for the... Read More

Cohen's latest audiobook, narrated by Rebecca Norfolk, Katherine Press, and Clare Corbett, introduces listeners to three very different women: Lilah, an engaged librarian who's just won the lottery; Marina, a newly divorced mother of three; and Opal, a fitness influencer with a bad attitude. The women are strangers until they realize they've all been deceived by the same man... Read More

Ella Fields is released from prison after serving 5 years of a 14-year sentence with one thing on her mind, and that's to kill Washington, DC, troubleshooter Joe DeMarco, whom she blames for ruining her life. Joe Barrett demonstrates his strong narration skills as he creates authentic-sounding characters in both Joe and Ella. He gives insight into each character's backstory and... Read More

Délé Ogundiran's narration brings intensity and clarity to an international thriller with a sprawling cast. Detective Ethan Krol has a lot to untangle in his latest murder case. All signs of guilt point to Abidemi, a Nigerian woman in England who claims to right ancestral wrongs by returning long-lost heirlooms. Ogundiran shifts smoothly between British and Nigerian-inflected... Read More

This audio thriller set in the remote Maui town of Hana is brimming with psychological suspense. Kati, steadily voiced by Cynthia Farrell, is living off-the-grid in the jungle with her teenage daughter, Zoe, who is portrayed by Ellen Quay with skillful nuances that reflect the uprooted teen's sense of isolation and resentment. The reason that the duo is in hiding is revealed as... Read More

The latest political thriller by Bill Clinton and James Patterson comes alive through the dynamic performances of a skilled team of narrators. The plot revolves around First Gentleman Cole Wright, who is on trial for the unsolved murder of a New England Patriots cheerleader during his days as an NFL star. Spanning the years between the crime and the trial, the story follows... Read More

Sparkling wit, ingenious plotting, and a superb performance by Elizabeth Knowelden make this debut novel a listening joy. As WWII threatens, a fundraising gala for the Women's Voluntary Service is held at Sir Henry Heathcote's manor. The period's four most popular mystery novelists, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, act as hosts. All goes... Read More

Jacques Roy's superbly paced narration is perfectly matched to this story. When Helen asks Jerry to help her wreak a little revenge on her ex-husband, Jerry seeks the help of his friend, Bunny. This triggers a series of events that puts Jerry and Bunny in increasing danger as their lives spiral out of control. Roy creates a strong and believable character in Helen, while also... Read More

This audiobook is a carefully crafted blend of a classic amateur detective story and a beloved literary classic. Listeners again have the opportunity to cavort with Jay Gatsby and his hedonistic cronies at the mansion in West Egg. In this retelling of Gatsby's story, he's not found dead in his pool, but rather his guest, Tom Buchanan, is shot dead on Gatsby's boat. Narrator... Read More

Joe Mantegna's calm, resonant voice conveys authority with minimal effort. It's the ideal voice for Chili Palmer, a loan shark who eschews violence when recovering debts. Palmer has fallen in with several morally ambiguous Hollywood types, including Harry Zim, the producer of B-movie exploitation flicks; the Bear, a former stuntman; and Bo Catlett, a drug-dealing movie... Read More

Vanessa Johansson delivers a captivating performance of this dark romantic thriller, expertly transitioning among French, Romanian, and American accents. Maarja was scarred by a childhood tragedy involving her mother and mob boss Benoit Arundel. Later in her life she meets Dante Arundel at his family mansion through her job as a fine arts mover. Maarja's trauma has left her... Read More

Anthony Rey Perez's adaptability as a narrator is showcased in this crime story/police procedural, the first unabridged audio version of Elmore Leonard's 1985 breakout novel, GLITZ. Perez masters the snappy dialogue--including accents native to Puerto Rico, Miami, Atlantic City, and Detroit--and his hushed delivery aligns with one of Leonard's darkest crime stories. When... Read More

A full cast tells the story of missing hiker Valerie Gillis and the extensive search to bring her home. When 42-year-old Valerie Gillis goes missing from the Appalachian Trail in Maine, game warden Beverly jumps into action to bring her home. Hundreds of miles away, an elderly woman named Lena begins to piece together what may have happened to Valerie, based on the strange... Read More

Gareth Armstrong and Michael Fenner portray Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, along with their archenemy, Moriarty, and the psychopath Colonel Sebastian Moran. The surprise in this story is that the four are working together against the forces of evil. Armstrong and Fenner's distinctive tones make the plot easy to follow, and they cope well with the cast of... Read More

Phil Dunster's narration draws listeners into this mystery revolving around the now illegal collection of birds' eggs. The story is based in Yorkshire, England, in the 1920s and then jumps to current times. Listeners follow the journey of a rare egg that is found by a girl who risks her life by joining the many men who are precariously dangled over the edges of cliffs to obtain... Read More

Vikas Adam narrates this second book in the Valerius Mysteries series, which is set in ancient Rome and features investigator Aemilius Valerius. As playwrights, poets, and artists prepare for Nero's birthday celebration, a poet is attacked, and Valerius must solve the case. Concurrently, a bloodless corpse is found, and Junius Atreus must find the murderer. The two friends work... Read More

Author and narrator Tori Eldridge invites listeners into an entertaining and enlightening new series featuring Ranger Makalani Pahukula. Drawing on her background in acting and her Hawaiian, Chinese, and Norwegian heritage, Eldridge brings depth and authenticity to both her storytelling and narration. Her knowledge of Hawaii's culture, language, spiritual beliefs, and customs... Read More

Steven Weber superbly delivers Peter Swanson's intriguing mystery. The audiobook's structure goes backwards from 2023 to 1982--telling a story that's like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Ultimately, the puzzle's picture is dark and mind-boggling, but all the pieces fit. Thom and Wendy Graves have been married for 25 years. Wendy is a published poet, Thom, a university English... Read More

Narrators Almarie Guerra and Feodor Chin find FBI agent and former military code breaker Dani Vega up to her neck in trouble as hit man Gustavo Toro dies in her arms in a botched sting operation. Toro has left behind an "if you're watching this, I'm dead" video and a list of cryptic clues implicating a mysterious mastermind who's been operating in the shadows for decades.... Read More

Narrator Adam Lazarre-White once again immerses listeners in a dark, complex world crafted by S.A. Cosby. This gripping story explores identity, justice, and long-buried family trauma. When Roman Carruthers returns to his hometown to care for his dying father and support his sister, he's drawn into rescuing his troubled brother. As past and present collide, the mystery of their... Read More

Mary Russell's favorite uncle, Jake, turns up at her door after many years of absence. Mary finds herself caught between loyalties to her world-famous husband, Sherlock Holmes, and her ne'er-do-well uncle. Topnotch performances in alternate sections by Amy Scanlon, Steven Crossley and Jefferson Mays make King's latest Russell/Holmes outing sound like a full-cast audiobook. An... Read More

Chris Tester and Caroline Hewitt narrate this locked-room steampunk mystery, which takes place aboard the airship LADY AIR in 1890. As the airship makes her maiden voyage from New York City to South Hampton, Cora Beaumont, its collected and self-assured owner, must deal with multiple murders. She is aided by aristocrat Nicholas Tristan, her fiancé's older brother. Hewitt... Read More

Lauren Ambrose continues her stellar performance of Nita Prose's quirky and heartwarming Molly the Maid series in the newest adventure of our favorite Regency Grand Hotel head maid and events coordinator. During an "Antiques Roadshow"-like event, Molly learns that her favorite trinket is actually a rare Fabergé egg. Soon, the precious keepsake is stolen. Molly launches an... Read More

With his appealing baritone, Golden Voice Stefan Rudnicki draws listeners into this first outing of Inspector Alan Grant. An unidentified man is stabbed while waiting in a long line to see the final London performance of a popular musical comedy. Grant can't understand how none of the others in the queue saw anything. Nonetheless, he takes the few clues he has and begins his... Read More

Talented actors Lesley Manville and Tim McMullan bring drama and rich characterizations to their narration, just as they do in the Masterpiece television adaptations of Horowitz's series. Their dynamic performances create an audiobook experience that's fun, immersive, and expertly voiced. Though this may be the final installment, ample backstory allows new listeners to jump... Read More

Narrator Maggie Ollerenshaw is perfectly matched to 89-year-old Margaret Winterbottom in this debut mystery. Listeners quickly learn that Margaret is an unreliable source of information--not out of malice, but due to frustrating memory gaps. She joins her teenage grandson, James, to uncover who murdered her neighbor and dear friend, Barbara. Ollerenshaw skillfully... Read More

Helen Laser adopts a gravelly voice for this story of love, jealousy, and secrets. The creepy plot involves a painting titled "Marguerite By The Lake" and takes place at a garden estate named Rosecliff. Phoenix, a gardener, has a tumultuous affair with owner Geoffrey Gray, which is followed by the unfortunate death of his wife, Marguerite. Her death appears to have been an... Read More

Times have changed for John Rebus in this audiobook: He's not just a retired detective; now he's an ex-cop in prison who has been convicted of murder. Siobhan Clarke is heading up a missing-person investigation from a different Edinburgh office, while her friend Christine Esson has her old job and is investigating a murder that took place two doors down from Rebus at the... Read More

When Sloan McPherson stumbles upon a vagrant who is suffering from amnesia in a Florida swamp, she discovers a connection to Mr. Whisper, a villain who uses mind control for his schemes. She joins forces with three other investigators to track down Mr. Whisper, each being the lead in one of the author's other series. Multiple narrators tell the story from each investigator's... Read More

Siobhan McSweeney captures each nuance of this creepy yet moving mystery set in 1952 in a decaying English seaside town. Listeners meet Nora, who leaves a convent after 30 years to search for a young novice named Freda, whose letters to her have mysteriously stopped. The suspense begins as Nora moves into Freda's boardinghouse, where residents include a retired puppeteer, a... Read More

A quartet of narrators tells the story of Amber, a wannabe private investigator who moves in with her heretofore unknown grandmother in her retirement community when her latest relationship fails. Her grandmother, Jade, portrayed by Cynthia Darlow, is a true-crime podcaster. When a member of the podcast team is found dead, Amber puts her PI knowledge to the test. Darlow... Read More

Narrator Emily Pike Stewart has the energy and pitch needed to create authentic characters and captivate listeners. Working as a wilderness guide, Emlyn has a new simple life that keeps her safe and prevents her from thinking about her past--that is, until the man who ruined her life and left her for dead years ago shows up to ask for her help in finding Janessa. Reluctantly,... Read More

Jessie Mueller provides a rich, satisfying performance that should please fans of King's audiobooks, particularly his most recent works. By now, King has fully embraced the detective genre. Private investigator Holly Gibney is back--with her dizzying intellect, ability to think through tough cases, and relatable quirks. The story is a revenge plot that has the murderer... Read More

Narrator Will Damron introduces listeners to Michael Connelly's newest character, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Detective Stilwell. Damron skillfully delivers this police procedural, rich with the detail, atmosphere, and character depth that we expect from Connelly. What sets this story apart from most of Connelly's others is its setting, Catalina Island, where police patrol in... Read More

Patti Murin manages to unite generations in this Old Hollywood and Gen Z mash-up. When legendary actress Julia Mann wakes up from a drunken stupor to find her rival, Tony, dead in her pool, she's ordered to attend AA meetings. There, she meets Natasha Mason, a young, unemployed spitfire who becomes her sponsor. As the two women bridge the many divides between their... Read More

Kaffe Keating and Heather Long give masterful performances of Everett's debut thriller about 10 strangers who have been kidnapped and brought to a mysterious house. Keating's and Long's nimble narration of strangers who range from an arrogant army captain to an ornery, lonely woman and a young, single mom with an infant daughter is full-bodied and keeps listeners invested.... Read More

Listeners join retired diplomat Sam Hough as he heads to Paris to track down a woman and her child on behalf of a dying friend. He's also using the trip as an opportunity to reconnect with an old flame. As Sam becomes embroiled in the Paris underworld, he soon realizes there's more to his quest than meets the eye. Narrator Ryan Haugen is the perfect match for this thriller. He... Read More

The audiobook takes the concept of remote viewing, the ability to mentally "see" great distances, to its ultimate end--exploitation for evil. Ari Fliakos makes this sometimes complicated audiobook flow with a sophisticated skill that makes the characters relatable, even the villains. Q is the most powerful viewer among an untold number of people who are trained by a ruthless... Read More

Kelli Tager narrates the first in the Jane Ladling mystery series. When a fresh dead body shows up in a hundred-year-old grave, Jane, the cemetery's proprietor, is surprised. A possible suspect for the murder, Jane takes it upon herself to solve the crime, all the while crushing on the handsome special agent who is working the case. Tager, who also narrates the subsequent... Read More

Narrators Dan Bittner and Rebecca Lowman step flawlessly into the characters of Mike and Ruth in this digital-age thriller. Through Mike's and Ruth's alternating chapters, we follow Ruth, a 20-something hacker, as she flees Mike and other government agents who want to recruit her skills. Bittner convincingly portrays Mike in a boy-next-door tone, subtly exposing his... Read More

Three narrators present the story of a young, renowned playwright, Sarah, who died in a fall off the cliffs of Capri thirty years ago. Every year since, her wealthy family has returned for a week at a lush villa. This year, Sarah's daughter, Helen, portrayed by Carlotta Brentan, is shaken by the appearance of the necklace her mother was wearing the night she died. Brentan... Read More

Kate Forbes narrates this chatty down-home tale in a raspy voice that reflects the ages, backgrounds, and personalities of the characters--whether they're feline, canine, human, or even an intrepid mouse with a squeaky voice. For decades, fans of Rita Mae Brown's cozy mysteries have followed "Harry" Haristeen and her buddies, both human and animal. Together, the characters... Read More

In her war-torn country, Mila Kiss has been falsely accused by her brother-in-law of murdering her sister. To make matters worse, her sister's children have disappeared. Mila quickly signs up for a refugee program that will send her to England. Narrator Frankie Porter portrays Mila as soft-spoken but very much a loner. Porter clearly presents the complicated circumstances that... Read More

Henrietta Meire's upbeat delivery is strangely suited to this moody Victorian mystery. Dr. Julia Lewis is a crusader for women's rights at a time when women weren't accepted in traditionally male professions. Mary Allingham, a "lady painter," tells Julia that law enforcement has dismissed as unimportant the recent break-ins at her art studio, which she shares with other women.... Read More

Narrator Jaime Lamchick returns to deliver the sequel to KILLING ME, accompanied by Khaya Fraites. After stopping a serial killer, coming into money, and finding a new girlfriend, Amber returns to Las Vegas for a dear friend's wedding. Sadly, her strange ability to attract con men and serial killers means Amber is yet again in for a wild ride. Lamchick captures Amber's frequent... Read More

Hotel heiress Evelyn Murphy fancies herself a more sophisticated, urbane, and glamorous version of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. As listeners know if they're familiar with Evelyn's two earlier adventures, she resides in her father's ritzy Manhattan hotel in the late 50s, where she's surrounded by employees who satisfy her every whim. Narrator Amara Jasper expertly conveys... Read More

This gripping production of McFadden's thriller will keep listeners glued to their earbuds. Performances by Will Damron and Christine Lakin are simply spellbinding. Damron assumes the viewpoint of Blake Porter, who is unceremoniously fired after two days in a new job. Damron nails Blake's emotional downward spiral. Blake's love for his fiancée, Krista, keeps him balanced, so... Read More

Narrator Matt Godfrey evokes a dark mood in this Appalachian thriller set in Eastern Kentucky. Burl Spoon is an organized crime boss who has built his business empire by becoming the top cannabis seller in Jackson County. Spoon thinks he has everything under control, but when his daughter relapses into drug addiction and goes missing, Spoon's world is turned upside down.... Read More

Kelly Mullen's debut audiobook takes us to isolated, car-free Mackinac Island, Michigan, where a charity auction is a cover-up for blackmail that leads to murder. Narrator Lesley Sharp brings a large cast to life as a snowstorm strands guests and bodies begin to pile up. Widowed Mimi, longtime resident and feisty amateur sleuth, has a confident voice and a secret. She invites... Read More

With a wonderful brogue, Caroline Lennon narrates this cozy mystery about an Irish shepherd who is found dead with a spade through his body. George loved his sheep, so the animals are determined to solve his murder. These sheep can speak to each other and have reasoning skills but cannot communicate with humans. They understand most human speech, but human motives and some... Read More

Narrator Aoife McMahon returns to masterfully draw listeners into this multilayered police procedural featuring DI Cormac Reilly. In Ireland, it's not unusual for ancient bodies to surface in bogs--but this one is the victim of a recent murder. Reilly and his colleagues peel back layers of lies to uncover what happened, a task that is further complicated by a string of copycat... Read More

Narrator Maria Marquis demonstrates her impressive range of accents and emotional nuance in this complex mystery taking listeners from Philadelphia to Tuscany. Julia Pritzker suffers devastating losses; as a child she loses her adoptive mother, and as the story opens, listeners encounter her witnessing the brutal murder of her husband. The plot pivots internationally when... Read More

When a rich Washingtonian known for his parties is murdered, John Mahoney, former Speaker of the House, discovers that the president of the United States could be involved. Joe DeMarco, a Washington fixer, is brought in to get to the bottom of the scandal while an aide works to stop him. Joe Barrett portrays the characters well, providing an engaged tone as the narrator, a... Read More

A cast of narrators bring their talents to this psychological thriller about three neighbors--wealthy women with deep, dark secrets. Their friendship is tenuous and fraught with jealousies, and alliances shift based on actions and reactions. The bulk of the narration is done by Elizabeth Knowelden as Margot, Moira Quick as Anna, and Clare Corbett as Liv, the newest neighbor.... Read More