New Reviews by Title: A-D

With a riveting pace and an enthralling voice, Bronson Pinchot takes listeners on three terrifying expeditions into the unknown with this fourth novel in the Southern Reach series. This time around we go back to the beginning and learn some of the truths, illusions, and horror that surround Area X. Pinchot embodies each member of each expedition and takes us through their... Read More

Tracie Frank pulls listeners into this dark academic romantasy, in which those with an enhanced power of persuasion reign supreme. Just when Lennon Carter feels like her life is over, she gets a mysterious acceptance to Drayton College, a school for an elite group of persuasionists. There, she meets Dante, her intriguing advisor, and fellow students who can change memories and... Read More

Tom Straw, the original author of the Richard Castle books, brings his signature fast-paced plot, snappy dialogue, and gutsy characters to this mystery. Celebrity Chef Sebastian Pike is coerced into letting the CIA use his food show as cover to extradite a high-ranking mole from Russia. CIA Agent Cammie Nova, acting as show producer, provides the spy connection and the love... Read More

This delightful travel audiobook features commentary and an accompanying pdf of photos of unique, quirky, and splendid sites around the world that emulate renowned film director Wes Anderson's visual style. Seamus McMahon is a capable narrator, and Jeff Goldblum brings all his acting chops to his performance. With his well-tuned variations in tone and pace, Goldblum's sections,... Read More

Maria Ru-Djen narrates this thought-provoking story about what happens to Dorothy after she returns from Oz. In Sunbonnet, Kansas, everything is black and white. Dorothy's story describing where she's been--Oz's vivid colors, talking creatures, and good and bad witches-- along with her remorse over melting a witch, convince the townspeople that she's possessed by Satan. When... Read More

An author and podcaster who studies cult loyalty and other cognitive malfunctions explains how emotions and attachments can distort how we see our power to manage ourselves and the world. Performing this combination of behavioral economics, psychology, and chatty advice for contemporary times, Montell exhibits perky energy and streetwise charm but never trivializes the wisdom... Read More

The second Agnes Sharp adventure receives a lighthearted narration from Moira Quirk. The octogenarian residents of Sunset Hall are tired of all the inconveniences in the village of Duck End, so when ditzy Edwina wins a vacation at a posh hotel in Cornwall, they all book rooms to chaperone her. Amid the luxury, Agnes witnesses what might be a murder. Quirk maintains the suspense... Read More

Listeners will feel like they're nestled in the small town of Bethany, Vermont, in the 1960s. Bostonian Franklin Warren is new in town, having just moved there to take a position as a state police detective. Just as he settles in, there is a disastrous barn fire on Agony Hill. When Warren goes to investigate, he shakes up long forgotten secrets of the town. This mystery is... Read More

Ben Allen performs a thought-provoking science fiction story about a political dissident who is trying to survive on an alien planet that serves as a tyrannical empire's prison. Anton arrives on the planet nicknamed Kiln to discover humanity was not the first sentient lifeform to visit. Kiln's ecosystem is chaotic, hungry, and hiding several enticing secrets. Anton not only... Read More

At the heart of this audiobook about how communities can heal a broken heart is Efren "Chino" Flores, a middle school teacher who has moved back to his California hometown in the wake of a personal tragedy. Andrew Joseph Perez brings a natural warmth to Chino's story. His voice is defined by liveliness that lifts up the joyful moments and softens the heavy ones. Each person in... Read More

Sarah Naughton and Marwan Salama narrate a contemporary romance featuring two romance authors and several genre tropes: second chance, forced proximity, and one bed. Just days before Christmas, Jess and Nick find themselves stuck at the hotel venue for their publisher's annual holiday event. The snowy weather isn't enough to cool the feelings between them--especially when those... Read More

Mark Bramhall gives a solid narration of the disagreement between President Franklin Roosevelt and aviator Charles Lindbergh regarding the global role of the U.S. in the period leading up to WWII. Roosevelt was not above breaking American laws of neutrality to get U.S. support to Britain. Lindbergh, the renowned aviator, continued the non-interventionist hopes of his father, a... Read More

Jefferson Mays has his work cut out for him as he gives voice to the myriad characters in this time-traveling story of murder and revenge. He is certainly up to the task. The mystery is part of the ongoing series featuring FBI Agent Aloysius Pendergast and Constance Greene as they attempt to corral the monstrous serial killer Enoch Leng. Listeners new to the series may find the... Read More

Pete Cross's youthful timbre renders the limited experience of a boy named Evan, who seems largely forgotten by his self-involved parents. Cross's portrayal of Evan contrasts with GM Hakim's bass voice, which periodically comes into the narrative as he depicts Samarkand, a border collie who is neglected by humans and must continually negotiate difficult situations. Clear in... Read More

Narrators Soneela Nankani and Amanda Leigh Cobb deliver a story told from the alternating perspectives of two friends downtrodden by life. Former activist and current professor Emily is disappointed by her students. Liv is a real estate agent whose success is hindered by her people-pleasing ways. Emily and Liv are shaken after witnessing an attempted robbery and join Fearless... Read More

Golden Voice January LaVoy has a broad range of characters to give voice to in this Afrofuturist audiobook. Cinnamon Jones has long been a leader in her community. Since the Water Wars, which were triggered by conflicts over climate catastrophes, Cinnamon has been working to provide housing, healthcare and education to refugees. Characters include an 8-year-old girl, who is... Read More

Olivia A. Cole narrates her novel-in-verse about teenage Ariel, who is dealing with undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder and aloof parents. Ariel's days are spent working at a carnival with caring friends and warding off the intrusive violent thoughts she calls "the crocodile." Afraid she won't live up to her parents' or society's expectations of what it means to be a good... Read More

Cindy Kay's neighborly performance works well with this kind of self-help audiobook. Fascinating information offered in the language of social science is combined with careful prescriptions on how to adjust our social connections to improve our satisfaction with life. Kay's careful phrasing makes everything clear while her palpable belief in the author's intentions invites... Read More

Lorraine Besser, philosopher and college professor, provides tools that help listeners stop the perpetual pursuit of elusive happiness and focus more on "the interesting" in life. Lauren Ezzo delivers Besser's philosophy in a knowing performance, energizing every nuance, story, and emotional passage in a way that reflects the author herself. Ezzo supplies examples of ways... Read More

With his deep baritone, narrator Leon Nixon transports listeners to a gritty 1965 Los Angeles. It's there that crime photographer Harry Ingram documents police officers as they attack an unarmed protester in a barrage of violence. He soon finds himself awakening in the hospital with his camera nowhere to be found. In a tone brimming with intrigue and suspense as Ingram... Read More

Longtime series narrator Elizabeth Knowelden's performance brings two occasional government agents to life: Lady Hardcastle, a genteel widow with a less-than-genteel past, and Florence Armstrong, her companion and confidante, who is also a martial arts expert. In the 11th Lady Hardcastle mystery, it's 1912, and the Secret Service Bureau dispatches Lady Hardcastle and Florence... Read More

A couples group arrives for a weekend getaway at an astrologically themed coastal inn in this full-cast production involving unresolved issues and closely held secrets. As the story is told primarily through the first-person perspectives of Margot (Soneela Nankani), Aimee (Allyson Ryan), Farah (Gilli Messer), Rini (Sura Siu), and Adam (Sean Patrick Hopkins), listeners are... Read More

This intelligent and important overview of ocean science and climate change by an oceanographer and a science journalist is narrated by Suzie Althens. Sadly, her over-enunciation and slow pace result in a ponderous delivery of its fascinating details. In addition, Althens's upspeak is distracting, and her tone may confuse some listeners as it doesn't always match the content.... Read More

This very personal work chronicles patterns of Chinese history through the lives of the author and his father. Edward Wong, a NEW YORK TIMES correspondent, provides an adequate narration of his prologue and epilogue. Narrating the body of the work, Will Dao provides superb pronunciation and enunciation as he presents the moral dilemmas of the Mao and Xi eras. Dao tends not to... Read More

Neil Lawrence narrates his audiobook on why in this world of exponential digitization humanity is more significant than ever. If large language models are able to predict the next word of text, recognize and create images, and essentially replicate the essence of being human, could it be that there's no point to being human? Lawrence provides a thorough rebuke of this fallacy.... Read More

The author of this important audiobook about autocrats and their dealings is also its narrator. That isn't unusual in nonfiction, and it has its advantages: A committed expert brings authority and, often, experience with public speaking to the role. Thus, this author/narrator compellingly describes her rogues list of autocrats, ranging from China's Xi Jinping and Russia's... Read More

Narrator Hillary Huber delivers a stellar performance as she creates the impression of a full-cast production. In this third installment of Tami Hoag's series, Detectives Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard are each investigating missing persons cases, which may be linked to the unidentified body of a shotgun victim pulled from the local swamp. One missing person is a town hero,... Read More

Narrator Melanie Mendez brings warmth to the holiday romance that develops between Daphne, a baker, and Tristan, an architect. Daphne sets up a temporary shop in the lobby of Tristan's office building. At first, with his preference for simple elegance, he resents the clutter of Daphne's kiosk--which looks like a gingerbread house. Mendez believably portrays Tristan's... Read More

Merissa Czyz narrates a YA romance that takes place over the course of 24 hours. Darcy believes in love at first sight but has never experienced it--until she is stranded at a bus station and meets Russell. Czyz captures the giddiness Darcy feels at meeting a cute boy who actually seems to like her back. As Darcy gets to know Russell, it's clear they have much in common, but... Read More

Sisters Jessie and Brea, and bandmate Flo, all portrayed by narrator Kristen Sieh, are tight as a cover band and even more so as a crew of vigilante hit women with verve and style. Youers writes action scenes like a house afire, but the real enjoyment of this audiobook is the women's sisterhood, which is depicted with love and affection. A serial killer called The Wren pops up... Read More

Victoria Villarreal brings this story of community activism to life with her stirring narration. Smoothly shifting between English and Spanish, Villarreal tells the story of a girl joining her community to demand a park in their neighborhood. The community of Barrio Logan, San Diego's oldest Chicano neighborhood, has wanted a park for years, but they've been ignored. After... Read More

This audiobook, which is reminiscent of a stream-of-consciousness poem, is an ode to basketball great Julius Irving. At the same time, it features the storytelling approach of a memoir, which poet Ross Gay enhances in his narration. He knows how to use intonation, when to ratchet up his energy, and when to gently slow the pace. Not everyone can narrate their own words, but Gay... Read More

Ina Garten narrates with the same precision, charm, poise, and irreverence exhibited on her "Barefoot Contessa" television productions. That same independent woman people know from her food preparation shows on Food Network spins quite the tale. Her philosophy has been to make quick decisions and "dive in"--figuring it all out later. Raised by exceptionally strict parents, she... Read More

Maria Liatis delivers a heartwarming performance as a 13-year-old with a passion for fútbol and her family. Valeria is a star player on the boys' soccer team, coached by her gruff abuelo. Through spirited yet subtle energy, Liatis adds credibility to Valeria's perseverance through trying times, including her mortification at getting her first period and losing her standing on... Read More

Joe Ochman narrates in a resonant voice and crisp style that suit this audiobook about earth science. He does nice work with subtle modulations of tone when he emulates a quoted person's accent. The text combines reporting, research, and a dollop of personal experience. Jabr travels widely to corral his immense subject; destinations include the Russian arctic; Iceland; England;... Read More

Adam Barr is particularly effective narrating military histories and biographies of celebrated commanders. Barr brings the proper spit and shine to this abbreviated biography of a general whose public remarks as president often seemed fumbling and impenetrable--perhaps deliberately. Barr tracks the steady path of Dwight Eisenhower's rise in the military establishment. While he... Read More

Beep is a monkey, and in Bill Roorbach's offbeat fantasy tale, he's the central narrator, communicating to the listener in a kind of childlike animal-speak akin to his species. Roorbach provides the words and voice to this amusing and disorienting story about the relationship between nature and humans. Listeners follow Beep's travels from his homeland to New York with young... Read More

Food and travel writing mingle in this fine collection. Padma Lakshmi's introduction, narrated by Soneela Nankani, is much more than a standard intro. Nankani shines in her sensitive and captivating performance of Lakshmi's very personal story of meeting with her estranged father in India. The excellent Eunice Wong reads Marion Bull's "Orange Is the New Yolk" with wit and a... Read More

Nearly all of these 20 stories are better heard than read. Guest editor Lauren Groff vied for "rawer, meaner, spikier" stories that have their own "weird logic." Her choices are striking and unpredictable but tend to ramble over stretches of time without much suspense or dramatic resolution. This diverse ensemble brings variety, contrast, and narrative vigor that is mostly... Read More

Ferne Marks and Owen Hall make a perfect pair depicting the electric chemistry between a kitchen witch and the charming man who catches her eye. Ever since Scott Mason stumbled into Serendipity Cafe in London, he's had the barista on his mind. Dina Whitlock was just as taken by Scott and is startled to discover they're both attendants in their best friends' country wedding.... Read More

Glen Powell leads a full cast in this polished production, which embraces the rom-com formula with a twist. Nathan's skill is ghost- writing, in particular, providing men the necessary words and stage presence to fully communicate their feelings when they give the Best Man toast. The market is rich for this service as men notoriously don't have the words to connect with their... Read More

Ulka Simone Mohanty provides a down-to-earth narration of this Bill Gates profile. Her impartial voice is ideal for hearing about the myriad facets of Gates, and her earnest tone personalizes the related figures who weave through the narrative. This audiobook is a study of how Gates has both shaped and punctured popular cultural phenomena, such as wealth inequality,... Read More

Ffion Aynsley and Iestyn Arwel portray the characters in this story of murder and deception in 1881 Oxford. Aynsley morphs into determined and clever Non Vaughan, a Welsh polymath recently admitted to Jesus College at Oxford. Aynsley's vocal performance features a melodic Welsh lilt that ebbs and flows with Non's emotions. Arwel breathes life into Basil Rice, a Jesus College... Read More

Narrator Rachel Atkins conveys the heartbreak, pain, and confusion experienced by Sarajevans under siege during the first year of the Bosnian War in 1992. Artist Zora Koovi chooses to stay in Sarajevo even as family members flee, bombs begin to fall, and snipers wreak havoc from nearby rooftops and hills. Atkins provides a pitch-perfect performance, capturing Zora's love for... Read More

Narrator Peter Forbes, the voice behind Peter May's audiobooks, returns us to the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides. Forbes's skill with Scottish accents, his ability to differentiate characters, and his convincing performances of both male and female voices make this a captivating listen. For fans of the Lewis Trilogy, this fourth audiobook offers an opportunity to follow Fin... Read More

A full cast performs this heartfelt audio set in Jim Crow Virginia. Charley Cuffey loves two things best of all: playing baseball and her Nana Kofi's stories of Africa. When Charley and her friends move a meaningful game to the whites-only field across town, the resulting backlash brings the widespread impacts of racism and violence to her door. All the narrators' voices mix... Read More

Ron Butler narrates a fantasy novel set on a magical Caribbean island. Residents of Chynchin have lived undisturbed by the greedy Ymisen for two hundred years, but that is about to change. After a water pipe repair goes awry, Veycosi finds himself embroiled in endless drama. Butler's laidback narration style suits Veycosi's meandering travails: He has lost standing in his... Read More

This audiobook immerses listeners in a fictionalized season in the life of a black-throated blue warbler, chronicling a female bird's trials and tribulations in undertaking migration, finding a mate, and interacting with other birds. Narrator Jess Moran's small, feminine voice complements the petite stature of the lead character in this avian drama. Sporting a band on her leg,... Read More

Louis Hill and Georgina Jane narrate chapters featuring two British siblings who are doing unique sleuthing during WWII. Hill portrays serious 19-year-old Jakob, who is consumed with finding solutions to Germany's Enigma codes at Bletchley Park. While Hill portrays Jakob's straightforward focus, he hints at how his work distracts him from his grief over the loss of his mother,... Read More

Narrator Moira Quirk shines once again in this dark academic fantasy, which explores the ripple effects of colonization. As the first-ever female highmage, Sciona has dedicated her life to overcoming misogyny, pursuing her magical research relentlessly within the male-dominated High Magistry. But as she learns about the ugly machinations that underpin her people's magic, she's... Read More

Gisela Chípe provides a mesmerizing narration of this debut novella from the National Book Award-winning translator of THE WORDS THAT REMAIN. At a Vermont college, an unnamed young woman sits before a computer screen Skyping with her mother, who lives in Brazil. Chípe's light musical tone captures the independent young woman's hopeful, thoughtful persona, while her mother's... Read More

Mark Easter narrates in a calm voice that makes his performance a little soft-edged. His delivery is clear, and his experience as an ecologist is always present. His highly informed text gives listeners an understanding of where our food comes from and how its production affects the planet. Happily, he gives some suggestions anyone can follow--eat more plants, grow your own... Read More

Dan Aykroyd, part of the famous Blues Brothers musical duo that evolved from a series of sketches on "Saturday Night Live," narrates this great look at the phenomenon he helped to create with the late John Belushi. Aykroyd narrates in a theatrical voice, describing how the band was formed and the movie that followed was made. He brings in a cast of folks--band members, movie... Read More

National Book Award finalist Sarah Smarsh performs a collection of her essays written from 2013-2024. After growing up on a wheat farm in Kansas, Smarsh went on to join academia and found herself writing about her working-class childhood. Drawing connections between such diverse topics as the relationship between socioeconomic status and access to dental care and the fallacies... Read More

Narrator Saskia Maarleveld maintains a deliberate pace in this packed history of America's newborn spy network during WWII. The unexpected heroes are librarians, professors, and other bookish types who were experts in gathering--and fabricating--information. And what a story Maarleveld tells. Even familiar episodes like the planning of D-Day take on new fire and urgency in this... Read More

A cadre of stunning narrators--including both authors--bring this unusual tale to life. The focus is an immortal warrior who is seeking the release of death. Unute was born untold ages ago to a human woman and a literal bolt of lightning. In modernity, Unute works alongside a military group as they seek to cure his immortality. Keanu Reeves and China Miéville narrate a few... Read More

Set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, this romance novel is narrated by Alexander Cendese and Mia Hutchinson-Shaw. Aspen is struggling to write a book that will match the success of her first novel, and Brick Babel is trying to save his grandfather's tour business. Aspen hires Brick to date her and then break her heart to give her inspiration for her new novel.... Read More

Fran Burgoyne and Cameron Stone pair up to narrate this second-chance romance. Erin impulsively donates her late best friend's books to a community library. Desperately hoping to recover one that holds special meaning, she discovers it has been annotated by a stranger and returned with a suggestion for another title to read. Burgoyne balances Erin's raw grief and feelings of... Read More

A young mother and daughter who are struggling to survive the horrors of WWII London find solace in books in this novel, smoothly narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. With a pleasing accent and a mostly straightforward delivery, Maarleveld describes the community of a subscription library. Called booklovers' libraries, these staples of early-twentieth-century England provided curated... Read More

Oxford professor Adam Smyth narrates his book with considerable brio and, of course, a deep understanding of the subject. Ranging from Wynkyn de Worde (assistant and successor to William Caxton, Britain's first printer) to contemporary zine publishers, he tells the history of the book in English through the lives of 18 people who represent different aspects of publishing.... Read More

Jay Myers narrates this fascinating audiobook about American bookstores with enthusiasm for its subject, neutrality toward its facts, and admiration for its stories. The wealth of topics discussed is astounding: early bookstores, past and present bibliophiles, particular bookstores' scents, and more. Myers's pacing is leisurely, and he highlights meaningful quotes, such as the... Read More

Anna Johnston's prose is rich and vivid, and is wonderfully paired with the narration of Tim Carroll. Listeners follow the story of Frederick Fife, a man rich in kindness for others but poor in every other way. At 82, he has no one to give his kindness to until, after an odd case of mistaken identity, he ends up in the shoes of grumpy Bernard Greer at a nursing home. Denise... Read More

With his gritty brogue, narrator Ralph Ineson welcomes listeners to an icy summit where a plane has just crashed. The survivors see a stone fortress in the distance. Can they get there without freezing to death or being attacked by wolves? More to the point, can they survive what awaits inside it? Ineson's delivery is punctuated by an unnerving soundtrack and realistic sound... Read More

Thomas Fuller is clearly inspired by the efforts of a deaf football team from a small public school for the deaf in Southern California as the team chases the state championship in 2021 and 2022. Fuller's performance is authentic and enthusiastic, and his respect for these young men is unmistakable. One player lives in his car in a Target parking lot. Another breaks his leg... Read More

Narrators Elisa Meléndez and JaQwan Kelly perform this audiobook about two teens in juvenile detention. Adriana, voiced by Meléndez, keeps her head down and writes in her journal to get through her short sentence. After accidentally leaving her journal in the library, Adriana retrieves it and finds that a boy has responded to her thoughts and written back. Jon, voiced by Kelly,... Read More

Natalie Naudus narrates this delightful romantic comedy with confidence. After adventurous escapades June comes back to her beachside hometown to manage her late sister's struggling tea shop. At the same time, Levi, recently thrust into the spotlight due to a public breakup, returns to assist Dylan, June's younger brother, with his upcoming wedding. When a chance photo of June... Read More

Eric Yang's quiet narration of this free-verse story inspired by history contrasts with the harsh situation in which 17-year-old Tai Go finds himself. A Chinese immigrant who is traveling with his father and grandfather, Tai Go is held at Angel Island in 1924, waiting to be interviewed so that he can enter San Francisco. Yang's soft tone represents the outwardly subdued quality... Read More

Singer and activist Mavis Staples brings her iconic, resonant voice to the narration of this audiobook, giving young listeners an unforgettable glimpse of her remarkable musical life. In a voice ringing with warmth, humor, and conviction, Staples describes her musical roots, which began with gospel and later branched out to soul, R&B, and more. The rich timbre of Staples's... Read More

Various audiobooks have attempted to condense the history of the world into a reasonable listening time, but here the divisions between lands and nations provide a unique common denominator. Narrator Matthew Lloyd Davies has a reliable, highly agreeable voice, mellow with a bit of burr. It's especially effective when the narrative turns ironic and bemused. Where have they gone,... Read More

Jesse Vilinsky is exceptional at sounding like a kid who is excited about Christmas and sees the best in everyone. Ronja, age 10, is growing up in Oslo with her older sister, Melissa, and an alcoholic father. Ronja's dad gets a job selling Christmas trees but quickly loses it to the call of the pub. When Melissa takes over his job, Ronja uses her waif-like appearance to sell... Read More

Barbara Bradley Hagerty narrates her audiobook in a clear tone that is refreshingly free of nonsense. Hagerty recounts the story of the wrongful conviction of Ben Spencer for murder and carjacking. After questionable witness testimony and the prosecutor's need to secure a conviction, Spencer spent decades in prison despite mounting evidence that should have exonerated him.... Read More

Sophie Amoss handles the narration of this audio mystery wonderfully. Willa, a child psychologist, endures a public moment that goes viral and threatens to undermine her work and life. She heads to Broken Bayou, where she spent summers as a girl. Slowly, horrific discoveries are made, and Willa finds herself in a troubled and dangerous place. Amoss stays energetically involved... Read More

Colm Tóibín's appealing 2009 novel receives an exemplary performance from Saoirse Ronan. Set in Ireland and Brooklyn in the 1950s, the story unfolds with Ronan's lilting voice and lush pronunciations allowing both Ireland and Brooklyn to become vivid locales. Ronan's sensitive delivery highlights Ellis Lacey's emotional connection to her tiny Irish village and to her mother and... Read More

Ashley Callingbull gives a heartfelt narration of this story of Summer, a 12-year-old girl who starts having strange dreams while visiting family on the Cree reservation. Everyone is talking about researchers discovering unmarked children's graves at the nearby residential school. Summer is curious to learn more, but it's a painful history. Callingbull brings a youthful... Read More

Felicity Munroe and Hiro Diaz narrate this romantasy. Noble Aspeth Honori is determined to join the Royal Artifactual Guild to recover the magical treasures her father has squandered. A marriage of convenience to a minotaur gets Aspeth into the guild and the minotaur a rutting partner for an upcoming mating ritual. Munroe and Diaz cover the dual points of view of the chapters... Read More

An amazing group of narrators enlivens this collection of 13 stories. They range in subject matter from ancient Greece and Rome to modern times and beyond and share a common theme: finding and seizing destiny. Genres vary from fantasy to fairy tale, mystery, and science fiction, and they include dragon riders and pirates. There are plenty of surprises, but one thing is... Read More

Heller returns to the beauty and challenges of the wilderness in his latest audiobook. This time hunters and lifelong friends Jess and Storey encounter the deadliest and most unpredictable of predators: man. Mark Deakins delivers an excellent performance. He captures the intense action without tipping into cliché, and his pacing is perfectly attuned to the story in which Maine... Read More

Narrator Alyssa Appleton takes charge of this offbeat mystery with her confident portrayal of Oxy-addicted PI Tori Swenson. The action takes place in Kansas City, where Tori is investigating a murder at her estranged family's barbecue business. The off-center plot teeters between a traditional whodunit, a cozy, and a culinary mystery à la KNIVES OUT. Sprinkled on top of this... Read More

Billie Fulford-Brown and Laura Benanti narrate alternating chapters in this dual-timeline novel about two playwrights: one history's most famous writer, the other a contemporary unknown. In 1581, Emilia Bassano is the actual author of the great plays now attributed to the Stratford glove-maker's son, William Shakespeare. In the present, Melina Green is a playwright who is... Read More

Rebecca Nagle gives a clear and compelling narration of her look into how a small-town murder in the Muscogee Nation led to a significant 2020 Supreme Court case--and the largest restoration of Native tribal land in American history. She shares her extensive research into the history behind this case while also contextualizing its impact on her own nation, the Cherokee, other... Read More

A full cast from L.A. Theatre Works performs this short play about Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, voiced by André Sogliuzzo, and his invention of the wireless telegraph. The use of antique Morse code and radio equipment gives a period ambiance to the production, though the dialogue often sounds more modern. The format of an old radio show features Marconi's daughter,... Read More

Jeremy Arthur's intonation turns dramatically staccato as he narrates Porter Fox's recollections of a storm he sailed through alone off the coast of Maine. It's the first of several storms Fox recounts. Fox reminds listeners that scientists expect to see a growing number of severe storms due to climate change. Arthur's voice rises with the wind and falls with the thoughts of... Read More

The second book in Katie Siegel's Not a Detective series finds Charlotte Illes, now 10 years out of middle school, trying to move beyond her past as a kid detective. This becomes complicated when, as a substitute teacher, she returns to Frenchem Middle School, where her best friend, Lucy, also teaches. Lucy presents Katie with a mystery to solve. Chapters begin with a short... Read More

Narrator Liz Pearce is exactly the storytelling tour guide listeners will want for a holiday manor house romance set in 1902 England. She sounds bright and whimsical as Lady Mariah Lyons, whose beloved Plumford Manor will eventually pass to her stepfather's heir, Cyril Lightbourne. Pearce's voice for Cyril is boyish and earnest. When Cyril joins Mariah's family for the holiday... Read More

Narrator Amy Hall delights listeners in this Christmas rom-com about a newly brokenhearted woman who is challenged by her sister to complete various Advent calendar activities to renew her Christmas spirit. Callie wants to hide from Christmas after being dumped by her childhood sweetheart--that is, until she meets a handsome, helpful baker who makes a deal to help her with the... Read More

Narrators Ebony Ford and Tony Roberts depict Noel Anderson and Kanton Joseph's meet-cute when their apartment share goes wrong. Ford's depiction of Atlanta-based Noel Anderson features a hint of a Southern accent, along with smooth, fluid phrasing. Ford accurately represents Noel's unwillingness to share space with Kanton, although listeners may find her deal with Kanton... Read More

Stephanie Németh-Parker narrates a Christmas-themed romance that can be best described as a Cape Cod charmer. Between marketing jobs, Riley Sanders heads home to help her injured mother run her inn. Németh-Parker's steady pace and warm voice capture the story's three gentle romantic threads, involving Riley, her mother, and an inn guest. Riley's childhood crush, Aiden, and... Read More

Narrator Nikki Massoud performs this heartfelt and hilarious holiday romance about a former child star turned artist who finds love in the most unexpected place. As a child, Charlotte never expected that her small role in a holiday classic would later turn her life upside down. Now, years later, she flees the country after turning down a reboot opportunity due to backlash from... Read More

Jennifer Pickens adopts an even-keeled reportorial cadence and timbre well suited to Griswold's immersion journalism, which recounts the rise and fall of Circle of Hope. Founders Rod and Gwen White began the church as a California commune based on Anabaptist values of hospitality, simple living, and assisting the poor. Moving to Philadelphia in the early 1990s, the Whites... Read More

Narrator Amy Landon invites listeners behind the curtain of the ballet world in this vivid and intimate novel. Celebrated ballerina Natalia Leonova returns to the St. Petersburg stage after two years in recovery from an accident. Landon's crisp voice breathes life into Natalia's inner monologues. Landon smoothly pronounces the Russian and French vocabulary of Natalia's jet-set... Read More

In this debut novel, Jessica Regan becomes the voice of every woman who has ever struggled for personal freedom amid limited choices. Set in the mid-nineties in Ireland, the story focuses on three women who are in troubled marriages. With divorce illegal at the time, they labor to make their own choices--despite the men who control them and, ultimately, the outcomes of their... Read More

Fans of stories about mismatched people are certain to enjoy Brian Craig's narration of this novel. Hank is a curmudgeon who mostly wants to be left alone, except for one last attempt to rekindle a very brief, very one-sided high school romance. Luis is a good-natured guy living in unfortunate but not insurmountable circumstances. Together, the pair make an odd couple, and... Read More

Narrator Kristen Ariza lends her expert skills to this intimate character study. The story follows Jane, a biracial author who is struggling with finishing her novel, which she believes to be revolutionary. She moves her family near Hollywood, where she meets a producer who wants to make her book into a television show. Jane is a complex character who is often skeptical, and... Read More

Nneka Okoye narrates a delightfully queer and fiendishly magical Regency romance. After his sister, Mary, makes an ill-advised wish, John Cesar and the dashing Captain Orestes James do their best to save her from the result. Okoye dazzles in her role as Robin Goodfellow, the capricious fey narrator of the story. Her performance captures the arch tone and wry humor that are... Read More

The early part of Connie Chung's narration is a bit uneven--perhaps because of the personal nature of discussing her Chinese heritage and her parents' high expectations for her achievement in life. Once she settles in, her performance of this evocative, informative, and insightful memoir is flawless. Heavy with acerbic wit and "teases" for upcoming chapters, it frequently... Read More

Victoria Villarreal's narration reflects the magical mayhem and quirky comedy that break out in the small town of Owl's Hollow. Chanterelle Cottage witch Charlie Sparrow and her two moms worry about the business's survival when competing mages Fitz and Eleanor set up shop nearby. Villarreal depicts Charlie and Fitz's sworn-enemy vibe, along with their sarcastic banter. Soon... Read More

Golden Voice Kate Reading captures the foolish and the wise in this charming story of a Jewish village. When twins are born to the Cohen family, their mother quickly discovers that the male twin is receiving more attention and affection from the community than her little daughter. When Mrs. Cohen is invited to join a secret group of wise women, she soon learns the ways they use... Read More

Chanté McCormick narrates this queer, anti-colonial sci-fi novella. Virika struggles to thrive on a colonized space planet under the control of an empire in the same way that her ancestors struggled to get ahead when the British Empire ruled the British West Indies. She worked hard to succeed in the Merchant Marines, but when her captain dies, she is convicted of treason for... Read More

Andy Stevenson doesn't make a misstep while presenting this compelling and unusual novella. During a delivery, Bob, a well-educated, luckless courier briefly glimpses enchanting Natalie. He imagines her as the desperate "prisoner" of her suave and confident husband. Stevenson conveys Bob's passion and intensity in imagining Natalie--who's also engagingly rendered--as his ideal... Read More

The narrators deliver a genuinely captivating performance that enhances this thrilling tale. An invading king threatens Feyre's land. Melody Muze narrates with a perfect balance of vulnerability and fierce determination that makes her emotional journey all the more compelling. Anthony Palmini's portrayal of Rhysand brings strength and complexity, while the ensemble cast... Read More

It's hard to imagine anyone other than Rachel Kushner narrating her gripping and highly original novel about an unconventional spy. Sadie is hired by governments and unnamed private entities to infiltrate radical eco and industrial terrorist groups. She is now in France, where she is blending into a group of potentially violent animal rights activists with a brewing plot... Read More

Emily Woo Zeller narrates this audiobook, which imagines the life of the Evil Queen before Snow White's story begins. After her sister's death, Ayleth becomes heir to one of the powerful witches known as the Five Ancients. And even though she has no power of her own, she disguises herself and infiltrates the White City to bring her dead sister back. As Ayleth moves through... Read More

Narrators JF Harding and Avery Caris join forces to recount the romance between Lily Dumont and Ty Benson. After the death of her parents, Lily is put into foster care with Ty's mother by her Uncle Mark. Worried that her uncle is after her fortune, Lily and Ty fake Lily's death at age 17. Both Harding and Caris capture the teens' desperation. Years later, Ty goes to New York to... Read More

EJ Lavery's heartfelt narration captures a landscape of emotions and family dynamics in this coming-of-age novel. Lavery's firm yet gentle tone captures the tension and love within Cruzita's family as they try to keep alive the legacy of her great-uncle's bakery and Cruzita's dreams of becoming a pop star. Most convincing are Lavery's portrayals of teenager Cruzita's... Read More

Eric Yang narrates this account of the spectacular rise and fall of FTX's cryptocurrency wunderkind, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). Author Andrew R. Chow is a correspondent for TIME, and Yang approaches the story with a reporter's detachment, allowing the facts to speak for themselves. And speak they do! While Yang uses a measured tone, avoiding sensationalism, the facts detailing... Read More

Narrator Angel Pean voices Jerusalem, an 18-year-old with powers that make her fearless. She hates the vampires that tortured her and joins the Union army to fight against them, even if it means being trained by another vampire, a Russian named Alexi. While youthful voices suit the teenage characters, a Russian vampire with an American accent and slight inconsistencies in... Read More

If narrator Holter Graham's youthful exuberance seems an unlikely match for King's master class on popular horror, keep in mind the timeline. King wrote this analysis of film, radio, and literary horror during the late 1970s--when he was in his early 30s. It makes for a fascinating listen for multiple reasons. As King's own star was rising, high- and lowbrow pop culture were in... Read More

Saskia Maarleveld brings the haunting realm of this dark sapphic academic novel to life with an evocative performance. She captures the fierce intellect of Lorelai, a magical folklorist who is determined to get to the bottom of her mentor's mysterious death. As she investigates, romantic tension develops between her and her enemy turned reluctant ally, Sylvia von Wolff. The... Read More

Fans of the popular "Mystery Science Theater 3000" TV series will delight in listening to Frank Conniff narrate his own novel, essentially a clever, sardonic comic monologue. The over-the-top bleakness of the darkest superhero movies--the films that took the fun out of Batman--are mercilessly and wittily mocked throughout. Dark Apnea, a would-be superhero in a sleep apnea mask... Read More

In a captivating voice, Dion Graham tells the gritty story of Tulane music professor Nick Travers, who seeks to track down the brother of a dear friend who disappeared more than 30 years ago. Nick has long admired the once-acclaimed blues singer. So he travels the back roads of Tennessee and Louisiana as he follows leads and becomes entangled with a variety of... Read More

Si Chen takes listeners to 1930s Shanghai in this historical fantasy. Cabaret dancer Jingwen has one foot in the world of lavish clubs and wealthy foreigners and the other in Shanghai's black market: Her grandmother is involved with money laundering. Chen's performance is smooth and steady, with little differentiation between characters. Delivering on Lin's vivid portrait of... Read More

Stina Nielsen narrates this alternate feminist history. Sylvie sets out to tell her life's story for her twins whom she gave up at birth because she was unmarried. In 1862 she moved from Kentucky to Nashville in search of her sister. She brought with her a lost play by Aristophanes, which is centered on a cult serving Artemis that seeks chaos to disrupt the patriarchal business... Read More

Joniece Abbott-Pratt, who narrated THE DAVENPORTS, applies a rhythmic, energetic style to this follow-up. The story features four young Black women from Chicago in the early twentieth century. Abbott-Pratt captures their determined searches for love and self-actualization. Ruby deals with rumors that unseat her, while her younger sister Helene struggles to modernize the family... Read More

Narrator Kevin Thelwell approaches this middle-grade fantasy with a tender yet adventurous spirit. Charles has an active imagination. He lives in an apartment with his mother and his building's manager, Glory, who turns into a dragon. When he suddenly sees his bully classmates turn into ogres and finds trolls moving into his building, Charles leans on Glory to help him navigate... Read More

Lynnette R. Freeman narrates a fantasy featuring assassins and gods. Eveen is a member of the Dead Cat Tail Assassins Guild, and one of the best assassins in the city of Tal Abisi. When her newest commission puts her in an unforeseen quandary, she must use all her wits to survive. Freeman's narration highlights the shifts between drama and the humor in Eveen's story: an... Read More

Katherine Littrell narrates a mystery set on one of the Thousand Islands of the St Lawrence River in Upstate New York. After accidentally setting a house on fire, Marlowe needs to get away and accepts a summer job at a mansion where a historical mystery once took place. Littrell uses different tones to distinguish Marlowe's story in the present from that of the Ralston family... Read More

Sam Woolf creates a foreboding atmosphere in this disturbing mystery with strong Christie vibes, set in 1952, 1983, and 2012 Iceland. Listeners enter a tuberculosis sanitorium repurposed from the 1940-50s and meet likable Helgi, who is reopening an investigation into earlier unsolved murders. His well-rendered questions to the caretaker, nurses, and doctors unearth old lies,... Read More

Jason Isaacs is clearly having a rollicking good time narrating Kate Atkinson's latest Jackson Brodie novel. It's jammed full of Agatha Christie tropes--butlers, vicars, nobles, retired veterans, and detectives all trapped in a great house in a snowstorm--but they're all turned on their heads. The butler is Australian, the vicar has lost faith, the nobles are broke, and the... Read More

The health expert Paul Taylor narrates with relaxed pacing and an alluring British accent that make this audiobook a delight to hear. Combined with his accessible writing and impressive research and recommendations, his relaxed performance creates a wonderful atmosphere for engaging with this kind of guidance. He says that today's modern conveniences, processed foods, and... Read More

DEEP WATER is both a call to action to combat climate change and a celebration of the marvels of the ocean. Narrator Stephen James King's performance expresses those twin intentions with grace notes of wonder alongside clear worry and concern. King's gentle Australian accent is a constant reminder that rising ocean temperatures are a global catastrophe. Bradley casts his net... Read More

Sarah Tubert narrates this short novel in verse, reflecting the rhythms of 12-year-old Effie, who is deaf and has her own unique gift for language. Tubert stresses the emotions of the story, including Effie's alienation at home and comfort with her American Sign Language interpreter, Miss Kathy, who sees much more about Effie than her struggles with school. Tubert's portrayal... Read More

This audiobook offers a charming, romantic performance by narrators Marissa Hampton and Christopher Hampton. When former celebrity chef Sirena's cooking powers go awry, she unintentionally casts a spell that causes the entire town of Freya Grove to repeat the month of October. To restore her powers, she seeks aid from a former reality TV star named Gus; together, they navigate... Read More

Akira Matsumoto impressively presents an array of characters in this mystery set in post-WWII Japan. Listeners meet Detective Kindaichi, who is attending a divination held by the Tsubaki family to determine if several deaths accompanied by eerie devil's flute music were really murders. The complex Agatha Christie-esque story written in the 1950s is rich with well-rendered... Read More

Anne Marie Lewis takes listeners on an emotional journey of resilience and courage in a memoir that reads like historical fiction. Near the end of WWII, a Japanese girl becomes an orphan at the age of 6 in the Philippines. Forced to work as a servant, she is passed from one family to another and is eventually given the name Diamond. Throughout her life, Diamond struggles with... Read More

Narrator Pagnia Xiong offers up a lyrical exploration of growing up Hmong in the Midwest. The various characters who make up Malcolm's world, Hmong and Anglo, are narrated with cultural accuracy by Xiong, Colin Ryan, Kelli Garland, and Gregory Yang. The authoritative voices of Malcolm's teachers highlight the racism he faces in school. At home his discouragement with his... Read More

Actor-singer Bethany Joy Lenz's vulnerability and resiliency radiate as she narrates her memoir, which is focused on her decade in a religious cult. That period of her life overlapped with the period in which she starred in the television drama "One Tree Hill." Lenz recalls building an emotional wall between herself and her co-stars because she needed to center her religious... Read More

In this captivating slow-burn romance narrated by Elyse Dinh and Teddy Hamilton, Willa has just moved into her late aunt's home on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest. Recovering from the death of her husband and years of caregiving, she endeavors to restart her career as a cookbook ghostwriter. Hudson, the island's handyman, voiced by Hamilton, is striving to establish... Read More

Novelist Richard Powers calls narrator Edoardo Ballerini the very best, and many listeners would agree. Ballerini's range is impressive, but he excels with the difficult, the literary, the opaque, and the autobiographical. He brings particular ease and purposefulness to this memoir by NEW YORK TIMES style critic Guy Trebay portraying his early years in Manhattan in the 1970s.... Read More

This thought-provoking audiobook is made up of short stories that reimagine Greek myths, as well as dystopian stories. All celebrate the enduring power of storytelling. An ensemble of narrators gives life to eight stories that tackle themes of family, brutality, humanity, love, identity, and mortality. Particularly compelling are "The Mother's Story," a retelling of the story... Read More