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 Krupa Pattani delightfully introduces young Sonal and her Anglo Indian family. Sonal is thrilled about her school project, photographing her family, until she realizes none of them share her enthusiasm but her granddad. Pattani ensures that Nanna is a standout character as she delivers his wonderful banter. Patanni's appealing accent adds atmosphere as Nanna shares... Read More

Nic Davey-Greene delivers this environmental adventure. Listeners meet gamer and fast-food lover Finn and shy genius Milo, called "Prof," who are reluctantly participating in an Alpine class trip. They'd rather be home doing their own thing. Soon they find a 65-million-year-old egg that hatches. Vivid descriptions of Finn's connection to newly hatched, squawking Arty segues... 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

Whitstable is a peaceful English village in which a few residents enjoy the benefits of having a garden allotment where they grow flowers and vegetables and tend bees and hens. Jennifer Kirby portrays Pearl Nolan, who enjoys a plot, along with a close-knit group of villagers. Kirby provides the wit and spark of this sharp restaurateur and independent woman. Soon, however, the... 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

Sophie Dahl narrates her short adventure story featuring Mabel, a girl living in her parents' Mermaid Hotel, and Madame Badobedah (rhymes with "ooh-la-la"), the hotel's quirkiest resident. Madame Badobedah's indeterminate accent suits her mysterious background and eccentricity. Did she really steal a priceless emerald from a museum? Mabel speaks with Dahl's English accent and... Read More

Dominic Gruenewald adds momentum, skepticism, and a lucid voice to this fresh report on the history and current state of artificial intelligence (AI). As the title suggests, much of what we call AI is programmed deception, a type of fakery limited to specific tasks or goals. Gruenewald provides a light touch when narrating the linguistic paradoxes of AI terminology, classic... Read More

Narrator Karen Cass recounts this twisty mystery, as told by soft- voiced Eliza Mace. In 1874 Wales, Eliza; her mother, Hannah; and her Uncle James live in Edge Hall, a manor house that has become impoverished through her father's spendthrift ways. One day, he disappears while on a business trip, and all clues point to foul play. Eliza and the charismatic new police constable,... Read More

Narrator Rebecca Macauley pulls listeners into the time period, unique setting, and compelling characters of this satisfying mystery. At the end of WWI, Eva Willoughby flees an abusive marriage in England and seeks refuge with her friend, Sylvia, in the Black Mountains of Queensland, Australia. Eva begins a job as assistant to Detective Sergeant Jack Shaw and soon learns that... Read More

Jasmine Blackborow narrates this mystery involving disappearances and murders in 1877 London. Strong-willed, independent Minnie Ward and ex-police detective Albert Easterbrook investigate seemingly random men who are dying by strangulation, suffocation, and poison. Digging deeper reveals they were all involved in the Trafalgar Theater tragedy that occurred 12 years earlier and... Read More

This vibrant short story collection featuring animals offers a scintillating safari of sound and narrative, expertly performed by Humphrey Bower. His animated voice and Australian accent, accompanied by sparkling sound effects and music, are sure to make listeners smile. Educational and entertaining, the stories include Little Bug Books and BumbleBunnies collections, which... Read More

Hannah Vanderheide perfectly brings Lila Dalton to life in a world in which nothing is what it seems. Lila wakes up to find herself in a courtroom without any memory of who she is or why she's there. Slowly, she discovers it's 1996, and she's a lawyer on a remote British island who is defending a far-right activist accused of a bomb attack that resulted in multiple deaths.... Read More

Big Panda's soothing voice as delivered by Jason Isaacs would calm the most agitated child (or adult). Isaacs creates a sharp contrast when he performs Tiny Dragon's voice with a bit of nervousness. Listeners will appreciate the Zen-like tone of Big Panda, who soothes his little friend as they take a journey through the seasons. While traveling, they discuss the world and... Read More

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

Narrator Rachel Atkins is a gift. Her performance of Dawson's suspenseful psychological thriller will seep into listeners' consciousness, keeping them on the edge of their seats. Atkins's talents are showcased immediately in the opening scene in which the protagonist, Jude, stands in a courtroom, awaiting the jury's decision about her fate. Jude, an emergency room nurse who... Read More

Harrowing, evocative, and timely, this 2023 Booker Prize winner takes listeners on a deep dive into what happens when a democracy devolves into totalitarianism. Set in Dublin, the story begins when Eilish Stack finds officers from the secret police at her door, looking for her husband. An undefined-- yet clearly political--emergency is happening, and all the rules pertaining to... Read More

In the English village of Ashton Mead, kindhearted Emily Wilton and her puppy, Poppy, find a dead woman in the river. Narrator Rebecca Norfolk takes up this cozy mystery with cheerful tones and plenty of humor. Rumors fly that Emily's new neighbor, Richard, killed his wife-- or maybe it was his handsome son, Adam. Norfolk uses smooth tones for the concerned former Londoner... Read More

Anna Skellern narrates a multigenerational saga of secrets and betrayals. After her grandmother dies, Cassandra slowly unravels the mystery surrounding her past, traveling from Australia to the Cornish coast to discover the real identity of Nell Andrews. Skellern switches smoothly between the many accents needed to recount the complex stories of both Nell's and Cassandra's... Read More

With a quirky protagonist, a wide range of unconventional characters, and a storyline spanning more than 40 years, this is an engaging listen. Author/narrator Winman pulls listeners in with her beautiful prose and vivid descriptions. At the start, Elly is a girl in England in the late 1960s. She questions everything--even when she gets in trouble--and Winman captures her... Read More

Helen Keeley enlivens this cozy mystery, set in a quaint English village. Listeners meet charming but naïve 24-year-old Sophie, whose boyfriend, Ben, leaves her when she loses her job. But Sophie is rejuvenated when she inherits her aunt's house, though she must care for her aunt's dog, Poppy, to comply with the bequest. Soon, Sophie meets feisty tea shop owner Hannah and... Read More

Audiobook listeners, as well as nine paying guests, are invited to a 1930s murder mystery weekend at a faux gothic country house. The talented English actor John Hopkins narrates this lively mystery, creating the glamorous atmosphere of the best vintage whodunits. His deep voice captures the posh sound of the weekend's scheming host, Simon. Hopkins also does a fabulous job... Read More

Don't wake up! Seems simple enough, right? But nothing's that simple for the main character in this audiobook. Antonia Beamish's narration takes listeners down a mind-bending rabbit hole with verve. Her proficient range delivers flawless intensity and sets the tone for the protagonist's altered reality. Is she awake--or is she dreaming? Through Beamish's skillful use of pauses... Read More

Narrator Emma Spurgin Hussey performs the first in the Italian Escape series in which 50-year-old somewhat insecure Beth finds herself in Rome after her daughter leaves for uni and her husband takes a temporary job in Paris. During her six-week stay in a Rome apartment, the owner, British expat Ronnie, and feisty Irish-born tenant Marina challenge her to renew her life. Hussey... Read More

John Hopkins returns to bring to life Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby and his team as they investigate the death of an unpopular resident of a quiet English village. As he does so, long hidden secrets of some of the villagers come to light. Hopkins's top-notch performance creates wonderfully likable characters in Barnaby and his sidekick, Troy. Hopkins uses his strong... Read More

This historical mystery features amateur sleuths portrayed with appropriate theatricality by Jasmine Blackborow. They're in pursuit of the "Hairpin Killer," so called because he murders young women by stabbing them in the heart. Nineteenth-century dialogue and colorful slang pepper Blackborow's narration of this engaging and entertaining romp. Minnie Ward gathers a group of... Read More

Eloise Mignon captures the emotions of North's story, a thriller in every sense of the word. The story is told from the point of view of Celia, a mother whose day is turned upside down in an instant. The truth lies at the root of what is going on--saying too much will reveal major plot twists. But Mignon keeps the listener hanging onto the well-paced plot with her delivery of... Read More

Narrator Daisy Head offers a nuanced delivery of Morton's story about a missing child, an abandoned manor house, and a police detective who is seeking redemption. In June 1933, the Edevane family's youngest child, baby Theo, disappears from their Cornish lakeside estate. Extensive investigations into the family--father Anthony, mother Eleanor, and children Alice, Deborah, and... Read More

Claire Foy gives listeners a remarkable performance of Kate Morton's sweeping new novel about family, love, and secrets. On Christmas Day, 1959, a bizarre tragedy strikes the Turner family of South Australia. In 2018, Jess Turner, a London-based journalist, is summoned back to Sydney, where her grandmother lies gravely ill. There, she stumbles across the decades-old mystery. As... Read More

With an easy Down Under accent, Sancia Robinson tells the story of a Tasmanian family whose son is killed in a caving accident while on a gap year overseas. The father, Gabe, flies to England to recover the body while his wife, Gill, hides the death from their anorexic daughter. Robinson depicts Gill's almost frenetic efforts to maintain normalcy in Gabe's absence, shepherding... Read More

Listeners coming to Graham's fifth book in the Midsomer Murders series after enjoying the TV series may not recognize Barnaby and his deputy, Troy. As John Nettles, television's Barnaby, says in the foreword, books develop more well-rounded characters, with more complex personalities. John Hopkins, with his very British accent, makes all the characters unique and alive. Hopkins... Read More

In Morton's complex gothic tale Louise Brealey keeps listeners involved as she reveals the love stories and horrors that drive the plot. Edie Burchill decides to delve into her mother's past even though they've never had a good relationship. Edie soon learns about Milderhurst Castle and the Blythe family. Brealey's chameleon voice can change the mood from happiness to dread... Read More

Narrator Lesley Harcourt annihilates the line between narrator and author with a performance that completely embodies the author's nuanced, frightening, often funny, and deeply personal memoir. After her mother tries to commit suicide by leaping from a bridge, Louise Beech, a prolific novelist, is compelled to examine her childhood through state care records and conversations... Read More

Graeme Rooney and Serena Manteghi deliver engrossing performances of characters who become increasingly unreliable. During the 1960s Collins Braithwaite was a rising star in the world of psychotherapy. He published a single book, which launched him into the elite status of a public intellectual, despite his questionable treatment methods. After his death, an untouched series of... Read More

John Hopkins performs the fourth in the Midsomer Murders series with gusto, transporting listeners to 1990s rural England. He brings to life Chief Inspector Barnaby and his sidekick, Troy, as they seek to find the murderer of a retired civil servant whose violent death came after a seemingly harmless meeting of the local writers group. Hopkins's talent for characterization is... Read More

A strong narration by Sofia Engstrand provides a solid base for Caroline Graham's stand-alone (not Barnaby) mystery. Fame attracts envy, and popular radio host Roz Gilmour is receiving threatening messages and hate mail. The anonymous "listener" is an actor who expects he will soon be as famous as she is. When that doesn't happen, he becomes unglued, focusing all his... Read More

Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and his team are called out to a cultish New Age commune to determine the cause of a series of brutal murders in the third installment of Midsomer Murders, narrated exquisitely by John Hopkins. Hopkins brings his ample talent and experience to the task, giving voice to this large cast of quirky characters and building suspense with perfect... Read More

The author, an Australian actor, yoga teacher, and health coach, narrates the introductory segments and closing acknowledgements in this potpourri of recovery and personal growth advice. As a speaker, she sounds clear and earnest. But when actor and writer Myfanwy Hocking begins her performance, she adds something to the mix that is so uplifting that it's easily the most... Read More

Akira Matsumoto's performance takes listeners to post-WWII Japan's inner sea and the remote and clannish fishing island of Gokumon. Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, voiced with a crackly voice, arrives on Gokumon with two messages: The powerful Kito clan boss's son, Chimata-san, is dead, and his three stepsisters are in mortal danger. Matsumoto uses a variety of Australian accents... Read More

Jennifer Kirby meticulously presents the vicious guests in this Christie-esque mystery set in an English country house. Listeners join the pre-wedding celebration for Amy Young and wealthy adventurer Guy Priddey. Also in attendance is private detective Pearl Nolan--a lifelong friend of the bride who senses a disquieting undercurrent to the goings-on. Kirby gives each individual... Read More

Author Philip Pullman narrates this companion novel to his renowned trilogy titled His Dark Materials. It comes off like a deleted-scenes section of a DVD with interesting bonus content for those who have read the core series. However, it would be incomprehensible to new listeners. Most entries in this audiobook are not quite full scenes--each is a sentence or two that... Read More

Celebrated Australian author Tim Winton's eclectic story collection is intense and well performed in this audiobook. And Samuel Johnson is all-in as the narrator: He can veer from growling to shouting in a heartbeat, then return to a soft murmur the next second. His accent fits Winton's setting and style seamlessly. As the author examines the essence of the human experience, an... Read More

Narrator Jennifer Kirby transports listeners to Whitstable in southeastern England to join Pearl, restaurateur and part-time detective. Currently, she is balancing her investigation into the disappearance of a local councilor's wife's underwear with help from police officer Mike McGuire. He is also investigating a gruesome murder at the local dance school. Kirby uses her... Read More

Orlando Schwerdt's portrayal of 12-year-old surf rat Lockie Leonard will leave listeners stoked for more in this coming-of-age story. The new kid in a remote Australian town, Lockie is smitten with the most popular girl in school. He can't believe his luck when she reciprocates his feelings and they start the first surf club. With superb pacing and expressiveness, Schwerdt... Read More

Ruairi Conaghan lends his gentle Irish brogue to Nairn's environmental memoir of his journey along the coast of Ireland. Sounding like a kindly professor of science from the nineteenth century, Conaghan enlivens descriptions of the wildness of the cliffs, the sea, the waterfowl, the fish, and the sea mammals with his inviting voice. Listeners will feel like they are hearing not... Read More

Narrator Antonia Beamish's performance of the latest installment in the Detective Maddie Ives series is a tour de force. Gallagher's intense thriller revolves around convicted domestic abusers, motivated by revenge and rage, who terrorize those they think are responsible for breaking up their families and homes. Beamish's narration is nimble as she shifts from terrified to... Read More

Stig Wemyss channels every one of the fully realized characters in Tim Winton's 1986 novel. Told from the viewpoint of 12-year-old Morton Flack, the story of a family faced with a devastating accident unfolds during one Australian summer. Wemyss fully voices everyone, whether a primary character or one who is simply passing through. He captures Morton's observations of and... Read More

Venice Van Someren narrates this children's thriller set in England during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. The story unfolds in six parts that coincide with the six days of nuclear standoff between the U.S. and the USSR. As the world holds its collective breath, two English kids face heightened drama when they find a mysterious girl on the run hiding in Stevie's coal shed. Van... Read More

Australian actor and narrator Stig Wemyss, whose goofy children's audiobooks are numerous, applies his talents to a collection of short stories that center adult alienation. The tales seem designed to test Tolstoy's assertion that unhappy families are each unhappy in their own way. The details may differ--a husband plots to kill his wife's rapist; a young woman channels her... Read More

Akira Matsumoto provides rich characterizations of the broad cast of characters in this complex Japanese murder mystery. His engaging performance is welcome, as Yokomizo's crime drama includes a long list of names and settings that make this listening experience less than casual. Those new to the series will quickly identify Kosuke Kindaichi as an archetypal detective with the... Read More

Narrator Antonia Beamish transports listeners to the south of England, where newly transferred Detective Maddie Ives investigates a missing person report that turns out to be so much more. As her investigation intersects that of DI Harry Blaker, it soon becomes apparent that there's a sadistic killer on the loose. Beamish's narration is spot-on as she portrays a believable and... Read More

The marvelous narrator Caroline Lee is hilariously inaccurate with North American accents, which detracts not one whit from the pleasures of this complex but absorbing medical thriller since it is not a novel of place and could be happening anywhere from Canada to Australia. St. Jude's is a respected Catholic hospital in a diocese burdened by debt (think sex abuse suits). Its... Read More

The Australian author, who narrates his own work, details his life as a competitor in wheelchair basketball and tennis, his music-festival-hopping lifestyle, world travels, and so much more. He makes it clear that using a wheelchair will not stop him from what he wants to do and accomplish. With a gravelly voice, Alcott narrates his story, which is inspiring without being... Read More

Author/narrator Shane Jenek delivers the journey of his self-discovery and transformation at a jaunty pace that captures his personality and engages listeners. Raised in Australia by loving parents, he never felt fully comfortable with his assigned gender. His memoir recounts how he found international success as a drag queen. Fans of his alter ego, Courtney Act, will be... Read More

Aiden Kelly's acting chops are in full bloom as he narrates this personable advice on how to achieve exceptional career success and satisfaction with life. Sounding authentic and eager to help, Kelly expresses the charisma, humility, and courage embodied in the author's story. Keith Barry pushed himself from the conventional career goals promoted by his middle-class education... Read More

Ross Dwyer's somber, rumbling tones are well suited to Lambert's coming-of-age story of grief, healing, and wilderness encounter. When his parents are killed in a car accident after swerving to avoid a wolf on the highway, Lucas is sent to live with his estranged grandmother in the Lake District. As he copes with an unfamiliar new home, a new school, and bullies, Lucas develops... Read More

These prescriptions for enjoying a more vital, energized life are not new; this is advice all of us know about how to take better care of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual lives. But narrator Maurice Gleeson's charming UK accent and laid-back vocal style add a special sauce to the author's ideas that stimulates enthusiasm and makes the habits he recommends sound... Read More

Authors/narrators Giles Paley-Phillips and Jim Daly recount some of the best revelations and stories about overcoming failure and life's difficult moments that they've heard from guests on their podcast called "Blank." Replicating their conversational style and easygoing delivery, they share insightful experiences and helpful advice on how to manage grief, social anxiety,... Read More

Malk Williams's amiable manner immediately engages the listener with this history of smallpox inoculation and its adoption in Russia through a collaboration between Catherine the Great and an English physician. Williams's pleasant voice and likable British accent, his fine pacing and attention to sense and detail, make the audiobook clear and easy to listen to. At times, his... Read More

As entertaining as the "Midsomer Murder" television series was to watch, it is even more satisfying to hear an audiobook from the mystery series performed by the talented narrator John Hopkins. The listener learns about characters' thoughts and can analyze their motivations; whereas, television must focus largely on plot. In this early installment of the Midsomer series, Chief... Read More

Jenna Russell uses her acting talents to narrate this murder mystery set in Whitstable, near Canterbury, on the estuary of the River Thames. Pearl Nolan, ex-constable and current owner of an oyster bar/restaurant, has just opened a detective agency when she finds the drowned body of Vinnie Rowe, a local oyster fisherman who is also her friend. Enter Chief Inspector Mike... Read More

Robert Meldrum's eloquent voice and fluid narrative style do full justice to this darkly humorous novel set in one of the oldest zoological gardens in Italy. At the heart of this slightly surreal story is the relationship between Giovanna, who was hired by the zoo to reimagine the venerable institution's public image, and Chahine, a mysterious Algerian visitor with whom she... Read More

Our forests and other habitats are teeming with chatter from plants and animals, according to the author. Narrator Tanya Schneider gives listeners many examples of this phenomenon with her engaging Australian accent. Her audience will either wince or laugh at the author’s descriptions of the zombie ants who are invaded by parasites and are slowly eaten from the inside out by... Read More

In the fallout of an explosion in London, Brioni finds herself fearing for her sister. With the help of Anna, an anti-terrorism expert, Brioni searches for her sister, whose name is Marissa. Narrator Aoife McMahon deftly navigates the Irish, English, and American accents of the characters involved. Sam Blake's novel has listeners wondering about Marissa's marriage and her... Read More

Emily Joyce's smooth, witty, and beautifully calibrated performance makes this Rube Goldberg machine of a plot even more fun than it deserves to be. Inspector David Brock finds himself on the Art Fraud desk, investigating the apparent suicide of a beautiful Russian woman whose British husband owns a famous art collection. Meanwhile, Brock's old partner, Kathy Kolla, is on the... Read More

John Hopkins performs this first in the Midsomer Murders series. Published in 1987, the novel offers a complicated mystery with multidimensional characters and murders galore. With his sensuous baritone, Hopkins draws listeners into the tiny hamlet of Badger's Drift, where DCI Barnaby and DS Troy investigate an elderly woman's murder. Hopkins is quietly intense while the body... Read More

Luke Wright gives an enthusiastic performance of naturalist Matt Gaw's celebration of his experiences with the night sky. Wright's fervent tone is a good match for the author's deconstruction of darkness, which venerates luminescent suns and stars, and urges an end to earth's light pollution. In poetic chapters, Gaw explores nighttime in six locations in the UK, including... Read More

Karen Cass's narration brings out the cozy drama as private detective/restaurateur/ex-cop Pearl Nolan investigates the gossip and murders in her formerly quiet town. There's already turmoil in quaint Whitstable as developers and locals clash, so when the leading environmentalist turns up dead, there are numerous suspects. And the list grows as more bodies turn up. Cass's range... Read More

Jodi and Samantha meet when a lost dog is returned. A friendship develops, and one friend frames the other for murder on her birthday. As actor and playwright Annie Hulley narrates her own twisting thriller, her wide range of accents and characterizations provides a multifaceted view of the events surrounding the brutal homicide. As the ensuing investigation upends lives,... Read More

Narrator Dario Coates is outstanding in his performance of these four extraordinary short stories. Each one includes a preface describing an event in nature that sets the stage for an adventure involving two teenagers, Nicky and his brother, Kenny. As Nicky narrates their exploits, he shares stories and memories that offer a deeper understanding of the boys' close relationship.... Read More

This is the third in the Detective Kindaichi series, which has recently been translated into English. The first three translations are available as audiobooks. Japanese narrator Akira Matsumoto, who speaks English with an Australian accent, has a remarkable ability to transform his voice to fit the various characters, including the stuttering Detective Kindaichi. The story... Read More

The Irish researcher, author, and science journalist Luke O'Neill became a media darling during the pandemic as people soaked up his print, radio, and television reports about Covid. Narrating O'Neill's latest book, Ruairi Conaghan is a great fit for the author's casual expertise and extraordinary ability to connect with his audience. The Irish narrator's brisk phrasing keeps... Read More

Scottish narrator Cathleen McCarron's performance of this Glasgow-based procedural will keep listeners glued to their headphones. Her narration reflects the story--intense when appropriate, lighter when called for. She is excellent with voices, injecting personality into even minor characters. In this 12th series entry, Detective Inspector Colin Anderson and Detective Sergeant... Read More

Emma Powell narrates the second installment of this long-running mystery series featuring Reverend Merrily Watkins. Newly appointed as exorcist for the Church of England's Delivery Ministry in Herefordshire, Merrily faces opposition from clergy, parishioners, and her teenage daughter, Jane. After an unsettling experience with a dying man, Merrily suspects supernatural forces... Read More

John Voce delivers this thrilling mystery with dramatic flair well suited to the genre. He narrates the attempts of detectives Harry Lenox and Jess Wilde to solve the murder and immolation of a teenage boy in a public park. Listeners will be quickly drawn into the dark investigation of who killed Dean and why there are photos of other murder victims all over his bedroom wall.... Read More

Aidan Kelly's narration brings a sense of grounding assurance to this handbook on becoming happier. This audiobook breaks down the science of happiness, explaining what it is, why it's important, and how to cultivate it to expand joy and well-being through the development of habits and practices. The salient information clearly explains why courage and discipline are required... Read More

This young adult audiobook, narrated by Christopher Quyen and Setareh Naghoni, is told from three points of view. A tentative friendship blossoms between two teens, one an Iranian refugee, the other an Australian. Living in a detention center and hoping for asylum, Anahita leaves the compound only for school. Jono's father, a guard at the facility, mentions his son, later... Read More

With even pacing and a tone of whimsy, British narrator Charlie Sanderson tells the story of Brandon, a boy who boasts that he can count to 10 million and proceeds to do so. Though his family and friends have their doubts because he rarely follows through on his claims, he keeps right on counting. Soon he becomes a celebrity, and his manager, a self-centered teacher, takes... Read More

John Voce introduces this fantasy about a train that transports those who star in children's dreams. Listeners hop aboard with a guard named Charlie, who punches tickets for diverse passengers heading to Sleepy Town. En route, Voce's Yeti makes tea; Henri explains ballet steps; Princess Mae discusses her dreamer, Polly; and Monster blows balloons to comfort Alec. Realistic... Read More

It's hard to imagine that many young people will be able to sit through this young adult audiobook on human rights, which was inspired by actor/director Angelina Jolie's work with Amnesty International and young refugees. Sadly, Jolie's narration is limited to a short, bland introduction. The narration baton is then passed to Daisy Head, who speaks excruciatingly slowly. The... Read More

This is the debut novel by Nicola Moriarty--sister of bestselling authors Liane and Jaclyn Moriarty. Fellow Australian Sophie Loughran narrates this heartwarming, romantic story about a young woman whose fiancé is killed in a convenience store shooting. Loughran portrays the youthful, bereft Belinda in a high-pitched reedy voice, which conveys her grief, disillusionment, and... Read More

Social researcher and speaker Maggie Hamilton takes an intelligent look at how Western culture discourages connecting with others. Though we evolved to be part of a tribe, prosperity and technology have allowed us to become too independent, to stay home and hire others for tasks we used to share with neighbors. Fellow Australian Christopher Brown performs with earnest respect... Read More

Narrator Emily Wheaton creates a youthful voice for Polly, who continues to befriend the ghost dogs that live in Penhallow Hall in England. When Polly invites classmate Lucy over, they discover a toy dog. Polly and her best friend, Rex, another ghost dog, become determined to learn about the ghost dog in the toy. When they finally wake him up, they learn that he lived during... Read More

Irish writer Alice Taylor offers a heartwarming meditation on the beauty to be found in the world around us. Taylor's natural optimism makes voice pro Jennifer Fitzgerald a wonderful choice to perform this inspiring writing. Her relaxed tone and audible love of Taylor's message conjure memorable conversations we've had with close friends--warm interactions that touched our... Read More

Joanna Scanlan's spirited delivery complements this action-packed story about shoe tycoon Wendy Wedge and her bullying son, Walter. Listeners will meet the fascinating and ingenious Foot family--Ruby, Bear, and dad, Ivor. An annual competition for the Golden Shoe Award--usually won by a Wedge--is underway. When Ruby and Bear realize their dad's flying shoes (sure to win the big... Read More

Narrator Theo Solomon delightfully introduces the English village of Merlington and its fish-loving inhabitants. Martina Minnow rescues abandoned William, who has tentacles for hair and crab claws for hands. Solomon delivers endless lessons about fish, stories about the town's 17 competitive fishmongers, and the residents' suspicions about William and the Minnow family. In... Read More

Narrator Robyn Holdaway's lively voice and British accent drop listeners right into the heart of Fairfield Academy, where Kiki and Wes have just started secondary school. After Kiki's popular friends shut her out, she forms an unlikely friendship with Wes when they share a surprising secret. They discover that an alien has crashed to Earth and is living in the boiler room of... Read More

Stig Wemyss's outstanding narration, accompanied by awesome sound effects and ambient music, animates the crazy antics in this tenth audiobook of the beloved Australian series. Treehouse residents Andy and Terry, and their friend, Jill, introduce listeners to 13 fantastic new levels of the treehouse--including a soap-bubble blaster, a time-wasting level, and a toilet paper... Read More

Narrator Roslyn Oades impressively presents a range of voices as she depicts an exciting sleepover for a group of young students. Listeners join the museum kittens, who guard the site at night, when they tackle naughty pupils and devious rats. The kittens--Boris, Tasha, and Peter--enjoy the kids, and kitten Bianca is enchanted by them. The action escalates when Bianca is... Read More

Narrator John Voce performs this police procedural set in the town of Ryebridge in Northern England. DI Harry Lennox and DS Jess Wilde, both portrayed with Scottish accents, investigate two interconnected crimes. First, 3-year-old Lucy Green suddenly reappears after having been missing for five weeks; next, the severed hand of a local drug kingpin and human trafficker turns up;... Read More

Author Morris Gleitzman returns to narrate a well-paced, heartfelt final adventure featuring Felix Salinger in the seventh installment of his series spanning the period between WWII and the present day. Wassim, a biracial 10-year-old living with his uncle in Eastern Europe, turns to Felix, a man his grandfather knew who is now in his 80s, for help in dealing with a group that... Read More

Masterfully narrated by Australian actress Deidre Rubenstein, this is a saga about a woman trying to raise 12 children in Australia during the mid-to-late-1800s. Mrs. Kelly, the mother of the famous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, has a hard life. When Ned becomes the leader of the violent Kelly Gang, Mrs. Kelly's life becomes even more difficult. When voicing Mrs. Kelly,... Read More

Pilates instructor and student of neuroscience Alexis Fernandez is excited about human potential, and you can hear it in this refreshing guide to unlocking your biggest plans. A Spanish-South American raised in Australia, she has a charming accented voice that she combines with hip straight talk to make this a fun audio to hear. The obstacles she outlines will sound... Read More

Eva-Jane Gaffney is more actor than narrator in this stellar production. She laughs, cries, and even sings as she delivers the memoir of a fictional character's experiences during the 1913 workers' strike in Dublin. Betty Rafferty, a 14-year-old working-class shop girl, sounds like the friend you always wanted. Betty's family and friends take part in an uncompromising... Read More

Narrator Emmanuelle Mattana zestfully introduces a bandit family aptly named Robberson as they kidnap 10-year-old Maisie on her way to her grandmother's house. Listeners experience a rollicking time as the family and their trainee, Maisie, cross Finland, stealing what they need--particularly sweets. Maisie comes to enjoy the family, which is quite unlike her own. Mattana's best... Read More

Narrator Laurence Boxhall flawlessly presents endearing James as he faces his parents' divorce in this coming-of-age story. Listeners observe the close bond James has with his dog, Digger, and are saddened when James discovers a lump on Digger's leg. Boxhall skillfully introduces outstanding teacher Mr. Froggett, who warmly encourages his sixth graders to write poetry. Other... Read More

In this charming audiobook by a former high-flying Irish model, the author, now a Reiki practitioner and yoga instructor, taps into her ongoing psychotherapy education to describe 10 mental health challenges that are critical to being happy. She's an utterly authentic narrator who sounds at once kind, sincere, and knowledgeable. Her relaxed confidence brings the audio's more... Read More

Narrator Maisy Wright-Smith enthusiastically introduces contemporary Sydney, Australia, and Lara, who has an adorable Aussie accent. This tale of magical transformation is presented as a narrative and a stage play. Listeners are transported when Lara meets abandoned Pierre in the attic of the house her mother is cleaning. Lara helps Pierre, who is using an enchanted puppet... Read More

Akira Matsumoto provides an exciting narration of this classic locked- room mystery. Translated into English for the first time, this first of 77 Detective Kindaichi volumes offers a fascinating glimpse of Japanese culture. In Okamura in 1937, the son of a great family and his bride are found brutally murdered in their locked room on the morning after their wedding. The bloody... Read More

Narrator Imogen Sage sweetly introduces Betsy and her 44 mice, who make the best treats in all of London. Listeners will enthusiastically accompany the group as they help Bertram, Betsy's dad, bake treats to compensate for their favorite bakery closing. After Buckingham Palace samples the baked goods, the Royals place a huge order for a garden party. Sage deftly describes... Read More

Theo Solomon adopts a steady, unhurried pace as he narrates this horror story wrapped inside a thriller inside a mystery. The occupants of the lowest floors of the Beresford apartment building, owned by Mrs. May, are caught in a bizarre loop. Tenants arrive and settle in, become friends, and are killed by a resident. Sixty seconds later, the next renter arrives. And the story... Read More

Australian narrator Sophie Loughran brings listeners the story of two women who are connected by a series of letters that are carried by strangers to their destinations. Hannah has left her children behind after a massive bout of postnatal depression. India is determined to fix those around her but is definitely running from something. Hannah's friendship with India creates a... Read More

Narrator Felicity Jurd's delightful Australian accent enriches this poignant memoir about an Aussie family's year in Italy. As WWOOFERS--travelers who work on organic farms in exchange for room and board--Pip and her young family experienced living quarters ranging from a leaky toolshed to a newly remodeled apartment. Jurd describes the dissatisfaction with high-pressure city... Read More

Narrator Andrew McIntosh uses thick Scottish and Irish brogues to portray the many personalities engaged in a bombing campaign in Glasgow and its surrounding towns in a strike for independence in April 1974. Chief Detective Inspector Harry McCoy follows the scarce clues as he searches for the bombers and an AWOL American sailor from the base at Holy Loch, outside Glasgow.... Read More

Part novel, part connected stories, this audiobook features a detailed series of character sketches that center around the titular London neighborhood. Henry Goodman is a deft narrator who creates accents, voices, and three-dimensional personalities for the figures in the novel. At times, his vocal quality becomes so velvety-gruff that phrases acquire an indistinct edge. The... Read More

Narrator Roisin O'Neill illuminates a futuristic city whose inhabitants use the latest technological advances. In contrast, the witches and warlocks living in the woods nearby prefer sorcery. Listeners meet 11-year-old Morgana Mage, who dislikes magic and goes to a city school to learn about the automation her people oppose. O'Neill masterfully presents Morgana's determination... Read More

Narrator Caroline Lee's attractive tangy voice, with its gentle Australian accent, draws listeners into Kim Kelly's newest novel as warmly as a welcoming host. The endearing and witty story focuses on Addy, a working-class student at the prestigious University of Sydney, who is the daughter of a taciturn German widower. It's 1985. Addy parties and studies hard, lives in an... Read More

Narrator Meg Dunn portrays Pearl and Vally Cole, who live in the spectacular Cole's Book Arcade and get to enjoy all of its wonderful offerings. But when their father makes a deal with the strange Obscurosmith, the Cole family, and the arcade itself, are put in danger. Pearl and Vally must play a game--and win--to save them all. This adventure has puzzles to solve as Pearl and... Read More

Listeners join ex-spy Jack Ford as he receives a letter from his former girlfriend telling him he has a daughter and requesting his help. Kevin Shen narrates the story as it shifts between Jack's adventures as he heads back to Beijing (and unknowingly into the heart of a global conspiracy) and his time there in 1989 as a young spy. Shen's stylish narration helps to balance the... Read More

Narrator Aoife McMahon returns to bring us Book 3 of the Cormac Reilly series. McMahon's soft Irish accent is perfectly in tune with the Irish detective and his colleagues, who include Detective Peter Fisher, here taking center stage. Three dramatic subplots eventually come together in this suspenseful story of drugs, police corruption, and family relationships. Through... Read More

Narrator Saul Reichlin takes on the sizable challenge of dramatizing the early years of the Christian church. One noteworthy example is his account of the transformation of Saul, a Jewish religious leader, into Paul, pillar of the church. Reichlin understands the complex subject matter he has been charged with and takes it very seriously. The chapters are not told in... Read More

Narrator Hazem Shammas perfectly delivers the blended accent of author Farid Ahmed, who is originally from Bangladesh and has lived in New Zealand for more than 30 years. Ahmed's wife, Husna, was a victim of the mass murder at a Christchurch mosque in 2019. Shammas's voice is deep and his pacing deliberate. As he describes their marriage in this audiobook, scenes include their... Read More

Sam O'Mahony is an earnest narrator who enhances this exploration of factors that influence happiness. His delivery is crisp, clear, and fluid as he explains the range of genetic and situational variables that can affect people's moods across the general population. With his confident yet relaxed delivery, O'Mahoney wins listeners over. He inspires confidence in the research of... Read More

In this series debut, narrator Jennifer Vuletic entertains listeners in the best traditions of a space opera. She is adept at creating characters with diverse personalities no matter their gender, race, or ethnicity and relies on many different accents to create a cosmopolitan ambiance. The story is told from the point of view of Jian, a security officer aboard an Earth... Read More

Ciaran Saward masterfully narrates a quirky tale that uses David Bowie's song "Space Oddity" as a springboard. Listeners feel 10-year-old Jake Jones's embarrassment as his father publicly break-dances and sings, making Jake decide he wants to divorce him. Saward's portrayals of father and son are believable when they go on a camping trip, hoping to improve their relationship.... Read More

This examination of the facets of wisdom has the tone of both an absorbing TED talk and a social science research paper. It is a multilayered consumer guide to a common human trait, as well as an inside look at how a painstaking researcher might define a neurobiological or personality construct. Roger May narrates with slow and thoughtful pacing. His pleasing voice and... Read More

"This book contains traces of ghosts." What a wonderfully evocative thought. And this audiobook is full of them. Irish-Jamaican poet, activist, memoirist, and broadcaster Salena Godden narrates her short prose and poetry with straight-up intensity and pulsing rhythm. Weaving childhood memories of a devastating apartment fire with Neil-Gaiman-like fantasy and dark Grimm's... Read More

Narrator Jennifer Fitzgerald brings her Irish accent to Alice Taylor's evocative memoir of living in social retreat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Offering a gentle yet non-idealized version of all the great and small changes in her own life and that of her village, Taylor describes a way of rural Irish living that seems to hew close to what she describes in her novels. Trading... Read More

Australian narrator Rebecca Macauley brings a variety of accents and inflections to a story of an Australian town. Its residents are forced to confront their misconceptions of racism, immigration, and homelessness amid the backdrop of a contentious community garden and a seemingly corrupt local government. With a mix of interwoven storylines, Macaulay's narration has to keep up... Read More

Irish actor Ruairi Conaghan's narration enhances this captivating story of the TITANIC. The clever twist to this well-crafted version is its protagonist, 15-year-old Samuel Scott, who lost his life while working on the vessel's construction. Samuel's ghost moves unseen among his colleagues on Belfast's docks and among the passengers and crew of his beloved ship during her... Read More

This complex mystery offers moments of stomach-churning anxiety as it presents the evil a female physician encounters in our male-dominated medical system. Narrators Sarah Lambie and Philip Stevens offer full-bodied performances of talented surgeon Julia; irresistibly gorgeous but sinister plastic surgeon Nathan; Julia's drunken ex, Dom; her colleague, Hamish; and more. At her... Read More

Fans will be absolutely delighted by this collection of short stories featuring the irrepressible Phryne Fisher. Narrator Wendy Bos brings the sultry, smart, sophisticated lady detective to life. Bos successfully differentiates the multitude of characters, male and female, young and old. She is in step with Greenwood's witty dialogue and detailed descriptions of luxurious... Read More

Narrator Adam Best's gentle Irish accent invites listeners into a relentlessly dark story of Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The main point of view is that of Catholic detective Desmond Maguire, who serves uncomfortably on a Protestant police force. Best voices Maguire's thoughts on being the sole survivor of an IRA ambush. In his search for the informer who drew him into... Read More

If you're in the mood for a witty, engaging British police procedural, listen to this 22nd addition to the DCI Bill Slider series for a real treat. Narrator Mark Meadows masterfully differentiates the large cast of police investigators and suspects. Listeners will accompany Slider and his team through London as they dig into the life of murder victim Erik Lingoss, a personal... Read More

Narrator Michael Obiora shows off his talent in this time- and space- bending work of speculative fiction. The prose is exposition heavy in parts. Obiora delivers those sections with such passion that listeners will believe the fantastical aspects of the story are fact. When dialogue does appear, it is often in the middle of a long passage of exposition. Obiora slips into... Read More

With his appealing voice and moderate accent, Irish national Ruairi Conaghan performs this entertaining review of popular science topics, written by an Irish biochemistry professor with a knack for accessible writing. The summaries of what science knows about topics like gender differences, discrimination, and global warming intend to debunk common misconceptions and resolve... Read More

Narrator Humphrey Bower is the glue that keeps this work of speculative fiction together. After an apocalypse, an endless war breaks out. The population that remains finds literal sustenance in witnessing daily news footage of the fighting. There are a plethora of moments when a leader and his right-hand man verbally spar. In these moments, Bower is at his best. The raspy,... Read More

Rachael Beresford capably narrates this pair of novella-length audiobooks featuring determined young women facing hardship with courage. In WHITE EAGLES, Kristina Tomiak must pilot a plane from the shattered Polish Air Force across Europe, just a step ahead of the advancing Nazi army. In FIREBIRD, Nastia Nabokova eagerly fights for Mother Russia with only an ancient crop-duster... Read More

Narrator Roger May's voice immediately draws listeners into this story. He narrates as if he knows something we can't wait to hear. Local lore has it that the church bells in Butangen, Norway, were cast in memory of conjoined twins. Whenever the town is in danger, the "Sister Bells" ring on their own. The clash between old and new comes when the new pastor contracts to have the... Read More

In this middle-grade fantasy audiobook narrated by Emily Wheaton, 13-year-old Grace longs to go on missions to protect the citizens of Moreland, just like her older brother and their mother. When the opportunity unexpectedly presents itself, Grace jumps at the chance--unbeknownst to her family. Both the production itself and the story's chapters begin with the same light, airy... Read More

Anyone who appreciates impassioned environmental writing and enjoys the lilting sounds of a fine Irish accent will want to listen to this audiobook. Ruairi Conaghan has the gift of a storyteller's delivery, which he applies with authority, a well-measured pace, and a sure sense of the text's value. Author Nairn might not have told this compelling narrative had it not been for... Read More

Narrator Kris Dyer's skilled delivery makes Elizabethan London--the privileged few, vast destitute, and Catholic heretics--come alive in a fact-based story. Listeners will meet Nicholas Shelby, a grieving physician who has taken to drink after the death of his wife and baby. After encountering a poor, crippled child who appears to have been murdered, Dyer's unwavering and... Read More

When Gendered Intelligence, the UK charity that supports trans kids, sought a writer to interview and compile interviews with youth who self-identify as trans, the choice of Juno Roche, founder of the Trans Teachers Network, proved to be perfect. Trans narrator CN Lester channels both the author and the spirit of the project to produce excellent listening results. Their clear,... Read More

Zenia Starr narrates the start of an exciting mystery series featuring Zaiba, a determined 11-year-old girl on the lookout for a case. Starr's lively narration and ease with shifting between British, Pakistani, and American accents will keep younger listeners hooked as they try to solve the case of the missing diamonds--and dog--along with Zaiba. The Royal Star Hotel is... Read More

Cousins Maud Finch and Millicent Swallow's quiet, routine retirement is disrupted when Theodore Cadmus, a mysterious foreigner, moves into their close-knit Devonshire village. Narrator Jilly Bond performs this audiobook, which moves from charming to dark to over the top as Theo's intentions and motivations for moving to England become clear. Bond nicely presents the humorous... Read More

Listeners accompany Megan Melvick as she returns to her family's estate in Scotland to be with her dying sister. Despite their privileged position, her family is wracked with tragedy, not the least of which is Megan's unexplained deafness, which she struggles to understand. The story is told from the viewpoints of Megan and her rebellious friend, Carla. Narrator Helen McAlpine... Read More

Listeners join disgraced academic Cordelia Hemlock, who finds herself living in a remote part of England as she grieves the death of her son. There she forms an unlikely friendship with Felicity, a young, local woman. After they witness a lightning strike that reveals a dead body, they seek to investigate, at which point the story's time frame splits between 1967 and 2010.... Read More

Narrator John Voce provides a sure academic-sounding voice for this well-researched volume on the migration of people, as well as labor. He is confident and precise in his delivery, which helps carry the complex sentences that cover a variety of topics on economics and sociopolitical trends. Voce's performance makes this an easy-listening experience as his pauses and breaks... Read More

John Voce's enthusiastic narration invites listeners to consider the ideas in this detailed introduction to the Greek Stoics and their philosophy of resilience. Voce's easygoing style is perfect for a book that re-creates an ancient forum of debate and encourages conversational lessons during meals over the course of a day. While Voce is relaxed and even humorous at times, he... Read More

Irish nutritionist Paula Mee and lifestyle journalist Kate O'Brien combine forces to create this detailed road map for giving your body what it needs during the middle years. Aimed at women, it's full of specific information, but listeners won't feel overloaded because Helen Lloyd's pleasing performance has the relaxed tone and professional confidence needed to make the volume... Read More

Incredulity and suspicion thread their way into every nuance of this audiobook, narrated wonderfully by Casey Withoos. She credibly conveys the central characters' feelings and keeps listeners at full attention. Susan Middleton's sister disappeared, without warning, and apparently without reason, 20 years ago, only to reappear to claim her inheritance. Is she really the missing... Read More

Ratidzo Mambo's warm voice embodies the courage and huge heart of Alice Achan, and her delightful accent creates a sense of place. Achan grew up in Uganda, where much of her childhood was spent running from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) soldiers. She barely survived an attack on her school that resulted in all of her classmates being kidnapped. Achan's education was... Read More

The controlled voice and convincing accent of narrator Abbe Holmes immerse listeners in the precarious existence of a woman who lives alone on a sinking island in Chesapeake Bay in a dismal but all too plausible future. Kitty's life is disturbed not only by rising waters but also by the arrival of her granddaughter and her Hispanic companions who need a sanctuary. In this... Read More

Australian actress Katherine Tonkin brings the right blend of maturity and warmth to her narration of this guide on recovering from burnout. Speaking with her Aussie accent, she sounds optimistic and assertive and, notably, avoids the pedantic tone that occasionally creeps into the author's writing. Tonkin's performance consistently softens the prescriptive nature of the... Read More

Listeners seeking solace and strategies for managing these unsettling times may benefit by this audiobook, narrated by Amy Noble. It provides a tool kit for those who are suffering from feelings of failure, self-doubt, impostor syndrome, or perfectionism--that is, people who need to raise their sense of self-worth. Noble narrates in a precise, calm voice that encourages... Read More

World traveler Dan Richards's clear voice and English accent make him sound as if he's telling tales of his journeys in a pub. His tone is self-effacing, witty, and intimate. His unhurried pace reflects his aim to convince the listener of the value of the earth's remote and often romantic places. He makes a companionable guide on this idiosyncratic tour of the forlorn and the... Read More

Narrator Emma Cary's gentle voice captures the fragility in the complex relationship between a mother and daughter. Michiko's possessions, which were part of her life in 1940s Japan, are inherited by her daughter, Erika, who lives in contemporary England. These things are the vehicle through which the two women's rich histories, including their secrets, unfold. Cary's spot-on... Read More

Narrator Ciaran Saward introduces a sassy, three-foot-tall green beaver named Oswald, who is unhappily assigned to be an imaginary friend to a nerdy, book-loving boy named Reggie. Reggie is equally unimpressed with Oswald. Soon Reggie realizes that his classmate Jemima, who always seems to be talking to herself, is actually chatting with her own make-believe buddy. The action... Read More

Originally published in 2010, this is the first of six books in the Harry Tate series. Narrator John Telfer captures the brooding quality of his protagonist, an MI5 operative who oversees a drug raid that goes horribly awry. Harry is shipped off to the little-known Red Station outpost on the Russian border to join a group who are troublemakers, according to their MI5 and MI6... Read More

Narrator Andrew Wincott exuberantly re-creates Edwardian England's everyday life, including its class system, residents, and steam trains. When train guard Ginger Leghorn finds a puppy, he decides he can't keep it--until his five children see the dog, who is named Jim. Listeners will revel in the innocent pleasures of the family, including Leghorn's putting Jim "to work" on a... Read More

Originally written in 2000, this is the first installment of an ecoterrorism trilogy set in Australia. The complicated fantasy, told from the point of view of a young woman named Jemma, is drawn from events in the 1950s, when the British tested atomic weapons in the Pacific. As the story begins, they have accidentally left behind some plutonium, which two boys, Ryn and Hercus,... Read More

Stephen Hogan's dynamic performance draws listeners into the story of the Easter Rising in Ireland in 1916. Twelve-year-old Jimmy Conway has quite an adventure during his search for his Uncle Mick, who is fighting with the rebels occupying the local post office. Through Hogan's narration, life on the poor side of Dublin during the uprising is vividly depicted. Hogan shifts from... Read More

Amy Noble narrates this audiobook on how to lift your spirits when you're feeling low. This is a work that will resonate with listeners for a variety of reasons relating to current events or pre-pandemic worries. Noble sounds confident and kind as she presents various strategies for self-care and self-management. Listeners can dip in and out of chapters at their leisure or... Read More

In this novel, which begins a retelling of the Greek myths and heroic tales found in THE ILIAD, THE ODYSSEY, and THE AENEID, narrator Jonathan Keeble becomes a bard in the tradition of Homer as he recounts the events that led to the Trojan War. Using a unique voice for each of the panoply of gods, goddesses, heroes, and warriors, and women, Keeble recalls their lives and their... Read More

David Thorpe splendidly narrates this mystery, the last in Margery Allingham's classic series, splendidly completed by Mike Ripley from a fragment left by the author. It stays true to the author's wit and its protagonist Albert Campion's likable, very British character. It's 1969 in Lindsay Carfax, England, when Campion combines a visit to his niece with looking into some... Read More

Narrator Chris O'Dowd's lovely Irish accent brings this contemporary Cain and Abel family drama to life. Listeners are drawn into the mounting tension between the Black brothers, Hart and Cormac, as they cope with their father's chronic illness. O'Dowd's narration magnifies the conflict between the brothers as their father's suffering increases. The story is made even richer by... Read More

Journalist and documentarian Louis Theroux's narration of his memoir exudes a stoic charisma that pulls in listeners. His career trajectory is compelling. From his start as a reporter at a free press in San Jose, California, to his almost capricious decision to join the staff at SPY magazine, to his leap to a Michael Moore comedy news show, Theroux developed his brand around... Read More

Dual narrators Jennifer Woodward and Robert Portal cleverly deliver a cheeky, delightful romance featuring a melodramatic author, Annie Shepherd, and her uptight British agent, Henry Higgins. The performance opens with Annie gossiping to Henry at her boyfriend's funeral; it's apparent that their relationship is coarse. But that changes when Annie confesses to Henry that her... Read More

With its nontraditional heroine and harrowing twists, this audiobook is so absorbing that listeners will be hooked from the very beginning. "H" is our guide to her own life's adventures in seventeenth-century London, and narrator Karen Cass is so agile in her performance that the action flies past as if this were a film. Punctuated by events like the plague and a conflagration,... Read More

This first installment in the Legendsong saga was written in 1997. While twin sisters Glynn and Ember are on a vacation in Greece, Glynn is swept out to sea and through a portal to a parallel universe called Keltor. Unbeknownst to either sister, Ember is also transported through the portal when she tries to save Glynn from drowning. Thus, Carmody begins narrating alternating... Read More

Soft-voiced Danielle Carter's Australian accent enhances this story set in Sidney and Melbourne. Marnie, Tina, and Lee meet at the beginning of their careers as young, ambitious businesswomen. Twenty-five years later, each faces changes in her personal and work lives. Carter's steady narration sets a leisurely pace as she portrays women who make their own success and fulfill... Read More

Narrator Julie Maisey rises to the challenge of this brooding mystery set in Burrowhead, England. The story begins with someone or something having been left in a cave that also contains eerie drawings, messages, and ancient objects. As the story keeps it unclear who or what it is, Maisey keeps the menacing feeling growing. Then, psychotherapist Alexis Cosse is brutally... Read More

Narrator Aasiya Shah tells this three-pronged tale of love, courage, and misunderstanding in a soft, melodic voice. The story takes place in the years 1918 through 1926 and concludes in 2000. Shah portrays Margaret, an artist, as a caring and determined modern woman. When Margaret travels to India with her husband, Suraj, she befriends and paints a portrait of her Indian maid,... Read More

Andrew Scott narrates this middle-grade fantasy with a mesmerizing intonation that draws the listener in. The adventure unfolds around an unsuspecting hero, Finn, a boy who loves to draw imaginary creatures. His passion contributes to events that pull him into a magical world where he quickly finds himself entangled in a quest to end a war involving very real dragons. Scott’s... Read More

Angela Ness's accents add to the atmosphere of this historical YA novel set on the coast of Scotland in 1940. At age 15, half-Jamaican Louisa Adair is orphaned, and she leaves London to take a job caring for Jane, an elderly German woman. At Jane's niece's pub in Windyedge, Louisa meets Ellen McEwan, a volunteer driver for the nearby RAF base, and Jamie Beaufort-Stuart, a... Read More

Narrators Philip Stevens and Emma Gregory recount the story of Joan of Arc in the 1430s, along with a contemporary mystery also set in Orleans, France. Stevens portrays Joan with a believable mixture of innocence, piety, and determination suggestive of a seasoned general. Gregory portrays police capitain Inez Picault as resourceful, fast talking, and tough. Listeners witness... Read More

As author and narrator, Tom Cox reflects on the varying geography of Britain, the hills he's ambled up, the many houses he's lived in, the ghosts inhabiting those houses, his many cats, and the critters in the yard. He even muses on his accent, describing it as "the end of the middle" and never having met a university-educated person. That may be so, but it is also charming,... Read More

Roslyn Oades robustly narrates this charming and unique tale set in a Russian museum. The story is based on the cats of the Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home, and the British Museum. Late on a stormy night, Peter, a bedraggled kitten, is left in the museum. Listeners will join kittens Boris, Bianca, Tasha, and their grandad, Ivan, who live in the building and spend nights... Read More

Author/narrator Guy Bass splendidly re-creates the world of 10-year-old sad, lonely Ben Bunsin. Ben's world includes a character named Skeleton Keys and another named Gorblimey, who is Ben's imaginary friend. When gentle, nervous Gorblimey shifts from imaginary to unimaginary, Skeleton Keys (SK) proclaims that Gorblimey is dangerous. As SK, Bass rolls his "r"s and seems snobby,... Read More

Daniel Weyman and Bea Holland deftly narrate this complicated, sometimes far-fetched, mystery set in London and its suburbs. Nick Ashdown and his family were grief-stricken 12 years ago when Rob, his younger brother, was declared dead in a boating accident. Weyman's Nick is hesitant, compassionate, and charmingly self-deprecating. Listeners and the Ashdowns are astonished when... Read More

Andrew Mcintosh's narration suits the mood of this detective novel, set in Glasgow in 1973. A Scottish rock star is found dead in his motel room at the same time that a 15-year-old girl is reported missing. Are the events connected and can down-and-out police detective Harry McCoy put the pieces together? Be warned, this is not an easy listen. Mcintosh speaks with a thick... Read More

Wonderfully narrated by Sherry Baines, this psychological thriller is fraught with uncertainty, possibility, and quiet menace. Reflecting appropriate anxiety and tension, Baines delivers the story of Esther, a former teacher who is obsessed with the deaths of her unfaithful husband and their two children in a traffic accident. Witnessing her next-door neighbor's abusive... Read More

Annmarie O'Connor is the no-nonsense friend we all need to help us make more room in our closets. As author and narrator, she gives us her wardrobe decluttering and downsizing advice in bite-size chunks. These short and to-the-point segments are easy to listen to while out on a run or doing errands. O'Connor's upbeat style feels like having a personal organizer alongside while... Read More

Narrator Ruairi Conaghan has unflappable charisma and dry wit to spare--he's that professor you wish you'd had in college. Here he delivers a wealth of information on human biological history, social development, and death. O'Neill, a biochemist, has written a fascinating work that offers insights about the nature of human existence, how we've come to survive as a species, how... Read More

Narrator Roslyn Oades's enthusiastic delivery enlivens this audiobook about an orphan girl who finds the strength to rise from despised servant to liberator of her people. Set in an island nation and told partly in verse, Aissa's story begins when her noble-born mother rejects her because of a birth defect. The girl ends up as a castle slave until she is chosen to go to the... Read More

A chance encounter with a forbidding tree in the forest connects the destinies of Penny and David with those of Pog, a hairy, diminutive, magical woodland creature. Australian narrator Cecelia Ramsdale matches Pog's primitive, natural, and otherworldly essence with a voice that suggests gravel tumbling through running water. Penny speaks with an older sister's authority, trying... Read More

Fiona Brennan offers a complete path for changing negative mindsets into positive ones using six steps of transformation. In a friendly and loving tone, she introduces the concept of positive thinking, explains the six characteristics that are needed to overcome negativity, and provides techniques such as journaling, meditations, and breathing exercises to bring listeners... Read More

Intrigue abounds in the Kings Cross neighborhood of Sydney, Australia, in this immersive audiobook. Narrator Cecelia Ramsdale's Australian accent provides entry into a country mired in economic depression and class conflict in the early 1930s. When a sex worker is found murdered in a low-income apartment complex, aspiring crime novelist Joan Linderman and her roommate, Bernice,... Read More

Narrator Katherine Tonkin enchants listeners with her soft, melodic voice in this story of artistic melancholy and identity search. Born to two artists, Zelda is adopted by her parents' patrons as a baby. She writes about her upbringing and later her artistic aspirations in her diary. Overall, she feels threatened by the high expectations that come from being born of artistic... Read More

Narrator Ryan Ireland's style is ideal for this boisterous audiobook in which the storyteller either forgets what he's talking about or keeps interrupting the action. Huggabie Falls is said to be the weirdest place on earth. Listeners will join Aussies Kip, Tobias, and Cymphany (she's the only normal person in town) as they try to stop the unthinkable: Huggabie Falls becoming... Read More

Narrator Patrick Harvey's spot-on characterizations and excellent pacing enliven this story of an Australian boy who is trying to overcome his constant worrying. Henry is not looking forward to a summer camping trip with his family and friends. There may be sharks in the ocean or snakes in the fields, and then there's that new bicycle without the training wheels that everyone... Read More

Narrator Sophie Weiss evokes the compassion and reassurance that characterize Kate James's life-coaching collection on mindfulness. James wants her listeners to discover more about themselves and become more adaptable to life's changes as a path to happiness. Weiss's tone is gentle and serene, her pace smooth and conversational. With warm sophistication and understanding, she... Read More

Delivering this story of female empowerment, narrator Evanna Lynch expresses the anxieties and desperation of its two protagonists. Vittoria Devine and Lilly Power meet on a plane and spontaneously concoct a STRANGER ON A TRAIN plot to deal with the men in their lives. Lynch uses a tone of simmering rage as Lilly describes her brother's feckless loss of the family business. In... Read More

Narrator Imogen Sage delivers a commanding performance in this exquisite young adult fantasy full of political intrigue. Sylvie knows that her power to create illusions entitles her to a place in the court of the Amber Empress despite her lowly upbringing. To earn her place, she must accept sponsorship from Sunder, whose unpredictable personality switches from charmingly... Read More

This character-driven novel takes place largely in contemporary Sydney. Australian narrator Maria Angelico is familiar with the varied accents found in all areas of the country. Three voices tell the story, providing diverse perspectives on relationships, friendships, and the question of who owns the house on Dalhousie Street. Angelico presents her listeners with a youthful,... Read More

Paul English, who has narrated all of the Monsarrat historical mysteries, knows his characters well, which increases the pleasure of this series set in Australia's penal colony days. This time Monsarrat and his Irish housekeeper and co-investigator, Mrs. Mulroony, scrutinize the murder of a man who made it his business to know everyone else's business. Written by the prolific... Read More

Turning the prose and poetry of Orr's historical tale into an audiobook works well in telling the story of Leira, a well-born girl of Bronze Age Crete. On her first day of instruction in becoming a priestess, an earthquake changes the lives of everyone on her island forever. Rosalyn Oades's dramatic narration portrays the characters' increasingly dangerous situation, Mama's... Read More

A mysterious manuscript, a brutal murder, a revenge plot, and a colorful cast of characters make this mystery a fast-paced, entertaining listen. The latest Brock and Kolla novel does not disappoint, with John Voce providing a superb narration. Detective Chief Inspector Kathy Kolla investigates a series of brutal attacks on Hampstead Heath, and the pressure mounts to find the... Read More

Australian narrator Stig Wemyss portrays a wide range of characters in this collection of three short, suspenseful stories about children surviving unexpected perils. In "A Different Dog," Wemyss voices the increasingly fearful thoughts of a selectively mute boy who is lost in the woods. In "A Different Boy," his voices contrast a young orphan and the gruff, uncaring adults in... Read More

The history of Colombia is filled with violence, terror, and heaping doses of revenge, all of which are present in this exceptional audiobook. Narrated primarily by Brian J. Ramos, with an assist from author Rusty Young, the novel focuses on 16-year old Pedro Gutiérrez, who cares little about his country's internal conflicts until guerrillas execute his father before his eyes,... Read More

Narrator Candida Gubbins's smooth voice contrasts with the miserable life of a girl named Clementine, who lives with her wicked, thieving Aunt Vermilia and Uncle Rufus. As Clementine wonders how she might ever go beyond the basement room where she is confined and the dreary city where she's trapped, her brave cat, Gilbert, helps her find the magic and strength she needs to... Read More

While working as an Arabic translator for the Paris police department, Patience Portefeux finds the solution to her own financial woes and a way to fund her mother's increasing care costs as she creates a double life for herself as an unlikely drug-gang boss. Narrator Julia Franklin does a wonderful job of bringing 53-year-old Patience and a wide selection of colorful... Read More

Narrator Julia Winwood evokes the challenges of living in London's East End in the mid-nineteenth century. Soul-wrenching poverty, filthy conditions, and fatal illness prevail. Widow Ellen O'Casey struggles to support her family, taking in laundry by day, singing at a seedy pub at night, and saving every possible penny for passage to New York. Winwood captures both Ellen's... Read More

Dominic Smith creates a remarkable tapestry woven from strands of history, while narrator Greg Lockett turns them into indelible moments for the listener. In 1890s Chicago, Owen Graves, who has always been interested in relics and artifacts, is hired by insurance mogul Hale Gray to go on an expedition to Melanesia--but he must take along Gray's ne'er-do-well son, Jethro. Along... Read More

Talented Scottish narrator Sarah Barron takes listeners through concrete steps and important practices aimed at achieving gender equality in our culture. This richly detailed audiobook emphasizes women in politics, the fight against violence perpetrated upon women and those of non-traditional genders, the dangers of the advertising and beauty industries, and what can be done to... Read More

This warm audiobook offers multiple impressions of the word "sunshine." First, Sunshine is the name of a place, a hamlet deep in remote Australia. There, characters ably portrayed by Paul English and Katherine Tonkin try to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of The Great War. Immersed in the darkness of survivors' guilt and horrifying memories, they turn their faces toward... Read More

The listener will hang onto narrator Humphrey Bower's every word in this gripping psychological thriller, well suited to audio. Bower's Nick Kelly sounds like everybody's idea of a media-happy tough-guy NYPD detective as he investigates a string of murders. Serial killer Michael Fisher seeks fame as an artist by arranging his victims in gruesome versions of famous paintings,... Read More

Speaking in a broad Aussie accent, Caroline Lee narrates Ham's story of farming in New South Wales. It's a dry place with limited water that is bound to get scarcer. Water is what the farmers fight for in a "no-holds-barred" war for survival. Each character is presented with a slightly different accent and a distinctive attitude--from the wily Neralie Mackintosh, who left her... Read More

This multidimensional audiobook about family, love, and determination is set in Australia and spans several decades, beginning in the 1940s. Narrator Jennifer Vuletic creates effective distinctions between sisters Shannon and Jess. After overcoming poverty, betrayal, and loss, Shannon has the opportunity to purchase Charles Green Island--where she fell in love. When she is... Read More

Narrators Paul English and Eloise Oxer bring the past and future together in this genre-bending novel, which spans centuries. Oxer's smooth pacing and use of a Scottish accent transport listeners to 1860s Edinburgh. There, Leonora feels haunted by a lustful man named Jeff, portrayed by English, who inhabits her mind and watches her everyday life using an advanced piece of... Read More