Karen Chilton's performance brings listeners close to the lives detailed in this story collection. Sanders's works are linked by the friction that emerges when family members and co-workers encounter each other in various shared spaces, sometimes begrudgingly. The stories revolve around a Black family, primarily in the Washington, DC, area, where a cross section of affluence,... Read More

Four narrators deliver a YA epistolary novel set at the end of the nineteenth century. Sophia, Polly, and Tirzah were friends at school but have now gone their separate ways: Sophia to London, Polly to Liverpool, and Tirzah to Scotland. The narrators imbue the characters' ensuing letters with the emotions of each girl as she overcomes her personal difficulties. Dowd gives voice... Read More

Listeners will hear a fun performance in this reluctant contemporary romance. Nami's tech start-up is about to be taken over by another tech giant, the company for which her high school rival, Jae, now works. While the takeover is definitely hostile, the relationship between Nami and Jae is much more complex. Will the rivals turn into lovers? Narrators Donald Chang and Chieko... Read More

The narrating trio of Frankie Corzo, Robb Moreira, and Victoria Villarreal add warmth and expressiveness to this mystery involving two families. When Isabella was five, her baby sister disappeared from their home in Puerto Rico. Twenty-five years later, Marianna, living in New York, takes a DNA test that is a match to Isabella. Wanting to write a magazine article about faulty... Read More

A charming story and two narrators exuding energy and warmth knock it out of the park. Simon Vance is Olivetti, a typewriter who breaks the "typewriterly" code of silence to spill his tapestry of tales in order to find his missing owner. Vance brings a gentle, snarky tone to Olivetti as he dismisses books as "one-hit wonders" and the laptop as "a show-off," delivering his... Read More

Alma Cuervo's warm, rich timbre and measured style suit this captivating audiobook. Her delivery works perfectly as she emulates the author's empathetic tone and wit. This is a vividly imagined story of a novelist whose nom de plume is Scheherazade. She leaves Vermont and returns to her native Dominican Republic to bury her untold (unfinished) works. The plot takes a satisfying... Read More

Rachel Botchan impressively conveys this disturbing story based on an actual unsolved murder in 1800s Killingly, Connecticut, and Boston. When Mount Holyoke student Bertha Mellish disappears, listeners meet her family and other students from the college, including her best friend, Agnes. Botchan deftly re-creates the period diction, snobbish members of the upper class,... Read More

Cisco Fernandez narrates this futuristic dystopian audiobook with an appropriately childlike reverence for the story's gravity. Leandro is a member of the Cascabeles, a Spanish-speaking group that is oppressed by the Pocatelans, the ruling class. When Leandro's sister is caught stealing fruit, Leandro takes the fall and ends up having his essence placed inside an ancient bird... Read More

Scottish actor Lauren Lyle brings a subtle touch to this audiobook, set in Edinburgh and featuring DCI Karen Pirie, the character Lyle also plays in the television series. Pirie and her team are in lockdown during the early days of Covid when they're drawn into a barely cold case involving a student's disappearance and a dead author's unfinished manuscript that seems to lay out... Read More

With his lovely Irish brogue, Dan Murphy narrates this follow-up to SOLAR BONES. Nealon, just released from prison, returns to his home in West Ireland, now devoid of his wife and young son and their possessions. Almost immediately, he is telephoned by a mysterious man whom Murphy fills with enough menace and specific knowledge about Nealon to make him and listeners wary of... Read More

Ben Arogundade does a fine job performing this collection of science-fiction short stories set in Africa. His steady voice helps listeners through the unfamiliar terrain of places and things, though there is no "coming together" of these stories as the title suggests. Each is set in its own reality. Most intriguing is "Saturday's Song," an African folktale of seven godlike... Read More

Felix, the son of the much admired author Dick Francis, has written a horse-racing novel worthy of his acclaimed father's series. In this colorful mystery, the distinguished Golden Voice narrator Martin Jarvis gives voice to Theo Jennings, a bloodstock auctioneer in New Market who happens to overhear two buyers discussing skullduggery and possible equine murder. Jarvis portrays... Read More

Amy Alexander's Scottish burr and nuanced delivery are perfect for this cozy collection of love stories. Who needs online dating in Edinburgh when the Perfect Passion Company can apply a more tailored and personal approach to making love matches? Katie takes over her cousin's matchmaking business and discovers it takes innovative thinking to sort out the types of people her... Read More

Actor Lili Taylor brings a wry warmth to her narration of Campbell's latest, set in Michigan's Great Massasauga Swamp, where a family contends with secrets and intergenerational trauma. Taylor portrays imperious Hermine Zook, who is raising her 11-year-old granddaughter, Dorothy, nicknamed Donkey, on a secluded island in the middle of the swamp. When tragedy strikes, Donkey's... Read More

Laura Knight Keating brings this Stonewall Award winner, a Norwegian import, to English-speaking listeners. "Seventh grade sucks," observes Tuva as she struggles to navigate both changing friendships and her growing same-sex attraction to a new classmate. She pours out her feelings to her diary, writing and illustrating moments both sweet and painful. Keating's expertly pitched... Read More

Middle-grade listeners who know narrator Ramón de Ocampo as Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley will be stunned by his display of versatility in this horror tale set in rainy New Rotterdam, a vortex of supernatural weirdness. When newcomer Emrys and two friends find a book with an eye that blinks and that talks, they're ushered into a fight against forces of evil. De Ocampo carries... Read More

AudioFile Golden Voice Simon Vance navigates former double agent/journalist John Russell through his eighth adventure. It's the bad old days of the 1950s. The Cold War is heating up, Russia and the U.S. are at loggerheads in postwar Berlin, McCarthy's witch hunt is in full swing in America, and espionage is rampant. Russell's partner, successful TV actress Effi Koenen, is to be... Read More

Precious Mustapha and Tara Tijani invite listeners into an extraordinary story based on West African mythology. On the day her uncle dies, Ozoemena becomes the unwitting heir to a supernatural family legacy. After her father's death leaves Treasure and her mother destitute, she strikes up a bargain with a strange man in the market. Mustapha voices Ozoemena as a girl who is... Read More

Mary Beard's audiobook examines the various roles of the emperor during the first three hundred years of the Roman Empire. Her voice and British accent are pleasant, and a slight lisp is not distracting. Her delivery can be a bit slow, but the pace helps comprehension and is easy to get used to. She smoothly matches tone, emphasis, and the shaping of phrases to the text while... Read More

Narrator Eva Kaminsky portrays three women who spent a night together and awoke with psychic abilities they hadn't had before. Now one of them, Phoebe, has gone missing. Talia March and Luke Rand join forces to find her and to uncover the mysteries of that lost night. They track Phoebe to a remote retreat on Night Island, where they encounter the night gardener, whom Kaminsky... Read More

This amalgamation of short stories, poems, and other genres defies categorization. Nancy Wu's performance follows suit, bringing a masterful versatility that marks each chapter with its own uniqueness. The collection opens with "Variations on a Theme from Turandot," in which a young slave slowly alters the narrative of the opera she acts in each night. The work that... Read More

Narrator Michael Crouch emotionally connects to Wes, whose reputation as a bad boy with rowdy friends, terrible grades, and a quick temper is essential to hiding his gay identity. But when Wes is dragged to a ballet performance by his mom and her potential fiancé, he is immediately enamored with Tristan, a dancer. Crouch conveys Wes's frustration with authority figures, along... Read More

In this first installment in the Dangerous Gift historical romance series, narrator Beverley Crick invokes a sense of wonder and enchantment with her nuanced performance. At the start of the nineteenth century, Bran is abandoned at birth. Decades later, his birth father finds him and informs him that he is a member of the British nobility. Bran agrees to travel to Cornwall to... Read More

After listening to this probing audiobook, listeners will never look at a dust bunny the same way again. Narrator Naomi Frederick's spot-on performance makes listening to the environmental history of our planet's dust absolutely engaging. The author, a geographer, writer, and researcher, creatively combines travel writing with history and science to argue that environmental... Read More

Narrator Dion Graham, with his ability to tap into a wide variety of voices, is the right pick for this blues-heavy novel, first published in 1998, featuring music, violence, sex, and a psychopath. Nick Travers is a former pro football player turned blues historian at Tulane University in Louisiana. He is sent to find a music professor who went missing while researching the... Read More

Narrator Eva Kaminsky sets just the right snarky tone for the protagonist of this mystery, a misanthropic ghostwriter who has been hired to help a failed presidential candidate write her memoir. But when murder intervenes, the unnamed ghostwriter and Dorothy Gibson, the candidate, decide to become amateur sleuths. Much to our ghostwriter's surprise, the two not only solve the... Read More

Narrator Rebecca Quinn Robertson offers a gritty portrait of 26-year-old Teddy Angstrom, whose life goes off the rails after her father's suicide. Soon, Teddy discovers that her father never stopped investigating the disappearance of her older sister, Angie, ten years earlier. Teddy decides to pick up the investigation herself and falls headlong into a world of... Read More

Narrator Rosalyn Landor breathes life into the romance between Ben Ellis and Lady Jennifer Arden in England circa 1800. Ben is the bastard son of an earl, and Jennifer is the sister of a duke. Due to a childhood illness, Jennifer is unable to walk, but she is happy and loving nonetheless. Ben and Jennifer encounter each other at a family house party. Landor successfully... Read More

Amy Scanlon takes over from longtime series narrator Jenny Sterlin to provide an exemplary debut performance of King's 18th Holmes/Russell adventure. Sterlin's distinctive voice and extraordinary characterizations will always echo in our memories, yet fans will welcome Scanlon's unique, engaging approach. Holmes and Russell arrive in the French countryside to visit Holmes's... Read More

Robb Moreira will amaze listeners as the sole narrator of this audiobook as he gives each character a unique voice. Anxious 14-year-old Anteres lives with his aunt in Miami. His parents, who were cartographers, vanished long ago. One day, Anteres encounters intergalactic strangers at school. Later, creatures leap out of a lightning bolt and kidnap him. Before he knows it, the... Read More

Fareeda Pasha skillfully narrates the second book in the Blackwater Falls series, featuring Detective Inaya Rahman and her boss/love interest, Lieutenant Waqas Seif. Both are from the Community Response Team. This time they are investigating two separate shootings of young men of color by two separate white police officers. Pasha captures the Colorado community's despair and... Read More

Ten-year-old Lillian Velvet is an unusual Australian girl. She's lonely, homeschooled by her rigid grandmother, and has a very proper manner of speaking. Vivian Carter perfectly portrays Lillian; her every word and tone are filled with goodness and a desperation for emotional connection. On her tenth birthday, Lillian receives her first present, a jar of gold coins that shove... Read More

Amy Scanlon and Liz Pearce create a compelling listening experience as they perform the alternating points of view of witch sisters Kaija and Minna. Their journeys diverge when Kaija leaves their woodland home for the Norwegian seaside community of their childhood and Minna, seething with hatred for the villagers who burned their mother, remains behind. The townspeople come... Read More

Nick Podehl narrates this story, which takes place over one day. Bast, a cocky fae, is apprenticed to Reshi, the keeper of the Waystone Inn, who spends his day adventuring. Children with high-pitched voices visit the lightning tree, where Bast helps them with small problems in exchange for secrets and favors. Shouting and a trembling voice capture Rike's anger at his alcoholic... Read More

Christina Moore gives an expert performance of this third captivating episode featuring Italian police superintendent Teresa Battaglia. Teresa is drawn out of semi-retirement to interview imprisoned serial killer Giacomo Mainardi. Secretly dealing with an Alzheimer's diagnosis, Teresa fears her policing days are over. Her meeting with Mainardi releases a flood of memories,... Read More

In this classic tale of true love versus duty, narrator Sophie Amoss gives a thrilling performance that teen fantasy lovers will adore. Tana Fairchild is a young witch who was raised for one thing only: to marry Landon, the Governor's son from the mainland, whom she does not know. Tana is fine with this until she meets Wolfe, a witch from the old coven who practices the... Read More

Even with the large number of Chinese and Russian place and character names, listeners will be rewarded by Catherine Ho's performance of this fascinating historical novel. Sun "Yomei" Weishi (1921-1968), adoptive daughter of Zhou Enlai, is selected to leave China to study acting in Moscow. Ho delivers Yomei's vivid accounts of political upheaval, harsh conditions, and her... Read More

What happens when Murderbot has a mental breakdown and can no longer reliably perform its duties? Kevin R. Free narrates the latest installment in the Murderbot Diaries. In a story taking place immediately after NETWORK EFFECT, Murderbot, ART, and their associated humans continue to assist colonists on a planet marked for corporate salvage. Free’s depiction of Murderbot’s... Read More

Acclaimed author Jason Reynolds nimbly narrates his celebration of Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes. Based on a picture of a real party in Hughes's honor at the Schomburg Center, this loving tribute is alive with rhythm. As Reynolds describes how Hughes excelled at making words dance to his tune, he makes his own words dance. He creates an irresistible feedback loop... Read More

Sarah Naudi offers a luminous narration of Harvey's latest sci-fi, which follows four astronauts and two cosmonauts aboard a space station orbiting the Earth. In a measured, thoughtful tone, Naudi provides a window on the crew's life in orbit, from the dreary mundanity of a malfunctioning toilet to the unsettling awe brought forth by a space walk. The crew members reach for... Read More

Moira Quirk and Samuel Roukin take listeners on a thrilling voyage filled with magic and piracy. Mary and Samuel both want something related to the powerful pirate lord, Lirr. Mary wants him dead, while Samuel wants justice. Samuel and Mary make a great team; he is an expert seaman, and she can calm the waters with her voice. The dual narrators offer vastly different... Read More

Rebecca Soler's captivating narration, coupled with Teddy Hamilton's collaborative touch, plunges listeners into the spellbinding realm of Basgiath War College. Chronicling Violet Sorrengail's unyielding fortitude amid grueling trials, encounters with dragons, and intricate relationships, the story emphasizes action and camaraderie over romantic involvements. The intense... Read More

Suzanne Toren's exquisite enunciation and no-nonsense manner meld beautifully with Donna Leon's sardonic, witty reflections on Venice and its denizens. Author of the much loved mystery series featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti, American-born Leon has made her home in the watery city for more than 40 years. Many of her Brunetti mysteries are built around Venice's essential... Read More

Kate Forbes provides a no-nonsense narration of Thompson's popular series. Elizabeth Bates is devoted to getting the 19th Amendment passed. The amendment has been approved by 35 states. Only one more is needed, Tennessee. Elizabeth comes from a long line of con artists and can spot corruption when she sees it. She's astounded by how much of it she's seeing as bankers, railroad... Read More

Tim Gerard Reynolds returns with another installment in the rich sci-fi saga Red Rising. Eight months after DARK AGE, Darrow and his team defend Mars against Lysander, a force working against the Rising. Throughout his mission, Darrow must re-form long-forgotten relationships and create new alliances though he longs to return home to his family. Reynolds's expert performance... Read More

Moira Quirk does an excellent job portraying a variety of senior citizens who are burdened with ailments in this mystery. Agnes Sharp opens Sunset Hall in rural England so she and other geriatrics can age together. When there's a murder next door, the Sunset Hall residents, who are hiding a body in a shed, sense an opportunity: They'll blame that death on the unknown killer.... Read More

Productivity expert Jon Acuff narrates his latest audiobook with spontaneity and energy that are absolutely infectious. Part of what makes him connect so strongly with his audience is his frequent use of off-script asides and personal stories--what he calls "bonus content." These impromptu comments, delivered enthusiastically, never fail to energize and entertain. Along with... Read More

Forgiveness is misused because it's more complicated than people think, according to an articulate philosopher and expert on emotions and society. You can forgive someone, but what if you're still angry or wary of further transgressions? Are there times when forgiveness should be conditional or withheld altogether? Tracey Conyer Lee narrates with the vocal character of an older... Read More

Libby McKnight elegantly narrates a fictionalized history of the courtship and marriage of widow Edith Bolling Galt and the 28th U.S. president, widower Woodrow Wilson. McKnight delivers the deeply personal exchanges between the couple with a perfect understanding of the exquisitely romantic Wilson and the uncertain Galt. This period piece culls from official documents and... Read More

Colin Mace portrays the two seniors in this novel. Wittold Walccyzkiecz, a Polish pianist specializing in Chopin, falls in love with the woman who organized his concert in Barcelona. With skill and empathy, Mace uses pauses, changes in pitch, and emphasis as he navigates the complicated plot. Wittold's pursuit of Beatriz is deliberate and sensuous. Mace enhances the story's... Read More

Jasmin Walker narrates the story of a woman who returns home for the holidays and unexpectedly finds love. Starr is surprised to see her brother's friend Waylon at her family's Thanksgiving celebration. Neither is the type to have a fling, but their attraction is undeniable. As the year's end approaches, so does Starr's time in DC. Both characters rely on their deep faith to... Read More

Anne Enright, Aoife Duffin, Owen Roe, and Liza Ross perform Enright's latest novel. Duffin narrates the perspective of Nell, a 20-something who is navigating the complexities of young love and desire. When she meets her new boyfriend's parents, they only want to talk about her grandfather, the famous Irish poet Phil McDaragh. Duffin beautifully captures the frustration and... Read More

Robert Ian Mackenzie returns to portray Bruno Courrèges, chief of police in a small town in Dordogne, France. After a high-ranking official in the French Secret Service is injured during a historical reenactment, Bruno and his team set out to discover whether it was an accident or something more sinister. Mackenzie's fondness for the characters shines as he creates highly... Read More

This legal thriller features a fed-up public defender in rural Virginia. David Aaron Baker shines as the weary and beleaguered attorney Andy Hughes, who is defending the crooked and sinister Damian Bullins. Bullins is on trial for murdering the wife of a wealthy businessman. Baker's performance enables listeners to empathize with Hughes's disillusioned view of the legal system.... Read More

Sharmila Devar and Pranshu Mishra tap into the emotional turmoil of a marriage on the rocks in a Hindu-inspired eco-fictional world in which humans fight for their lives amid devastating storms. As an archaeologist, Ahilya knows the importance of studying the remaining vestiges of human civilization. As a senior architect with the ability to control plants, her husband, Iravan,... Read More

With a captivating ensemble of narrators, this audiobook delivers an electrifying experience. Liv Anderson embodies the witty and determined Princess Kali, infusing her performance with delightful touches. Mysterious and heroic, Samara Naeymi lends depth and charisma to the mercenary Ian, ensuring every moment is enthralling. Mia Barron skillfully navigates the growth and... Read More

Narrators Chris Nelson and Justis Bolding's heartwarming and comical performance will have listeners immersed in the unlikely relationship between interns Oliver and Tilly as they trek across Europe on a business trip with Tilly's sister's start-up. Bolding's voice is quick and bright when portraying Tilly, a creative whose boundless energy is often stifled by her family... Read More

There are many things to love about this retelling of Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET, and Sheila Atim's narration is one of them. This feminist prequel to the well-known romance shares the story of Rosaline Capulet and her encounter with Romeo as he tries his best to woo her. Atim's tonal variations and vocal range allow listeners to relax and examine this new perspective. When... Read More

Narrator Elizabeth Sastre adopts a gentle voice for this complex, sometimes puzzling, mystery about the disappearance of Lucy Theddle in 1951. The story is told in 2018 by Edie Green, an octogenarian with aphasia and dementia who was Lucy's best friend. Aided by her intrepid, cheerful granddaughter, Amy, soft-voiced Edie follows sketchy clues plumbed from her memories. In... Read More

David Rintoul returns to the role of Detective Ulf Varg in another charming trip to the Department of Sensitive Crimes. This time around Alexander McCall Smith's tongue-in-cheek take on the dour Scandi noir genre sees Ulf investigating the missing cabin of a bacon magnate while negotiating potential downsizing at work. Meanwhile, Ulf's girlfriend is convinced that his deaf dog,... Read More

Gerard Doyle performs this stand-alone dispatch from Mick Herron's cynical "spook street" world with such dry resignation that it is often laugh-out-loud funny, or would be if it weren't so believable. In his Slough House novels (and their TV adaptations, the riveting "Slow Horses") Herron is doing for MI-5 what Dickens did for Chancery and the Circumlocution Office. This novel... Read More

Suzanne Toren gives an exemplary performance of this memoir by Donna Leon, author of the Commissario Brunetti mystery series. Leon, who is in her 80s, shares illuminating vignettes of her family; her love of reading, tennis, and opera; her travels and her life in Venice; and her peripatetic career path in a life she describes as "unplanned." Toren's rich, elegant voice helps... Read More

Tamika Katon-Donegal narrates a contemporary YA audiobook with a twist. Sisters Casey and Sutton have a contentious relationship that is fraught with arguments and mutual ill will. After Sutton disappears for weeks, Casey notices that when she returns, her mean-girl personality has changed. Casey soon realizes it isn't an act. Trying to figure out what happened to her sister,... Read More

Narrators Ariana Delawari and Vaneh Assadourian portray best friends Layla and Mira after a road trip mishap leaves them stranded in a motel. Their room is inhabited by a dark force, voiced by narrator Ramiz Monsef. The room wants Mira because she carries the burden of her brother's death; Assadourian's mature and measured voice works well for the mourning teen as she and Layla... Read More

Jonathan Todd Ross's performance captures the growing unreliability of this novel's narrator, while maintaining the story's humor and tragedy. This is no small feat because the audiobook requires this deft, complicated tone throughout its entire running time. Seth is an up-and-coming copywriter until he's let go. He finds work in a coffee shop, discovering the numbing effects... Read More

If you've ever found yourself curious about how and why the Supreme Court does what it does--particularly during the past decade or so--this audiobook is for you. Graham Winton offers a measured yet compelling delivery of Sunstein's interpretations of recent major Court decisions and how they impact all Americans. The arguments on the correct way to interpret the Constitution... Read More

Tim Fannon narrates this world food tour crisply and deliberately. His delivery style is reminiscent of a news reporter's and captures the author's enthusiasm for discovering the unusual--for example, there's a long early chapter on insects. But listeners should persevere: Enlightening stories on Roman fish sauce, neolithic bread, British farmhouse cheese, and an endangered... Read More

Nadia Albina is a powerful narrator of this inventive novel, which features a prodigal daughter returning home from a long-term self-exile abroad. Sonia Nasir is a British Palestinian actor who returns to the West Bank discouraged and tired. The powerful narrative tone conveys Sonia's myriad emotions when she is tasked with staging a performance of HAMLET. Albina's heartful... Read More

Aaliya Warbus and Jordan Waunch team up to deliver this twisty story about identity, family, and long-held secrets. In Maine, the summer begins like any other. Seasonal workers, including Indigenous families from Canada, are harvesting fruit in the fields. When four-year-old Ruthie disappears, the consequences are lasting, especially for her siblings. Warbus and Waunch trade... Read More

James Babson's fine performance of this audiobook reflects the story's Nevada setting--it's mostly relaxed and without a lot of unnecessary drama. The story is told through the eyes of Sheriff Porter Beck, an ex-military intelligence officer whose small department is stretched to its limit when the tortured, mutilated body of an ex-FBI man is found in his jurisdiction. The case... Read More

Jake Fairbrother, Ryan Forde Iosco, and Charlotte Davey share narrator duties. Rao, a former MI6 agent with an uncanny ability to know whether a person is telling the truth, and Adam, an American intelligence officer, are investigating a drug that materializes people's fondest memories--although it causes a psychic break with sometimes fatal consequences. Fairbrother takes the... Read More

Olivia Dowd is so good at delivering this history that it's like listening to a historical novel set in the sixteenth century. Dowd gives each woman a unique voice in this true account of the lives of Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France; her daughter, Elisabeth de Valois, Queen of Spain; and Catherine's daughter-in-law, Mary, Queen of Scots. The production provides hours of... Read More

Narrator Sophie Amoss infuses an engaging blend of fun and thoughtfulness into this contemporary sapphic romance set in the world of show business. Nina Rice, an aspiring screenwriter who ghostwrites celebrity correspondence for a talent agency, meets one of her clients, the effortlessly cool actress Ari Fox. Their simmering chemistry quickly turns into a discreet,... Read More

Sneha Mathan's warm midrange voice and sensitive character portraits enhance the pleasures of Sujata Massey's fourth mystery featuring Perveen Mistry, a female solicitor in 1920s Bombay. In this case, Mistry seeks justice for a wrongly accused servant while also investigating the crime for which the woman has been charged. Massey interweaves the complex story with details of... Read More

Alison Hiroto's light, sweet voice is well suited to Aki Ito, the protagonist in Hirahara's Japantown mysteries, set just after WWII. In this sequel to the award-winning CLARK AND DIVISION, we find Aki and her parents resettled in Los Angeles. Working as a nurse's aide at the Japanese hospital, Aki encounters an elderly Issei man with suspicious injuries. When a murder occurs... Read More

Elle Cleviden gives a quiet but satisfying performance of this queer contemporary romance. Parkie is a disabled white woman who is working as an appraiser for a New York auction house. Glory is a Black artist who's just inherited her great-aunt's Harlem brownstone. The two hit it off immediately when Glory brings in her aunt's belongings for appraisal. They soon get caught up... Read More

Narrator Alyssa Bresnahan affects a hypnotic tone, drawing the listener into a groovy, magical world in which pregnant women live without men in an expansive Victorian manor house in the woods in rural California. Their sons live there, as well. Sharon, who has changed her name to Ursa, collects "the mamas" to protect them and to allow participants to "transport" to the past.... Read More

John Skelley narrates this first installment of a new fantasy series. The story is told through multiple points of view: A girl is sold into sex slavery by her mother. A father and son command a merchant fleet on the verge of war, leaving behind their daughter/sister, who is a political prisoner at court. A feral young man embarks on a magical quest in which he matches wits... Read More

Narrators Xe Sands, Laural Merlington, and Jeannie Sheneman inhabit an assortment of ordinary people who are trying to understand their world and themselves. Bookstore owner Harlow secretly had a baby when she was 17. She gave him up to a loving couple, SanJay and Monica Patel. Now, eighteen years later, Harlow's son, Matthew, walks into her bookstore, and she faints. As Harlow... Read More

Shayna Small introduces Fatima Tate, a 17-year-old who chafes at the overprotectiveness of her conservative Black Muslim parents. But she also shows devotion to her religion and is passionate about her deepest desire to become a patissiere (baker). Enter Raheem. Small adopts a gravelly voice to portray this wealthy, handsome "Muslim prince." Small's portrayal of Fatima's... Read More

Kirsten Leigh and Lance Greenfield sweep listeners away to rural Wyoming, where they are treated to a crazy 80s-style destination wedding that is televised for reality TV. Thea Pope, a shy paleontologist who is the bridezilla's sister, just wants to get through the hellish wedding and begin her summer field work. When her sister pushes her too far, she decides to indulge in an... Read More

The protean Ballerini brings his fine voice, masterful tempo, and impeccable Italian to this audiobook. His voice, delivery, and simpatico sensibilities for the late Italo Calvino give this collection a sense of a celebration of the novelist/essayist/folklorist's reviews, essays, and other literary offerings. Calvino, who died in the 1980s, lives in these nonfiction works.... Read More

Lorraine Avila's familiarity with the world she describes and facility with code-switching are strong pluses in her narration of this story. In school 16-year-old Yolanda Alvarez leads courageous discussions about race, deals with her hearing difficulties, falls in love for the first time, and worries about the violent visions she's recently had. Her frightening perceptions are... Read More

Tom Lowe is broke, rudderless, and approaching toxic levels of bitterness as this audiobook opens. Once he proudly defined himself as a devoted husband, father, and carpenter; now, following an accident, he can't define himself at all. Dubus works narrative magic here. Without giving too much away, know that Tom's story is ultimately a satisfying one and Dubus navigates that... Read More

Shayna Small performs this powerful story of African magical realism, time travel, and survival in an unfair world. In the modern day, Blue begins to hear voices after the horrifying murder of her daughter hundreds of miles away. Almost 200 years in the past, her ancestors discover a plan to keep Blue's family in economic slavery. They use magic that spans generations and... Read More

Suzanne Toren delivers this absorbing discussion of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's contributions to the nation during WWII. She expanded the role of first lady during wartime by becoming actively involved in social issues and by traveling widely. In 1943, Eleanor visited with troops stationed in the Pacific Theater, providing practical support through the Red Cross and... Read More

Amin El Gamal narrates this story of a Syrian refugee family in an approachable manner, creating characters who sound familiar to the listener. In a voice only slightly tinged with an accent, El Gamal creates subtle yet noticeable differences between the two protagonists. When their city is attacked and their father martyred, Omar and Sufyan flee with their mother and younger... Read More

Narrator Rosalyn Landor immerses listeners in London society in 1815. Lady Philippa Ware is having her first season since scandal rocked her family. She is an instant success and becomes entangled with Lucas Arden's family. The grandson of a duke, Lucas has been commanded by his grandfather to marry and produce an heir. But years ago, Lucas insulted Philippa, and estrangement... Read More

Barbara Rosenblat's resonant tones sparkle as she re-creates familiar characters, and introduces listeners to new ones, in this seventh installment of Ellicott's Beryl and Edwina Mysteries. The intrepid private enquiry agents set out from their busy lives in the village of Walmsley Parva at the urgent request of Miss DuPont, headmistress of the very proper finishing school they... Read More

Narrator Lewis Fitz-Gerald adds a profound sense of loss and despair to the forlorn character of Tommy Llewellyn. The magical realism of Thompson's take on identity harkens to the best of "The Twilight Zone." As Fitz-Gerald describes the details of the mysterious "Reset" in a tone of wonder, it dawns on the listener just what's happening. The universe erases every detail of... Read More

Katie Siegel performs her own work, a witty mystery that follows the former child detective Charlotte Illes, who is persuaded to do some sleuthing on behalf of her brother. It soon develops into something sinister. Siegel's top-quality narration reflects her unique insight and obvious fondness for the characters. She creates fully believable characters in Charlotte and her... Read More

Narrator Jasmine Walker delivers a genuine and delightful performance that invites listeners to follow along with first-year law student Simone Alexander. Fed up with being a chef in sunny California, Simone leaves it to the shake of a magic 8-ball to dictate where she takes on law school. The result is frigid Michigan. Once there, she soon finds out she is underprepared, but... Read More

George Guidall once again enchants listeners with his performance of the characters in this 19th audiobook in Craig Johnson's Longmire series. Guidall's rich, weathered tones perfectly convey Sheriff Walt Longmire--Guidall's voice is now synonymous with the character in the audiobooks. With deft skill, Guidall navigates shifts in rhythm, pitch, and accent, smoothly... Read More

Scottish actor David Rintoul delights in this offbeat, witty collection of stories from the author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and other series. Laughter-inducing and wry, the clever tales offer a mix of exquisite retribution and snoops, both accidental and intentional. Settings in such far-flung locations as Algiers, Melbourne, rural England, Shanghai, and the... Read More

Alyssa Bresnahan narrates a satirical novel about the climate crisis. Cat lives in Florida with her frequently absent fiancé. On impulse she buys a pet snake for company. In California her brother, Cooper, an entomologist, loses an arm to an infected tick bite. Bresnahan manages to make both Cat and Cooper believably sympathetic without softening their unlikable personality... Read More

"What if I can't be Indian in Los Angeles?" worries 11-year-old Regina, voiced by Jennifer Bobiwash, a member of the Mississauga First Nation, in this story based on author McManus's own experiences. When the Umpqua girl's family is uprooted from their reservation home in Oregon in 1957 and relocated to the city, misunderstandings, microaggressions, and out-and-out racism... Read More

Tamika Katon-Donegal narrates this breezy romance about Andrea, a queer disabled teen who's determined to have the best summer ever--even if it means falling out of love with her best friend, Hailee, who she's not sure returns her feelings. Katon-Donegal is fantastic when it comes to capturing all of Andrea's excitement and butterflies-in-the-stomach feelings. Her character... Read More

Primarily known as one of our finest novelists, Jane Smiley is also an essayist of considerable style and grace. This audiobook combines autobiography, travel, literary criticism, and history, often in the same essay. Although her phrasing is sometimes a little stilted, especially in the more academic passages, she is writing and narrating about subjects of personal importance... Read More

This audio collection of essays and sketches is a marriage of good storytellers. Author John McPhee has the ability to make topics like plate tectonics, commercial shipping, and life under Covid lockdown interesting, as well as informative. Combine that with the mellow voice of Grover Gardner, and you have a work that nearly any listener will enjoy. The audiobook is a... Read More

Rebecca Yarros's exceptional fantasy novel comes to life through the performances of Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton. Bookish Violet, who planned to become a scholar, has been ordered by the General (her mother) to become a dragon rider instead. Soler's narration captures the intensity of battle scenes and the complexities of relationships. Her ability to differentiate voices... Read More

With casual ease, Sandy Rustin takes listeners through the aftermath of a massive flood that leaves death and destruction in a Texas town. Apprentice private investigator Annie McIntyre nervously takes on a missing-person case for an old frenemy, Bethany Richter, and uncovers a series of murders and long buried secrets. Rustin's delivery becomes more tense as McIntyre tries to... Read More

Abraham Verghese is a rarity among authors--a gifted writer who is also a dramatic narrator. Once you listen to his nuanced, emotionally charged performance, you'll be convinced that no one else could have better captured the dialects, tones, and cadences of his mostly Indian characters. He also portrays a Scot and an American, among others, and adroitly changes his pitch for... Read More

Elizabeth Sastre delivers an upbeat narration of the second in this WWII mystery series. Someone is breaking into air raid shelters, stealing whatever valuables can be sold on the black market. When a body is found in a shelter, WPC Billie Harkness must convince her police colleagues that she's as capable as the male officers. When she starts asking too many questions, she runs... Read More

The eccentric members of the Marlow Murder Club are back for more sleuthing adventures. Thorogood has once again crafted an amusing and taut cozy mystery, animated by another superb performance from Nicolette McKenzie. Her expert delivery brings back the subtle character differentiation that made the first audiobook such an enjoyable listening experience. Especially delightful... Read More

With Rosalyn Landor's performance, time falls away. Listeners are transported to the sixteenth century with all its intrigues and betrayals. Book 2 in Weir's Tudor Rose trilogy speculates on the motives behind mass murderer, adulterer, and bigamist Henry VIII. Listeners of Weir's "Six Wives" series will find themselves in familiar company--yet here the characters are viewed... Read More

Sold into slavery at an early age in 1751, Phillis Wheatley asserted her natural genius and became a poet celebrated in the American colonies and Britain. This audiobook serves a double role as a historical biography and a literary one. Kim Staunton's able narration serves both aspects well. She keeps the narrative flowing despite the author's overly detailed digressions on... Read More

In his 60th year, during Covid, as his marriage is ending, Dave Pelzer, author of A CHILD CALLED IT, seizes the moment to examine his incredible life. Narrator Tim Fannon provides a solid and steady voice even during the gruesome scenes of horrific abuse Pelzer suffered as a child at the hands of his mother. Here Pelzer reflects on being trapped in the basement as a child, his... Read More

Narrator Jennifer O'Donnell perfectly embodies former FBI agent Corie Geller in the second installment in this series. With a blend of intelligence, sassiness, compassion, and sarcastic humor, O'Donnell's performance brings Geller to life. She and her father, a retired NYPD detective, investigate an attack on April Brown, the only survivor of a twenty-year-old arson case that... Read More

The author's latest Joe Pickett audiobook has the Wyoming game warden finding a body, which leads to a lot of questions involving a lot of people. Also, a fringe militant group is pressuring his pal Nate, a falconer, to join. Add town politics, and Pickett finds himself embroiled in trouble. Narrator David Chandler gives Joe a steady voice that reflects his personality while... Read More

Narrator Morgan Hallett builds the tension as soon as this romantic mystery opens. First, a former client attempts to kidnap psychic dream consultant Prudence Ryland. Later, when Prudence moves to a new town, she is actually kidnapped, left next to a dead man, and framed for his murder. To her surprise, Jack Wingate, an associate of the local crime boss, offers to help. Hallett... Read More

Samuel Roukin narrates the sixth legal/investigative case of Daniel Pitt and his wife, Miriam fford Croft, a forensic pathologist. Pitt, an experienced barrister, teams up with King's Counsel Gideon Hunter to prosecute the ruthless, charismatic, and philanthropic Malcolm Vayne, who is accused of bilking investors. Half detective story, half courtroom drama, the case revolves... Read More

Narrator Jenny Sterlin performs this convoluted mystery of spies and murders that revolve around the Peninsula Campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars. It's June 1815. Aristocrat Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, teams up with Irish surgeon Paul Gibson after Gibson examines the mutilated corpse of Major Miles Sedgewick, a spy for Britain and a bigamist. When more corpses turn up,... Read More

Jasmin Walker and William DeMeritt deftly capture the nuances of these short stories, a mix of horror, suspense, and science fiction focusing on racism, abuse, and sexism. An introduction by the author, who is known for Black horror and Afrofuturism, helps illuminate the works. In "The Haint in the Window," DeMeritt introduces a haint (ghost) who upsets everything in a... Read More

Elisabeth Rodgers performs this WWII thriller featuring American sharpshooter Kate Rees, who undertakes clandestine missions for the British Secret Service in 1942. This story is filled with duplicitous Communists, vicious Nazis, and dangerous double agents, and there are betrayals and confusion at every turn. The action is nonstop. Kate's inner dialogue becomes a little... Read More

Once again, listeners will become engrossed in the lives of the residents of 44 Scotland Street in contemporary Edinburgh. The deep, rich voice of narrator Robert Ian Mackenzie reacquaints listeners with the denizens of the neighborhood and their mundane musings, moral quandaries, and metaphysical speculations. This sixteenth book in the series asks whether people can change... Read More

Actor and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph narrates her own self-help/memoir mash-up with drama and feeling. The audiobook is full of delicious anecdotes about her life in the theater and music business, along with personal reflections on how to succeed, how to keep going when success isn't happening, and how to treat others to maintain one's integrity. DIVA (Divinely Inspired,... Read More

Jim Frangione's resonant baritone is part of the appeal of this comprehensive guide to brain health. What's more impressive is the range of pitch patterns he uses to give natural-sounding pizzazz to sentences, phrases, and even individual words. Frangione conveys the relaxed confidence and desire to help that we associate with the prolific author, psychiatrist, and TV star... Read More

While crunching raw data at CERN, the world's most powerful particle accelerator, quantum physicist Dr. Tyson Klein discovers something he didn't expect--a distinct pattern, a message. But who or where is it from? Using an easygoing conversational tone, Ray Porter takes listeners on a thrill ride across space and time that combines three of science fiction's most beloved... Read More

This heartfelt performance by Ramón de Ocampo is a tribute to grandparents who unconditionally love their grandchildren. The author's abuela was a never-ending source of support when his own parents weren't there for him. De Ocampo lovingly performs extremely emotional scenes that recount well-paced yet scattered memories of Ogle's life. De Ocampo expresses the strife and... Read More

Grief suffuses Dion Graham's voice as he narrates high school sophomore Kermit's induction into a club no one wants to join: the club in which everyone has lost a family member. Kermit's older sister, Sheila, the only one in his Baptist family who knew he's gay, was killed by a drunk driver just days ago. He finds support in the club--and, with the charismatic, self-destructive... Read More

Australian author and musician Madelaine Lucas gives a haunting narration of this debut audiobook on love, loss, and memory. The story is told from the perspective of a 37-year-old unnamed woman who is looking back on an intense romance she had with Jude, an older artist, when she was a 24-year-old aspiring writer. Lucas's pensive tone and leisurely pacing perfectly suit the... Read More

This audiobook, a sweeping collection of new speculative fiction from Africa and people of African descent, is enjoyable and intellectually stimulating. It's largely narrated by people of a similar culture and heritage as the authors, so some of the phrasing and pacing may sound unusual to the American ear. However, these talented narrators bring authenticity and an immersive... Read More

Golden Voice narrator Martin Jarvis performs this mystery with gusto. Private investigator Sid Halley sets out to uncover the truth behind the death of his friend and finds himself drawn into a conspiracy that could bring down the world of horse racing. Jarvis, who has narrated other Francis audiobooks, brings the characters alive through his obvious familiarity with the... Read More

Actors often make the best narrators, and listeners will find that Sam Neill is no exception, or, rather, he is an exceptional example of this truth. Not only does Neill have a fascinating career that includes JURASSIC PARK and many other well-known projects, but he also has a wry sense of humor, a surprisingly unassuming view of the world and his place in it, and a seemingly... Read More

Robin Miles becomes the lively PI Emma Djan, who is the best private investigator in Accra, Ghana. This is the third installment featuring Emma as the main character, and fans of the series will find much to admire in Miles's performance. She is as entertaining as the set of crimes that Emma must solve. Miles embodies a plucky female detective we can root for. Listeners will be... Read More

David Colacci narrates a thoughtful mystery overflowing with Venetian culture and history. Number 32 in the series featuring the illustrious Commissario Guido Brunetti focuses on the horrific murder of a Sri Lankan immigrant. Brunetti met the victim before his death, but there's no proof the dead man ever existed before that. Colacci imbues the story with patient gravitas.... Read More

Vivienne Leheny guides listeners through a mystery involving a girl who fought the legal system and won--but has still been found guilty in the court of popular opinion. Alex Armstrong is living under an assumed name, doing her best to stay out of the spotlight while searching for the man who killed her family. When her family was murdered, Alex was accused due to poor police... Read More

Ray Porter's showmanship works well with this audiobook's extended introductory fable, as well as its more didactic chapters. The business author's latest audiobook focuses on personality types and how they match the job requirements of any organizational role. Written with Lencioni's engaging charm and full of memorable insights, this amiable guide describes six distinct types... Read More

Miriama McDowell and Richard Te Are take listeners on a journey to present-day Auckland, New Zealand, where they follow Maori detective Hana Westerman as she races against time to solve a series of gruesome murders that are linked to the country's violent colonial past. The use of two narrators helps listeners differentiate the different viewpoints and strengthens the intensity... Read More

Written and delivered by the father-and-daughter team of Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller, this audiobook acquaints listeners with the basics of neuroplasticity and explains how our brains interpret the world and our experiences in it. The authors also address how learning to rewrite these interpretations--narratives--can change our brains and change our lives. The duo... Read More

Tamika Katon-Donegal and Andre Santana narrate a complex family drama in a unique mash-up of magic and Afrofuturism. In the 1980s, as Cinnamon Jones struggles with the recent suicide of her brother, she's reading a book he gave her about the journey of a West African warrior woman and an alien who perform in the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Cinnamon discovers a connection between... Read More

Barrett Rollins's life unspools when his wife, Jane, collapses at work from a blood clot caused by advanced breast cancer. More shocking than the medical emergency itself is that Jane has been hiding her diagnosis for years even though both husband and wife are oncologists. Rollins has perfect narrative timing, and his performance is reflective and expressive. He evokes the... Read More

An important and often ignored part of American history is explained in this audiobook, narrated by June Angela. The Japanese American internment camps created during WWII were documented by several photographers, including Toyo Miyatake, Dorothea Lange, and Ansel Adams. The text is sparse, written and presented with unflinching honesty. Angela's voice shares the information... Read More

James Langton flawlessly presents the 21st entry--one of the best--in the Peter Diamond series. Listeners meet Detective Diamond of Bath, England, as he investigates a TV production's claim to have a "jinx" in its midst after yet another associate meets a bad end. Unforgettably rendered are Diamond's appealing team, the masterful text, and the relatable humor, part of which... Read More

Narrator Suzy Jackson brings a big, bright vocal style to this sprawling comic fantasy-adventure by Seattle-based playwright/comedian Scotto Moore. Everything is bigger-than-big in the "massive" world of the future--from a 49,500-floor elevator to a planet-sized theme park and the ages of the characters. Grandma is over 600 years old. It all begins when the reclusive and... Read More

Ariel Henley narrates her story of growing up with Crouzon syndrome, a type of facial disfigurement. She and her identical twin, Zan, both afflicted, survived face-altering surgeries as doctors broke facial bones to make room for the growing organs in their skulls. Henley's dispassionate voice is riveting as she recounts the traumas of the multiple surgeries that made the twins... Read More

Jim Frangione returns to narrate this paranormal romantic fantasy. Vasi Sidkorolyavolkva is a royal-blooded Lycan. Siv Bela is an ancient Carpathian. The two races have a tenuous truce, but a secret legacy means that Vasi carries the other half of Siv's soul, making the two opposites life mates. There is a romantic connection between Vasi and Siv--but significantly more... Read More

Natalie Naudus delivers a dynamic performance of this romantic fantasy. Elle has a lot of potential careerwise, yet she hides herself away at a fairy temp agency, performing subpar magical tasks. One day she agrees to help Luc, a highly regarded half-elf, with a complex task--despite the risk of being found out by her vengeful brother. As their adventure brings Elle and Luc... Read More

Natalie Naudus throws herself wholeheartedly into Gigi Rutherford's fantasy that the narrator of her favorite audiobook is her soulmate. Naudus plays up Gigi's longing, both for narrator Zane and for his connection to her late parents. After Gigi's friends at her romance bookstore chip in to send her on a ten-day tour of England, she is thrust into the drama of a bus tour that... Read More

With his customary grace and dry British wit, Simon Vance matches the tone and tenor of this decidedly erudite and playfully imaginative literary biography of one the most influential novelists of the nineteenth century, Gustave Flaubert. First published in 1984, Barnes's book blends speculation, fact, and Flaubert's own words into a detective story featuring a fictitious... Read More

This audiobook, set in Las Vegas, is a dark fantasy with some BDSM scenes. Bryn Meara, portrayed by Avery Reid, gets a free stay at Nightfall Hotel, owned by Caiden Verran. Caiden, portrayed by Aiden Snow, is king of the Fae Night Court. In short order, a curse prevents them from being separated--if Bryn dies, so does Caiden. Reid's emotional narration is well matched to her... Read More

The life of groundbreaking nuclear physicist Lise Meitner (1878-1968) is given voice by narrator Sandy Rustin. Marginalized by sexism, Meitner, an Austrian Jew, struggled to pursue the field she loved, eventually earning her colleagues' respect and a partnership with chemist Otto Hahn in Berlin. Nazi policies stripped her of her position, then forced her to flee. In exile, she... Read More

Dorje Swallow and Rebecca Norfolk alternate narrating duties in this fantasy quest. Six children and an elf search for the pieces of a key that are needed to save an Elven village from destruction. Oscar is a skateboarding teenager who finds himself sucked into this alternative world. In Swallow's hands, Oscar is a laid-back Australian with dashes of wry humor and charm.... Read More

Eva Kaminsky provides a dynamic narration of the mysterious situation that author Ambrose Drake and interior designer and podcaster Pallas Llewellyn find themselves in. After the pair have a night they can't remember, they awaken to find that they have enhanced psychic abilities. Ambrose contacted Pallas to help him investigate a murder. Ambrose limits his sleep to catnapping... Read More

After 27 years, veterinarian Dimpna Wilde comes back to the Irish village of Dingle to help clear her parents, who have been accused of murdering the village's wealthiest man, Johnny O'Reilly. Narrator Emily O'Mahony portrays many characters, all of whom have motives. She is at her best as Dimpna and as Cormac O'Brien, the detective who is investigating the case. Her rich Irish... Read More

William MacAskill presents his philosophical concept of improving the long-term future by prioritizing moral action now. The core principle he espouses is that future people matter, especially considering the potential duration of humanity. Through engaging thought experiments and heavy research, MacAskill has consolidated his theory into an optimistic and compelling... Read More

Marisol Ramirez captures the youthful voice of Isla Larson, who lives between two worlds, New Jersey and Puerto Rico. She struggles to fit in at her school and clashes with her alcoholic mother. She is relieved to spend summers in Puerto Rico with her Great-Aunt Alma. At 18, Isla discovers that she has the gift of storytelling--she can vividly see past events in front of her.... Read More

Vera Chok narrates this eerie novel full of dreams of talking mushrooms and heartbroken musicians. Song Yan lives with her husband and mother-in-law in her apartment in Beijing. Everyone tells her she should be happy, but instead she exists in a fog of loneliness. Song used to dream of becoming a concert pianist; now she just teaches young students. But when a package of rare... Read More

Actor Donald Corren brings his vocal skills to this tale of an angel and a demon who leave the shtetl for America to do a mitzvah and to seek excitement. Their fortunes become entangled with a human girl's in an adventure that balances laugh-out-loud humor, Jewish tradition, and gentle affirmation of queer identities. Corren expertly manages it all with his Yiddish-inflected... Read More

Narrator Dion Graham returns to portray former FBI agent John Adderley, who has a new identity as a Swedish police detective. Listeners will be filled with dread as Adderley's former life as an undercover agent in Baltimore catches up with him in Sweden. Adding to the police procedural's complexity is a second storyline involving Alicia Bjelke, whose beautiful celebrity sister,... Read More

Sophie Amoss gives her all as she performs this middle-grade fantasy thriller with style and heart. She imbues Albert with compassion for Manon, the girl he finds in the forest, and captures his wife's disdain for her. Manon speaks with a whispery lightness to animals as she tries to learn who/what she is and why she is being hunted. The wide range of characters exhibits deep... Read More

Katie Leung takes us back in time with her passionate narration of this sequel and second Allie Burns mystery, which also works beautifully as a stand-alone listen. Leung breathes new life into the year 1989, when events in Scotland and Germany included the Lockerbie Memorial, the AIDS epidemic, and the continued existence of the Berlin Wall. The story centers around Burns, a... Read More

A top-notch pack of narrators voices a group of middle school boys who find strength in their friendship. Ramon de Ocampo portrays logical Ricky, a smart new kid tagging along with friends who discover a bomb shelter hidden in the woods. Mark Sanderlin voices Evan with a blend of surliness and insecurity; he's been stung by his addicted parents having left him in the care of... Read More

Narrator Joel de la Fuente nails the confusion that lurks at the heart of this chilling audiobook. Its setting is a world in which a quarter of the population loses the ability to sleep without any health consequences. Most cash in by working multiple jobs during their 24 hours of wakefulness. One of these fortunate Sleepless is journalist Jamie Vega, who uses some of his time... Read More

Narrator Steven Crossley sounds like he's having a grand time as he brings out all the humor in this stand-alone mystery set in Thailand in 1996. Supot, a postal worker portrayed by Crossley in a sweetly befuddled tone, is an avid movie fan. Each night, he goes to the video store of his friend, Ali, to watch a film with him. Ali is depicted in a deep pitch and a slightly... Read More

In 1912, Maine's governor forcibly evacuated a small community from their Malaga Island home, claiming the mixed-race inhabitants were morally and mentally deficient. This novel, narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, is based on this tragic event. Ballerini's lyrical delivery highlights the poetic descriptions of the island's physical environment and the comfortable rhythms of daily... Read More

The late Richard Ferrone is such a delight in one of his last audiobook performances. This one features Bernie Rhodenbarr, the Greenwich Village bookstore owner/virtuous and always fair burglar, who is the main character in Block's eponymous series. Ferrone hones his acting chops to a sharp and witty point. Bernie finds himself traveling between the real world and an idyllic... Read More

Narrator Isabella Star LaBlanc, who is Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota, was wisely tapped to portray the enigmatic Cash Blackbear, who is now investigating the murder of an unidentified Ojibwe woman whose body washed ashore with recent flood waters. The lack of affect in LaBlanc's performance is calmly hypnotic and captures Blackbear's sense of belonging to neither the white nor the... Read More

Author and narrator are both listener favorites, and this novel set on the Monterey Peninsula in the 1850s is sure to please fans of both. Part historical romance, part murder mystery, part ghost story, the narrative highlights the roles of women as fighters, detectives, and comrades in arms against the men who victimize them. The perspective is more modern than historical, and... Read More

Samantha Brentmoor narrates a fantasy romance set among the gods and mortals of Ancient Greece. Sister to the king, Jocasta is eager to prove her worth after a curse strikes the royal couple and threatens their unborn child. Brentmoor proves adept at balancing Jo's desire to find a place among the royal household and her longing to return to the village where she grew up. When... Read More

Even Narrator Susan Bennett's usual amazing talents cannot put the "festive" in this holiday snooze fest. Beautiful but conflicted ski instructor Emily Ammerman and her BFF both fall for handsome and famous movie star Zach Ryder. Will love prevail? Bennett's portrayal of Emily as the mostly unlikable, shallow daughter of the ski lodge owners is spot-on. Her voice for the macho... Read More

Actor, producer, and now author Eriq La Salle narrates a mystery featuring a series of gruesome murders of priests. The murders have been taking place over a period of 30 years. La Salle's delivery is a mix of warmth and dark pensiveness. His tone provides an eerie tension that creates suspense. However, a love story also unfolds, and La Salle provides just the right amount of... Read More

Marisol Ramirez passionately narrates this fantasy audiobook. The city of Leithon is under imperial rule, and twins Arian and Liam assist the Resistance by stealing magical artifacts. Arian is voiced with confidence as she skillfully traverses rooftops despite the peril. Liam's burgeoning magic is outlawed, and Ramirez incorporates his complicated emotions into a gentle voice.... Read More

Reza Aslan narrates his historical exploration of the complex American evangelist and democratizer Howard Baskerville and his work in Iran in the early twentieth century. Aslan sets a moderate pace while explaining the religious and political aspirations that were the roots of Baskerville's work. For those who are history buffs, this is an intriguing listening experience about... Read More

Fareeda Pasha's calm, eloquent narration adds a layer of reality to this chilling story. Her tone is soft yet packs a punch that heightens the drama. A young, exemplary Muslim girl is found brutally murdered, and two other Muslim girls are missing. A Muslim woman from the Community Response Unit of the police department, Inaya, must work quickly to uncover the truth in a town... Read More

Robbie Daymond narrates Jack Shannon's first-person story, embracing the teen's wit, sardonic tones, and talent for grifting. Jack's mother, the CEO of a casino, has been arrested, and he is determined to get justice--by any means necessary. At boarding school, Jack has made four self-proclaimed asexual online friends. He calls on them to join him in Las Vegas to take down his... Read More

Susan Rogers narrates in an authentic, thoroughly charming voice that makes this fascinating audiobook a treat to hear. It's the type of amateur performance that speaks to listeners more with its vulnerability and enthusiasm than its polish, but it's beguiling nonetheless. This enlightening audiobook is an enticing mix of music neuroscience, the authors' knowledge of music... Read More

There always will be a wide variety of people living on the border of civilization. That is certainly the case in this audiobook spin-off from the authors' popular sci-fi series, Trackers. Charged with animating a cross section of humanity is narrator Bronson Pinchot, best known as Balki Bartokomous from the classic '80s sitcom "Perfect Strangers." The verbally agile Pinchot... Read More

Matt Godfrey flawlessly delivers Roger Zelazny's last--and possibly best--fantasy novel. Listeners meet Victorian characters who gather only when the full moon occurs on Halloween--3-4 times per century. They play the Game, in which Players battle to end the world or begin a new era of slaughter and slavery. Godfrey masterfully distinguishes the Players; for example, The Great... Read More

You probably know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and around the world. But did you know that people really can die of a broken heart? Polly Lee's performance of this audiobook is careful and deliberate but spirited and engaging. That's the perfect combination for understanding the science--quite complicated at times--of the workings of the human... Read More

Cassandra Campbell adds urgency and vivid characterizations to her melodic narrative voice in this novel about an illusionist during WWII. The plot revolves around young Fenna Vos, who emerged from a difficult Michigan childhood with secrets to conceal, even from herself. After becoming a talented professional magician, she's recruited to join a specialized unit of British... Read More

Tamika Katon-Donegal poignantly defines the characters who enter the world of 17-year-old biracial, queer Avery one summer. Avery is uprooted from her home in DC and moved to the small Georgia town where her grandmother, Mama Letty, is terminally ill. Immediately, she addresses numerous challenges. The first is clearly defined by Katon-Donegal's portrayal of the cantankerous... Read More

Gracefully written by the British band's founding bass player, this nostalgic ride through his life before, during, and after Dire Straits' peak years (1977-1995) captures rock and roll's status as a cultural touchstone for baby boomers and musicians on both sides of the Atlantic. The author's no-fuss narration sounds quick, and the range of his tone and phrasing limited. But... Read More

Mia Barron portrays highly focused Washington, DC, forensic scientist Ellie Carr in a gritty voice as listeners follow Carr's investigation of the disappearance of a four-month-old baby. The missing child is the son of her first cousin, Rebecca, whose helpless demeanor clearly conveys her distress. The gravelly voices of the male law-enforcement characters contrast with the... Read More

In a soothing voice, the author narrates his own exhaustive dive into the origins of Black basketball, covering much of the first half of the twentieth century in detail. He goes back even further in tracing the roots of the pioneers who laid the foundation for the game in the 1800s. Occasionally, he lightly imitates someone but always with a tone of respect that denotes a... Read More

Narrator Laura Knight Keating propels listeners into a high-stakes journey through the wilderness as Iris Gray, a young witch, tracks an owl that is carrying a fatal curse. Accompanying Iris is Pike Alder, the curse's unwitting target. Keating builds the tension in her voice as the duo work together to survive the woods. While surrounded by nature, they begin to open up about... Read More

Vivienne Leheny's steady delivery and warm tone welcome listeners into Laurie R. King's latest novel, a contemporary mystery set in California. While different from King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, it features an equally intriguing female detective in Raquel Laing, a police department cold case investigator. While working to identify victims of a 1970s serial killer,... Read More

George Guidall compellingly narrates this latest tale of Walt Longmire. The longtime sheriff awakens in the street in the middle of a blizzard, remembering nothing of his past. He needs to piece together who he is and why he is in Fort Pratt, Montana, from clues he finds in his pockets. The citizens in town seem familiar, but how? Will their clues help him find his way home?... Read More

Moira Quirk narrates the satisfyingly complex and enjoyably confusing third entry in the Locked Tomb series. The world is ending, but all Nona wants to do is have a birthday party with her favorite people and favorite dogs in attendance. Sadly, it's possible that no one will survive that long. Quirk's portrayal of Nona is utterly captivating. She has only been alive for about... Read More

British narrator George Weightman gives this intense story of espionage the gravitas and polish it deserves. He portrays posh Englishmen, crafty Russians, and entitled Iranians with skill, and deftly delivers the thriller's narrative. In 1953, Iran--backed by the CIA and the shah's henchmen--is poised to overthrow Prime Minister Mossadegh. Former spy Harry Tower, an agent's... Read More

David Chandler returns to narrate the nineteenth book in his series featuring Cork O'Connor, now a private investigator in remote northern Minnesota. He is hired to find a missing woman by a man he suspects is posing as her husband. Chandler's measured voice paints a picture of the stalwart investigator as his search takes him deep into the woods, where hundred-year-old Native... Read More

Narrator Barbara Rosenblat returns the listener to Harmony, a world in which people's psychic senses are enhanced. Despite having been kidnapped and accused of being a witch, Ravenna Chastain remains unflappable, and Rosenblat's delivery reflects that steadiness. Matchmaker Ravenna takes on Ethan Sweetwater as a client and is challenged with the task of finding him a wife.... Read More

Jim Frangione voices the latest installment in the much-loved Chet and Bernie mystery series. Listeners familiar with the series know that it is narrated by Chet, canine partner of private investigator Bernie Little. Frangione wisely chooses not to try to sound dog-like, while still capturing Chet's openness and humor. Chet often fails to understand a turn of phrase and is... Read More

Kate Reading and Michael Kramer alternate narrating this novella, part of the Stormlight Archive series. The story allows minor characters to step into the spotlight. Rysn is a wheelchair-bound shipowner who is hoping to treat her magical pet by traveling to its ancestral island home. The only catch is that the island is surrounded by a permanent storm that no one has ever... Read More

British actor Justin Avoth does a first-rate job narrating this confounding novel, a combination of love story and foray into ancient history. Avoth does his level best to keep the listener engaged with its characters. His narration gives the self-interested, angst-ridden Neil his very British due. The man sounds grounded in his culture, and Avoth's deliberate pace and Oxbridge... Read More

January LaVoy's captivating talents are on full display as she narrates a romantic, fantastical noir mystery. All Helen Brandt wants to do is wrap up an easy magical investigation and go dancing with her girl in the few days before her soul is claimed by a demon. But the case is more complicated than it seems, as is everything in this tightly written, beautifully narrated... Read More

Narrator Rosalyn Landor gives the listener a rich feeling of the British aristocracy. The story opens at a country party on Devlin Ware's family estate. Landor provides a mixture of accents, both upper to lower class. When confronted with his father's infidelities, Devlin Ware refuses to be silent and, as a result, is banished for six years. Landor gives a tone of maturity to... Read More

Sandy Rustin deftly introduces 12-year-old Emmie Ethrige, her school, and friends. Impressively independent, Emmie is saving to buy a sport wheelchair in order to participate in motocross events. Emmie and her best friend, Ale, sell Spanish moss, pine cones, and wheelchair bags to make money for their projects. Rustin movingly presents Emmie and her dad as they cope with the... Read More

A phenomenal narration by the esteemed Golden Voice narrator Barbara Rosenblat brings all of the characters of this cozy mystery to life. Delivering seamless transitions between Beryl, the American adventuress, and Edwina, the prim and proper Brit, Rosenblat deftly navigates this story of poison-pen letters and preposterous rumor mongering. Convincing accents for all the... Read More

Narrator Marisol Ramirez's multidimensional performance invites listeners to take part in an unexpected celebration of independence. When Nadia Palacio's relationship comes to a devastating end weeks before her wedding, Ramirez's sensible and straightforward tone embodies the resourceful young lawyer who decides to throw a double quinceañera (30th birthday party) instead of a... Read More

This entertaining audiobook, narrated masterfully by Golden Voice Martin Jarvis, is more than the story of a jockey racing a horse down the icy slope known as the Cresta Run. It's a novel about jockey Miles Pussett's struggles with depression, dependency, heartbreak, love, and the legacy of his father, a famed jockey who died in an accident while saving young Miles's life. In... Read More

Oglala Lakota/Mohawk actor Charley Flyte performs this supernatural mystery novel with the perfect balance of intrigue and suspense. Rita Todacheene is one of the best forensic photographers in the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico. But she has a secret: She can see ghosts, an ability that helps her gain unique insights into her cases. Flyte's narration captures... Read More

Chief of Police Bruno, of St. Denis, in the Dordogne region of France, is brought alive by the stylish narration of Robert Ian Mackenzie. Bruno faces a number of challenges, including terrorists in his region, a tense political situation between France and Spain, and the potential return of the abusive ex-husband of his close friend. Mackenzie's familiarity and fondness for the... Read More

Returning for the third installment of the BeWere My Heart series, Susan Bennett gives an energetic performance of the contemporary shifter romance. Verity Lane's status as a squib, a shifter who can't shift, leads her to a daredevil club of other non-shifting "wereanimals." After she washes up on his island, the handsome werebear Magus Berne can't shake the feeling that Verity... Read More

In this slow-burn romance, narrator Tom Picasso imbues the Dutch protagonist, Tycho, with the reserved, cautious tone of a young adult who is struggling with his identity. Hoping to find direction in his life, Tycho comes to the U.S. to become a counselor at an international camp in Tennessee, where he meets Oliver, a young Norwegian with a deep but soft voice that belies... Read More

Narrator Casey Jones tenderly delivers this slow-burn queer romance about a prince who can detect the composition of metals by touch. After an altercation with the father of the queen's new daughter, Prince Kadou is humiliated. To restore his reputation and prove himself useful, he investigates a nearby break-in with his newly appointed bodyguard, the stoic and handsome... Read More

Narrator Amy Scanlon's British intonation and wry tone suit the delightfully charming, lazy, and witty scribe Lana Baker, who finds herself stuck in the Low Parliament. There she's made to transcribe endless angry debates that inevitably end in hung votes--despite the threat of death by flood if members can't come to an agreement, as decreed by the shrillvoiced fairies who... Read More

Morgan Hallett narrates this engrossing story set in a state institution in the 1970s. While Sage Winters seems both resolute and hopelessly naïve, listeners will be shocked and riveted by her mistaken imprisonment in the grim facility known as Willowbrook, a supposed school for "mentally defective" and otherwise unwanted children. While this story is partly an exposé of a... Read More

With this audiobook, the 23rd installment in the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, fans know that narrator Lisette Lecat's diction, clarity, and deftness with accents will not only transport them to Botswana but will also allow them to completely enjoy the ladies' endeavors once again. Grace Makutsi is behaving strangely, and that's how Mma Ramotswe finds out that Grace's... Read More

Five fantastic narrators expertly handle the multiple points of view in this delightfully odd ensemble story about a reality TV show similar to "The Bachelor" that is filming an episode on a remote island off the coast of Washington. From the exhausted drawl of the show's producer to the deep, throaty voice of the elderly lesbian innkeeper, each character comes alive in their... Read More