RSS 2.0 FeedJune 2011, Featured Articles, Mysteries & Thrillers
*The Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld
The terrifically delineated characters, the compelling plot based on a real historical event with its relevance to modern events, and the outstanding narration make this well worth listening to
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The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
In this beautifully written novel that is set in the Balkans, there are stories within stories within stories and each must be told in order to understand the whole of it…. Listeners are in for a treat
Shadowmarch by Tad Williams
[Narrator Dick Hill] captures the evil, the innocence, the petulance, and the arrogance of the various characters in this exciting series
*The Fort by Bernard Cornwell
Veteran stage and television actor Robin Bowerman’s full-voiced reading of this historical novel about a little-known American defeat is highly recommended. Bowerman is especially good with Scottish accents and his Paul Revere comes across as an egotistical boor
*Devil's Food Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
The latest installment of Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series has a solid mystery, delicious sounding recipes and a reader who makes you salivate merely reading the ingredients
The Adjustment Bureau by Philip K. Dick
This classic SF story's characters and their actions definitely date back to the 1950s era, with its cigarette-smoking and door-to-door salesmen; and the eerie plot could have been right out of the classic television show The Twilight Zone.
*The Obamas by Peter Firstbrook
Author Peter Firstbrook has researched thoroughly the Luo tribe of Kenya, to which the Obamas belong, from its first migration from the Sudan to Kenya to the present day, using not only written records and oral histories but also many interviews with current family members.
Valley of Dry Bones by Priscilla Royal
The title of this seventh novel in the Prioress Eleanor series comes from Ezekiel 37 and the dry bones rattle in many a closet and come to life with violence. The series is full of period detail, introspective characters, social mores, and as always a puzzling murder.
*Sixkill by Robert B. Parker
… Sixkill with Joe Mantegna is a five star reading of another excellent Spenser.
Idiot America by Charles P. Pierce
Long time print journalist Charles Pierce is outraged, and amused, at the idiocy that has overtaken the mainstream media, our politicians, this country.
* A Lesson in Secrets by Jaqueline Winspear
Orlagh Cassidy’s fully voiced reading is, as always, outstanding….Excellent series, great audio; perfect matching of reader to text.
Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs
Katherine Kellgren’s seasoned voice captures Aralorn’s gritty life as a mercenary/spy…. she paces the action scenes well and the end of the book leaves you hoping for more
The Paris Wife by Paula McIain
The Paris Wife is a fictional account of the life of Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, from when she first met Ernest in Chicago in the 1920s ….The Roaring Twenties are in hectic motion: the gin is flowing in Chicago, despite Prohibition, as is the absinthe in the bohemian cafes of Paris.
Paul is Undead by Alan Goldsher
Screamingly funny, way off the gross-out chart and liberally sprinkled with profanity, "Paul is Undead" is fun fun fun. A tip of the bowler to the very talented Simon Vance for his work here
The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig
This is a rollicking good tale that fans of Lauren Willig and readers of Eva Ibbotson’s romantic adventures will enjoy
*Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope
Lovers of fine literature who also understand the allure of soap operas will gobble up the sweeping sagas of Anthony Trollope. His unerring eye chronicles his times with detail, humor and warmth.
The Next Decade by George Friedman
Respected geo-political forecaster, George Friedman, states in the introduction to this production that the United States is an unintentional empire, shaped not by deliberation but more neutrally, by the events of history… Bruce Turk narrates with force and precision
Christmas Mourning by Margaret Maron
In her pleasant, semi-voiced narration C.J. Critt catches the tones of Southern speech in the dialogue without overdoing or faking the accent and makes a convincing storyteller
*Townie by Andre Dubus III
The main character of Townie is a product of the streets…. There is no doubt that Dubus tells his story better than anyone else could, both in the prose and in the narration.
Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake
Gormenghast is abridged and the second in the series, but its simple themes and straightforward plot meant that these factors did not draw away from this colorful work of fantasy
The 4% Universe by Richard Panek
[Richard] Panek’s text combined with [Ray] Porter’s narration offers listeners a clear, accessible look at one of the most scientifically complex, and existential, questions – what makes our reality possible?
*The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan
The Poison Throne (the first in Celine Kieran' Moorehawke Trilogy) is a superb fantasy novel full of political intrigue and wild surprises. It is a young adult version of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones, and similarly bloody, with most of the torture and maiming done off-stage, but not all.
I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
Linda Emond’s outstanding reading in this suspenseful psychological thriller captures all the emotional pain….
Treachery in Death by JD Robb
[Narrator Susan] Erickson has some challenges here with even more than the usual cast of characters. But it’s no problem for this veteran reader who never misses a beat or a nuance.
Indulgence in Death by JD Robb
Reader Susan Ericksen again nails this audio version of Robb’s 32nd foray into the “In Death” series.
Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi
These stories are chillingly well crafted…. All of the stories except “Softer”take place in dystopian futures, where freedom, opportunity, food and personal safety are forfeit.
Unthinking by Harry Beckwith
Ironically a book on “Unthinking” will have listeners thinking as author Beckwith proposes his theories of what makes products desirable and what marketers do to get people to buy their products
The Broken Gun by Louis L'Amour
Jason Culp has the perfect low timbered voice for … A good tale that moves rapidly that will intrigue fans of westerns as well as adventure.
*Bad Boy by Peter Robinson
An excellent novel with a deft presentation. Highly Recommended.
King of Kings by Harry Sidebottom
Dr. Harry Sidebottom, a fellow at St. Benet's Hall and lecturer at Lincoln College, Oxford University, specializes in ancient warfare and classical art. His Warrior of Rome series takes readers back to the mid-Third Century AD.
*Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy
Stage, television, film actor Lou Diamond Phillips is one of the best narrators I’ve heard. I like the way he differentiates between the deeper voiced Jack Ryan Sr. and the lighter tone of Jack Ryan Jr…. All in all this is great for a really long road trip especially with the bonus discs!
The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell
Much of the book consists of Wallander’s musings about his own situation, his health, his past and his future as well as thoughts about the cases he is working on and [narrator Robin] Sachs wisely delivers a quiet performance reflective of the writing.
Live Wire by Harlan Coben
Fans of sports agent Myron Bolitar are in for a treat in the latest book which spotlights Bolitar's family….
*The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer
This complex story has the listener guessing at every turn…. [and] is a great vehicle for [narrator Scott Brick’s] talents as he delivers one of his best performances
The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming
A suspenseful and exciting novel by the author of Typhoon will have listeners on the edge of their seats…. [John Lee] delivers a fine performance, with distinctive voices and excellent German and Russian accents.