Discover Most Popular Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

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Title: The Chalice of Blood

Subtitle: A Mystery of Ancient Ireland

Author: Peter Tremayne

Narrator: Caroline Lennon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 34 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

AD 670: When an eminent scholar is found murdered in his cell in the Abbey of Lios Mor, fear spreads among his brethren. His door was secured from the inside, with no other means of exit. How did the murderer escape? And what was the content of the manuscripts apparently stolen from the scholar's room? Abbot Iarnla insists on sending for Sister Fidelma and her companion, Brother Eadulf, to investigate the killing. But even before they reach the abbey walls, there is an attempt on their lives. As the mystery deepens, Fidelma and Eadulf must also wrestle with problems of their own, problems that threaten to separate them forever....

Critic Reviews:

"If there is anyone who has emerged from the crowded field of medieval mysteries to take the place of the late Ellis Peters, it is Peter Tremayne." (

Denver Post on

Master of Souls Ireland)

Members Reviews:

Fascinating, as always...

Tremayne not only writes an excellent work of fiction, but does so inca way so authentic as to challenge the reader's own understanding of faith and history.

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Title: Our Lady of Darkness

Subtitle: A Sister Fidelma Mystery of Ancient Ireland

Author: Peter Tremayne

Narrator: Caroline Lennon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 47 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In mid-seventh-century Ireland, Sister Fidelma of Cashel-sister to the King of Muman, an advocate of Brehon Courts, and religieuse of the Celtic Church-returns hastily from a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. James. The news that brings her back is that her companion and friend, the Saxon monk Brother Eadulf, is under arrest for a serious crime in the neighboring kingdom of Laigin. Riding furiously through hostile territory, she arrives only to find out she is too late.

Eadulf has already been tried and found guilty of the murder of a young girl. Even worse, Laigin's king has abandoned the traditional judicial code of Ireland in favor of the ecclesiastical Penitential from Rome - and under this code he is to be executed the following morning. Convinced that her friend is innocent, Fidelma has only twenty-four hours before his execution to come up with evidence persuasive enough to sway the king into allowing an appeal of Eadulf's conviction.

Facing a king determined to make an example of Eadulf and an old adversary of her own, Fidelma soon realizes that nothing is as it was portrayed, and behind the heinous crime is an even more shocking conspiracy. Now, Fidelma must unravel her most perplexing puzzle before time runs out for her closest companion.

Members Reviews:

I love this series!

As this story unfolds, Sister Fidelma's anxiety is felt. But her belief in Brother Eadulf continues.

Tremayne is masterful at constructing a plot that is believable and intriguing.

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Title: Valley of the Shadow

Subtitle: A Sister Fidelma Mystery of Ancient Ireland

Author: Peter Tremayne

Narrator: Caroline Lennon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 51 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In Ireland of AD 666, Sister Fidelma is sent by her brother, Colgu of Cashel, the king of Muman, to the remote valley of Gleann Geis, whose inhabitants still adhere to the ancient Druidic ways. Her mission is to negotiate with the chieftain, Laisre, for permission to build a Christian church and school in his territory. Fidelma's task won't be an easy one, though, as Laisre's clan is known for its hostility to the new religion and fierce adherence to the old.

Approaching the valley, Fidelma and her companion, Brother Eadulf, come upon a particularly grisly scene - the slain bodies of thirty-three young men, placed in a sunwise circle and bearing the marks of the ancient threefold death of pagan times. As an emissary of her brother the king, and with her position as a dalaigh - an advocate of the Brehon courts - it is Fidelma's responsibility to uncover the truth behind the gruesome murders. Within the forbidden valley, Fidelma embarks upon an inquiry that not only places her in the gravest personal danger but upon which rests the continuing peace of her brother's kingdom.

Members Reviews:

Historic details, Gripping plot

She is a fantastic narrator... the twists and turns of plot are fun and the Church history adds a unique layer to this series.

I've been waiting for these for a while

...and here they are! These are definitely in the historical novel genre and new readers or listeners should know that it is heavy on the historic. Many will probably be surprised at Irish civilization at the time of these books. Ireland was indeed a place that today we might call a precursor to modern Western civilization. Except that Ireland would be overtaken by Rome and other outside invaders. All would have to be developed from scratch again and we still haven't lost our barbarism that much of Ireland eschewed. I love the telling of the myths and stories of the more ancient beliefs. As the books go on the stories become more and more interesting and better written. One thing that is a gripe throughout the books is the relationship between the two main characters Fidelma and Eadulf. Fidelma always seems rude and dismissive to her friend and then lover then husband and father of her child. This book is one of a few that Eadulf gets to shine on his own merit.

Finally, Fidelma!

I am so excited that these books are on Audible now! I read and reread this series a while ago, and they're just as good now as ever.

The narrator does a fairly good job. I was glad to finally hear how some of the words and names were actually pronounced. ;)

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Title: Whispers of the Dead

Subtitle: A Mystery of Ancient Ireland

Author: Peter Tremayne

Narrator: Caroline Lennon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 28 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Fidelma of Cashel - sister to the king of Muman, a religieuse of the Celtic Church, and an advocate of the Brehon courts - returns in this new collection of fifteen tales. These stories of murder, mayhem, and mystery are not merely spellbinders but also provide insight into the ways and mores of the complex, fascinating society of seventh-century Ireland as well as heretofore unrevealed background details of Fidelma herself.

Members Reviews:

wonderfully crafted short stories.

as GK Chesterton and Dorothy Sayers - the history and background are as fascinating as the puzzles.

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Title: Smoke in the Wind

Subtitle: A Sister Fidelma Mystery of Ancient Ireland

Author: Peter Tremayne

Narrator: Caroline Lennon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 46 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In seventh-century Ireland, then the light of reason in a darkening world, Fidelma - a religious advocate of the Brehon courts and sister to the king of Muman - is an increasingly notable figure often called upon for her wisdom, legal knowledge, and devotion to the truth. While journeying with companion Eadulf to visit the new archbishop of Canterbury, their ship is blown badly off course, and the pair find themselves on the coast of modern Wales, in the kingdom of Dyfed.

There, hosted by the king himself, Fidelma is presented with her knottiest problem yet - an entire monastic community from the nearby countryside has disappeared without a trace. While investigating this seeming impossibility, Fidelma and Eadulf are confronted with the apparently unrelated and shocking murder of a local girl - a death marked by more tragedy and consequence than anyone could have imagined.

Members Reviews:

Great glimpse of 7th-century history

I first have to say how pleased I am to have this series available on audio. It was such an unexpected discovery during the half-price sale - I decided to browse Mysteries, then Historical, and suddenly found Fidelma on audio. Not just one, but nearly the whole series.

I discovered these books about 8 years ago, when a friend and I who were great Dame Frevisse fans (Gail Frazer series of a small order of nuns in 12th-century Britain), ran out of new titles and were looking for a new "medieval mysteries" series. I had read all of Brother Cadfael (Ellis Peters), which I loved, and was looking for another comparable group of books. We stumbled on Peter Tremayne's excellent stories of ancient Ireland, and began reading them in order. My friend worked her way all through the books, but I stopped around book 8 and always meant to get back to them. So now I am back to them and have quickly polished off the next three, listening instead of reading. What a treat!

This one has Fidelma and her companion Eadulf unexpectedly in a kingdom of Britons, having been forced from a sea journey originally planned to return to Canterbury for Eadulf's job with the bishop. The historical conflicts and prejudices of the Britons toward almost everyone else (Saxons and Irish in particular, especially Christians) take a large part in this book, and Fidelma has a very hard time asserting her authority in law, even when the local lord has granted her such. Eadulf has the worst of it, though, since as a Saxon he is painted by the locals with the broad brush of being part of murdering Saxon hordes. A dual mystery, Tremayne's wonderful touch with showing the local customs of the day and each area is much in evidence.

I highly recommend this series. Since the first few books are prefaced (in print) by a lengthy (but highly informative) piece about what it was like in 7th-century Ireland, you might want to take a look at a print edition of the first installment: Absolution for Murder, before diving into the audio editions. Tremayne's historical scholarship does not intrude in his books - I find them a fascinating and enjoyable way to learn history - so he does go into some historical detail in the preface. Not reading it might make you miss some subtleties in the stories.

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Title: The Subtle Serpent

Subtitle: A Celtic Mystery

Author: Peter Tremayne

Narrator: Caroline Lennon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 67 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In the year 666 A.D., a headless female corpse is found in the drinking well of a remote abbey in southwest Ireland: clasped in one hand is a crucifix; tied to the other arm is a pagan death symbol. Sister Fidelma--sister to the king of Muman, a religieuse, and an advocate of the Brehon law courts--is sent to investigate. En route, she encounters a Gaulish merchant ship under full sail off the Irish coast--one whose crew and cargo have vanished without a trace.Faced with a tense local situation, Fidelma must discover first the identity of the body in the well and uncover who was responsible, then find out what happened to the missing crew of the adrift merchant ship, and, finally, determine how these bizarre events are connected. For these events are more than simply disturbing - the peace of the entire kingdom rests upon their solution.

Members Reviews:

Great listening material

So glad to have found this series! Comparable to the Father Cadfael series. Excellent listening.

Superb

Peter Tremayne is a superb crafter of stories and this book is pure delight. Excellently read as well...couldn't put it down!

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Title: A Virtuous Death

Author: Christine Trent

Narrator: Polly Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 95 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Queen Victoria, still mourning her long-dead husband Prince Albert, has found solace in John Brown, an enigmatic palace servant who dabbles in the occult and keeps the grieving queen entertained with his tarot card readings. Undertaker Violet Harper is invited to attend one of Mr. Brown's infamous readings, during which he implies that Buckingham Palace will soon be shrouded in death's dark veil. Well acquainted with death, Violet shrugs him off as a charlatan - until his sinister divinations begin to prove true... Violet wonders if something foul is in the cards when the aristocratic young friends of the queen's daughter begin to die under mysterious circumstances. Her suspicions only grow when one of London's "moralists", a group bent on repealing the law that forces prostitutes into hospitals, suffers a similar fate. The deaths merely buttress the queen's enthusiasm for Mr. Brown's ominous talents, and, concerned by the fortuneteller's influence, Violet races against time to unearth the truth before the killer strikes again. But as she closes in on a murderer with an unearthly motive, Violet realizes she may be digging her own grave...

By turns heartwrenching and hopeful, A Virtuous Death is a gripping tale of fortitude besieged by vengeance inside the extraordinary world of Queen Victoria's court.

Members Reviews:

What happened to Sam's accent?

I enjoyed the story and the reading, except for having Sam's accent revert to the phony Southern accent he used under cover in the first book. We now know he isn't from the South. It was very disconcerting to hear him speaking that way!!!

Didn't hold my interest

Would you try another book from Christine Trent and/or Polly Lee?

I started this book because I enjoy this historical period and mysteries that take place during it. Unfortunately, this book had too little interesting action, and uninteresting characters, and I was never able to finish it.

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Title: Sons of Sparta

Subtitle: Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery, Book 6

Author: Jeffrey Siger

Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-07-14

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Did the warriors of ancient Sparta simply vanish without a trace along with their city, or did they find sanctuary in the Mani region at the tip of the mountainous Peloponnese? That stark, unforgiving region's roots today run deep with a history of pirates, highwaymen, and neighbors ferociously repelling any foreigner foolishly bent on occupying this part of Greece. Less well recorded are the Mani's families' strict code of honor and their history of endless vendettas with neighbors and with their own relatives. No wonder their farms look like fortresses.

When Special Crimes Division Detective Yiannis Kouros is summoned from Athens to the Mani by his uncle, Kouros fears his loyalty to his boss, Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis, is about be to be tested by family pressure on him to act in some new vendetta, for this uncle once headed the Mani's most significant criminal enterprise. Instead, Kouros learns the family is about to become rich through the sale of its property - until the uncle is killed and so too the deal.

Acting swiftly to head off a new cycle of violence, Kouros satisfactorily solves the murder - or so it seems. Back in Athens, Kaldis' probe into deeply entrenched government corruption leads straight back to the Mani. Both detectives now confront a host of unexpected twists, unanticipated players, unanswered questions - and people yet to die.

Members Reviews:

Not worth the time

I've read all the books in this series so far - I liked this one the least, and by a wide margin. In this novel, I think the author has given his principle characters - a team of police officers - too much swagger and arrogance and too little humanity. I'd suggest he study the "Chief Bruno" novels of Martin Walker, or maybe the Walt Longmire novels of Craig Johnson, for tips on making his books a little more engaging and a little less silly.

The best yet!

This is very possibly the best of the "Inspector Andreas Kaldis" novels yet, even though the spotlight is turned away from Kaldis and focuses more on his partner, Yianni Kouros, and delves into his family and the crucible created by the collision behind the past and the present. Yianni must walk a tight-rope between his duties to his family and his duties to his job, all while trying to solve the mystery of who murdered his uncle. Quite a juggling act for Kouros, and a job well done for Jeffrey Siger!

A most enjoyable detective series

I have been greatly enjoying reading Jeffry Siger's Inspector Kaldis series. The author has an uncanny ability to tell a story and paint a picture in the reader's mind. He has obviously researched the Greek customs and history he intertwines in his stories. I've read six books in the series so far, and they've all been very enjoyable reads. Highly recommended!

"Sons of Sparta" in the fierce stronghold of The Mani

"Sons of Sparta" is the best of Jeffrey Siger's Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series! Jeff, who is not of Greek heritage, does a fantastic job of capturing the cultural, historical, and political landscape of contemporary Greece. Jeff's understanding of what goes on in Greece, and his premonitions of what WILL happen in Greece, is remarkable.

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Title: Sharpe's Battle: The Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro, May 1811

Subtitle: The Sharpe Series, Book 12

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Narrator: Rupert Farley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-25-14

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Richard Sharpe is fighting for his Irish battalion and his own honour through the blood-stained streets of the town.

Quartered in a crumbling Portuguese fort, Richard Sharpe and his men are attacked by an elite French unit, led by an old enemy of Sharpe's, and suffer heavy losses. The army's high command blame Sharpe for the disaster and his military career seems to be ruined. His only hope is to redeem himself on the battlefield. So with his honour at stake, against an overwhelming number of French troops, Sharpe leads his men to battle in the narrow streets of Fuentes de Oñoro.

Soldier, hero, rogue - Sharpe is the man you always want on your side. Born in poverty, he joined the army to escape jail and climbed the ranks by sheer brutal courage. He knows no other family than the regiment of the 95th Rifles whose green jacket he proudly wears.

Critic Reviews:

"Sharpe and his creator are national treasures." (Sunday Telegraph)

"Bernard Cornwell is a literary miracle. Year after year, hail, rain, snow, war and political upheavals fail to prevent him from producing the most entertaining and readable historical novels of his generation." (Daily Mail)

"Cornwell's narration is quite masterly and supremely well-researched." (Observer)

"The best battle scenes of any writer I've ever read, past or present. Cornwell really makes history come alive." George R.R. Martin

Members Reviews:

Farley is superhuman!

Having got me this far into the Sharpe series I didn't doubt Richard Farley's abilities, but this one went above and beyond - Sharpe's nemesis this time is a French brigadier who learnt English in Scotland. Frottish accent? No problem! Is there anything this narrator cannot do?!

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Title: Sharpe's Escape: The Bussaco Campaign, 1810

Subtitle: The Sharpe Series, Book 10

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Narrator: Rupert Farley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-28-14

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Richard Sharpe, with enemies on every side, survives Marshall Massena's attack and ends at the lines of Torres Vedras.Sharpe's job as Captain of the Light Company is under threat and he has made a new enemy, a Portuguese criminal known as Ferragus. Discarded by his regiment, Sharpe wages a private war against Ferragus - a war fought through the burning, pillaged streets of Coimbra, Portugal's ancient university city. Sharpe's Escape begins on the great, gaunt ridge of Bussaco where a joint British and Portuguese army meets the overwhelming strength of Marshall Massena's crack troops. It finishes at Torres Vedras where the French hopes of occupying Portugal quickly die.Soldier, hero, rogue - Sharpe is the man you always want on your side. Born in poverty, he joined the army to escape jail and climbed the ranks by sheer brutal courage. He knows no other family than the regiment of the 95th Rifles whose green jacket he proudly wears.

Critic Reviews:

"Sharpe and his creator are national treasures." (Sunday Telegraph)

"Bernard Cornwell is a literary miracle. Year after year, hail, rain, snow, war and political upheavals fail to prevent him from producing the most entertaining and readable historical novels of his generation." (Daily Mail)

"Cornwell's narration is quite masterly and supremely well-researched." (Observer)

"The best battle scenes of any writer I've ever read, past or present. Cornwell really makes history come alive." (George R.R. Martin)

Members Reviews:

Sharpe's Escape

Rattling good tale. Must say I'm becoming a mite concerned with Richard's bed hopping though. I recon I have bought and read 'several times' all 20 Sharpe books ~ or was it 21? ~ no matter. Richard's generosity with his ladies is legionary ~ as is his parsimony but, with thousands stashed away ~ Why doesn't he buy a bloody watch ????

Thoroughly Good Listen (Again).

Mssrs Cornwell & Farley have once more provided an excellent plot with superb narration. Tankyou.

Solid Sharpe

Sharpe's Escape (with an e) :-) has plenty of action, brawls and the interaction between pompous officers and men with common sense. Read well and although interjected as an additional story fits in reasonably well with the original chronology. Thumbs up.

Fantastic. Rupert Farley is superb!

Farley takes his time, really draws the story out but it doesn't drag at all. His accents are phenomenal and he captures the characters perfectly - I want him to read everything I ever listen to!

one of my favorites so far

One of the best in the sharpe series. sharpe is on form yet again! mind you..... he never did get the turpentine.

God save Ireland