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Title: Resort to Murder

Subtitle: Thirteen Tales of Mystery by Minnesota's Premier Writers

Author: William Kent Krueger, Jess Lourey, Ellen Hart, David Housewright, Scott Pearson, Pat Dennis, Carl Brookins

Narrator: John Farrell, Charles Hubbell, Walt Weaver, Mary Sue Kruger, Heidi Ziman, Mary Ann Sullivan, Sarah Jones

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-30-09

Publisher: Holton House Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 33 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

An anthology of mystery stories set in Minnesota and written by Minnesota authors. All of the mysteries have at least one element in common: each tale takes place at a fictional, but perhaps hauntingly familiar, Minnesota resort.

©2008 Multiple authors; (P)2008 Holton House Audio

Critic Reviews:

"[M]any of the 13 stories center on actual or suspected infidelity or some other betrayal, concluding with satisfying but somewhat anticipated twists.... Pat Dennis's 'Mother's Day', about a neglected son's homicidal plans for the holiday, and David Housewright's 'Miss Behavin', which follows a philandering physician down a spiral of bad luck and poor choices, are particularly taut and suspenseful. Several authors include notes of local color, giving a nice sense of continuity from one piece to the next and appealing to Minnesotans and visitors alike." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

I was disappointed in this audio book as I expected really great ...

I was disappointed in this audio book as I expected really great stories from each author. They fell short of my expectations and I can't say that I would tell anyone it's a must read or listen to in audio version.

Three Stars

ok

Good Short Pieces

Great variety of Midwest writers. It was well worth the great deal.

Read those published before and after also. Bravo!

I loved this book

I loved this book! So many different stories with the same theme in mind. I wish I could find more books like this!!

Minnesota

Not as good as I thought it would be.

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Title: Black Mask Audio Magazine, Volume 1

Subtitle: Classic Hard-Boiled Tales from the Original Black Mask

Author: Reuben J. Shay, Hugh B. Cave, William Cole, Dashiell Hammett, Paul Cain, Frederick Nebel

Narrator: Hollywood Theater of the Ear

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-28-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 92 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Now this series resurrects from those pages the toughest of tough detectives in sonic dramatizations from the award-winning Hollywood Theater of the Ear.

Stories included in this volume are "Lost and Found" by Hugh B. Cave, "Pigeon Blood" by Paul Cain, "Rough Justice" by Frederick Nebel, "Black" by Paul Cain, "The Missing Mr. Lee" by Hugh B. Cave, "Trouble Chaser" by Paul Cain, "Too Many Have Lived" by Dashiell Hammett, "Taking His Time" by Reuben J. Shay, and "Waiting for Rusty" by William Cole.

Critic Reviews:

"These shorts, highly acclaimed in the 1930s, are given new life by some of the best voices of our time." (

AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Beware

I didn't know whether to star-rate this title without the warning or after so I gave it stars based on my enjoyment. HOWEVER:

I bought several of the individual Black Mask tales and loved them. However, this offering is just a compilation of the items I already bought singly. Beware - buy this and avoid the individual offerings.

On a better note, I loved these. I'm a fan of old time radio and really enjoyed these attempts to recreate those days. If you're careful and buy wisely, you're in for a treat.

Back to the Future

What made the experience of listening to Black Mask Audio Magazine, Volume 1 the most enjoyable?

The Audible rendition took me back to the days of radio drama, the Theatre of the Mind. Well done with careful attention to detail.

Avoid This One

If you want good pulp magazine dramatizations get Jack Webb in Pat Novak for Hire from 1940s radio, and forget this modern attempt at faking it. I'm glad some actors found voice work, but their period characters are just generalized stereotypes and sometimes painful to listen to. A few "hard-boiled" leads sound like they've done infomercials. The stores are under-dramatized, probably because they are faithful to the originals (or maybe not), and several end abruptly leaving a listener wondering what comes next. Forget it.

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Title: The Season of Divorce

Subtitle: The John Cheever Audio Collection

Author: John Cheever

Narrator: Edward Herrmann

Format: Unabridged

Length: 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-22-09

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Here is one of twelve magnificent stories, originally part of The John Cheever Audio Collection, in which John Cheever celebrates with unequaled grace and tenderness the deepest feelings we have.

As Cheever writes in his preface, "These stories seem at times to be stories of a long-lost world when the city of New York was still filled with a river light, when you heard the Benny Goodman quartets from a radio in the corner stationery store, and when almost everybody wore a hat."

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Title: Two of the Deadliest

Author: Elizabeth George

Narrator: Sile Bermingham, Cassandra Campbell, Mike Chamberlain, Mark Deakins, Justine Eyre, Rosalyn Landor, Ann Marie Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 07-21-09

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 16 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

The seven deadly sins have been the roots of crime throughout human history. In Two of the Deadliest, Elizabeth George has gathered nearly two dozen tales that probe the dark heart of crime in the name of a pair of particularly wicked transgressions: lust and greed.

A young woman mistaken for someone else falls neatly into what appears to be the perfect business opportunity, only to learn that such luxury comes with a price. A mother is driven to depths she never imagined by her less-than-grateful son. And two lovers intent on profiting from an unexpected inheritance discover that the most valuable item is not at all what they thought it was. In addition to stars including Laura Lippman, Susan Wiggs, Marcia Muller, Carolyn Hart, Nancy Pickard, and Elizabeth George herself, the collection also features new writers from a broad range of backgrounds - journalists, educators, and criminal experts. Together they explore the dark depths women and men will sink to for passion, wealth, and power. Thrilling and unpredictable, these stories of murder and mayhem are guaranteed to shock and entertain.

Members Reviews:

Just Plain Boring

Some of these stories end with no understandable conclusion- some are just riduculous. Elizabeth George can write the most wonderful stories herself, but choosing these for this collection wasn't her best move. None of them were compelling enough to really keep my interest.

Not mysteries

These short stories are not mysteries. They are "modern" type short stories where nothing happens. One of the joys of the mystery is the resolution!

I feel duped!

Anything with the name Elizabeth George on the cover will be purchased immediately! I actually purchased this book a few years ago, then my vision got worse, so I was excited when I saw it available on audible.

What a disappointment. I understood the short stories were not by EG, but I thought they would be up to the same standards.

These are short stories that I guess are supposed to make one think; all they did for me is make me hit the STOP button after the 4th in a row of boring stories.

Not worth a credit and definitely not worth spending money on as I did...

It is such a hassle getting a refund, but I think I am going to put the time in to get my money back on this one!

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Title: Tell Me A Story 3

Subtitle: Women of Wonder

Author: Amy Friedman

Narrator: bryce Dallas Howard, Margot Rose, Wendy Hammers, Paula Poundstone, Yvette Freeman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-15-09

Publisher: Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

From England to Siberia and New Zealand, from the United States to Cambodia and East Africa, listeners will be transported as legendary heroines and goddesses seek and struggle, win and lose, laugh and cry, in magical stories and marvelous music from around the world.

Members Reviews:

Stimulate your child's imagination and sense of wonder with these amazing stories!

My daughter (five-and-a-half) and I are great fans of the Tell Me a Story series of audio CDs. The stories are imaginative and fun, culled from the various mythologies around the world, and accompanied by creative narration and musical accompaniment. We own a couple of other titles in the series but this is one of our personal favorites since it centers on stories with strong female characters, either mortal or goddesses.

There are six stories in all, with an overture preceding (running about 2:50 minutes):

The Cleverest Tune 10:52 (a British folktale, read by actor Bryce Dallas Howard)

The Goddess and the Ogre 13:09 (a Cambodian legend, read by Jessica DiCicco)

Whisker of the Lioness 13:37 (an Ethiopian Tale, read by Margot Rose)

The Lady and the Judge 8:57 (a Turkish Folktale, read by Wendy Hammers)

Reindeer Maiden 10:40 (a Siberian Legend, read by Yvette Freeman)

Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind 8:15 (an American Tall Tale, read by Paula Poundstone)

The musical instruments used in accompanying the stories include the guitar, harmonica, keyboards, glockenspiel, percussion, saxophone, finger cymbals, violin, trombone, clarinet, etc. The stories are wondrous and will give flight to one's imagination. The multi-cultural nature of these stories also help children to develop an appreciation of stories from diverse cultures. Recommended!

Stories for Girls

My daughter for whom I bought this is almost five years old. Even though a few of the stories are a little over her head, she loves them all and is able to understand the messages in each. I always look for stories that showcase strong females for her to emulate. Fortunately, these stories also have a moral or positive lesson. The narrators were very lively, animated and clear and the accompanying music was wonderful. I enjoy listening to all as much as she does.

Happy Granddaughter

Bought three of these CD's for my granddaughter (6yrs) and she loves to listen to them with her mom. What's not to like when your granddaughter and mommy are sharing time together.

Gift

I purchased this as a gift for my 95 year-old mother who is a storyteller and is also visually impaired. She really liked it.

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL ADDITON TO A WONDERFUL SERIES BY AMY FRIEDMAN

This CD is the third in one of the most delightful offerings of this nature I have had the pleasure of listening to in years! The art of true story telling and the wisdom and lore from our many folktales is being slowly lost, year after year. Offerings such as this and the two preceding CDs help keep both the traditional story telling skills and the tradition of folk legends alive. When a good tale and a good teller of tales come together, a certain magic is present; a magic like no other and both traditions are alive and well due to Amy Friedman. She is providing us a wonderful service.

Tell Me a Story 3, Women of Wonder is a collection of six myths and legends from around the world.

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Title: The Afterlife and Other Stories

Author: John Updike

Narrator: John Updike

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-19-09

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

A fantastic short story collection from critically acclaimed and bestselling author John Updike.

©1994 John Updike; (P)2009 Random House

Members Reviews:

Be Aware, It's An Abridged Edition

I had read the unabridged book and remembered stories I wanted to hear again for next month's book group discussion. I downloaded the book from my iPhone, and didn't see that it was an abridged edition. This version is very nice, but it leaves out at least two of the stories I really liked.

I enjoyed listening to the stories in this collection, just know that you are missing some of the best if you don't also read the unabridged version.

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Title: Malice Domestic 1: An Anthology of Original Mystery Stories (Unabridged)

Author: Elizabeth Peters (editor), Charlotte MacLeod, Barbara Paul, Aaron Elkins

Narrator: Mary Catlett, Richard Gilliland, Jill Larson, Loryn Locklin, Lois Nettleton, Mackenzie Phillips, Amy Povich

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-22-09

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 22 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Malice Domestic distinguishes the personal and private aspects of crime from the public and impersonal. Our murderers don't kill for the fun of it (serial killers) or for a misguided ideal (assassins and terrorists) or for pay (hired hit men). They only do in people they know and love (or hate).

©1992 Martin Greenberg; (P)2009 Phoenix

Critic Reviews:

"Traditional mysteries and the short story form have been a perfect pair since Poe and Conan Doyle; this outstanding collection of original tales carries on the combination of genres." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Old Friends in Shorter Form

These short stories were written by the most popular authors of what are now called "cozies ." Some of them feature their series detectives (Carolyn Hart's Harry O and Charlotte MacLeod's Sarah Kelling), but others wrote about new characters. Most novelists were very successful writing this length, but a couple of the stories seemed to end somewhat abruptly, as though they wanted to be novellas.

I particularly enjoyed MacLeod's over-the-top dialogue, full of alliteration and arch and erudite phrases. It would have been tiresome in a novel, but was fun in this small dose. Unfortunately, the narrator was unaware of the stylish twist or was unable to carry it off.

I thought the narration was the weakest part of the book. Perhaps the stories should have been narrated by those who regularly did each author's books. Even so, I recommend these stories to readers who enjoy well-plotted, well-written classic mystery stories.

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Title: Winchester Wedding

Author: Wayne D. Overholser

Narrator: James Drury

Format: Unabridged

Length: 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-22-09

Publisher: Audio Holdings, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

In the early 1890s, after the financial panic, Colorado is changing from mining to ranching. A local merchant, Eli, holds most of the money and the power in the county. Then a stranger arrives and starts to court the merchant's daughter - and the problems begin.

©1953 by Wayne D. Overholser. Copyright © renewed 1981 by Wayne D. Overholser. Published by arrangement with Golden West Literary Agency.; (P)2009 Audio Holdings, LLC

Editorial Reviews:

Narrated by the sheriff of Mountain County Colorado in the years after the panic and silver trouble of 1893, this short Wayne D. Overholster yarn tells of a "benevolent despot" a merchant who holds the townspeople at his whim. Until, that is, Rance Collins moves to town and falls in love with the merchant's daughter, Bunny. James Drury performs this story with the laconic tone and drawl that befits the sheriff of a dying town in the Old West. Full of ghost town grit and cowboy idioms this audiobook is a trip down the dusty trails of the past.

Members Reviews:

James Drury is not narrating

Story is good but I chose the book because James Drury was supposed to be reading it. Very disappointed.

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Title: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and Other Stories

Author: Ambrose Bierce

Narrator: Jonathan Reese

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-17-08

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

''An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,'' the premier title in this collection, is one of the most widely anthologized American short stories and is considered Bierce's best work. First published in 1891 in Bierce's short story collection Tales of Soldiers and Civilians, the story centers on Peyton Farquhar, a southern planter who is about to be hanged by the Union Army for attempting to destroy the railroad bridge at Owl Creek. As Farquhar stands on the bridge with a noose around his neck, Bierce leads the reader to believe that the rope breaks and that Farquhar falls into the water below, only to escape to his farm, where he is reunited with his wife. ''An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" has been lauded as an example of technical brilliance and innovative narration as well as for its examination of such themes as the nature of time and the complexities of human cognition.

Editorial Reviews:

The title story in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge: And Other Stories is in the canon of required reading for high school English classes everywhere and has been extensively anthologized for good reason. It is a gripping, genre-bending, time-twisting, brilliantly constructed story of a Confederate sympathizer awaiting his impending death by hanging.

As the noose is being fitted, the nameless condemned man considers the events of his life that led him to this most unfortunate point. The ending, no spoilers of course, is everything. Multiple surprises await.

This classic story and others are narrated with leathery smooth emphasis by Jonathan Reese.

Members Reviews:

Nice Bierce

The narration here is very good and enhances the stories. The title story is my favorite but many are quite good. The stories aged surprisingly well. Some of the ideas seem old hat now, but the writing keeps the stories worth listening to. The stories generally have ironic or thought provoking twists.

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Title: More Favorite Stories of Christmas Past

Author: Henry Van Dyke, Louisa May Alcott, Hans Christian Andersen, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Charles Dickens

Narrator: Simon Prebble, Joyce Bean

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-17-08

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

The classics that can be found in More Favorite Stories of Christmas Past are: "Keeping Christmas" by Henry Van Dyke; "A Christmas Dream, and How It Came True" by Louisa May Alcott; "The Last Dream of the Old Oak" by Hans Christian Andersen; "Christmas at Red Butte" by Lucy Maud Montgomery; "The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Andersen; "Rosa's Tale" by Louisa May Alcott; and "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.

Editorial Reviews:

More Favorite Stories of Christmas Past is a collection of seven classic holiday tales narrated by Henry Van Dyke, whose grandfatherly timbre sounds like old Kris Kringle himself, and Joyce Bean, a performer with expansive character range whose wide-eyed retelling perfectly captures the wonderment of the Christmas season.

Featuring long-loved stories like A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, and "The Little Match Girl", by Hans Christian Andersen, in addition to lesser-known gems like Rosas Tale, by Louisa May Alcott of Little Women fame, this collection of tender tales of holidays long past are best listened to with a cup of hot cocoa, a cozy blanket, and a sentimental state of mind.

Members Reviews:

Great Christmas Stories

I love these Christmas Stories. Read well and all of the best ones out there. Great to get you into the spirit of the season.

Yes, More Great Tales

I have so many favorites on the audio that it is hard to pick just one. The narrators have wonderful voices and read the classics with such feeling it really makes these stories that more enjoyable.