Download Best Full Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

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Title: When the Sacred Ginmill Closes

Subtitle: A Matt Scudder Mystery

Author: Lawrence Block

Narrator: Mark Hammer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-04-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 143 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

When ex-cop Matt Scudder thought back on the summer of '75, two faces emerged from behind the smoky haze of a half dozen boozy saloons that made up his beat: Skip Devoe and Tommy Tillary - two bar flies he wouldn't have given a second thought to in the bright light of day. Yet they and their troubles were the reason that moved him a little farther out of the bleary-eyed mess that had become his life.

More mayhem? Listen to another

mystery.

©1986 Lawrence Block (P)1991 Recorded Books

Critic Reviews:

"Chilling." (

Washington Post)

Members Reviews:

Great narration, great prose

Block paints a detailed portrait of New York's boozy underbelly while weaving in mystery, dirty deeds and self-doubt. The characters ring true--hopeless men and women who frequent dive bars and attempt to make sense of their lives. The narration is akin to listening to poetry.

Little action, lots of characters, boozing heavily

I love Block's books and enjoy Matt Scudder mysteries generally. However, this book disappointed because mostly there is a lot of meandering and conversations and talk about drinking with little or no relation to the mysteries. It picks up in the last 1/4 of the book, when developments occur that reveal, at least to Matt's satisfaction, whodunit. His behavior is novel with some nice twists at the end. I didn't find Matt's drinking buddies very intriguing and probably would have been satisfied had this been a short story.

This book kinda grows on you.

Lawrence Block has been a very prolific writer over a long career. Mark Hammer is an excellent narrator. The action of the book is set entirely in New York City. The action is also as booze-soaked as one can imagine, if one can imagine booze on every page. The book was written in 1975. The plot includes a stickup of an after-hours bar called Morrissey's, and also a murder in Brooklyn, as well as a theft of account books at another bar. At first the book seems caught in a time when people really did do that much drinking. Matt Scudder and his five or six friends are constantly hanging out in various bars, mainly drinking. However, the plot picks up speed as the crimes come close to solutions. As with many great whodunits, you will not be able to predict them. Mark Hammer's somewhat boozy voice works perfectly here. Aside from the alcoholism, the characters are believable denizens of NYC. Block has written at least one other book about Scudder, and a whole fleet of Bernie Rhodenbarr books. He has found an audience, and, you might be among them if you enjoy this. It isn't profound, but few mysteries are. It has action and good characters, and the view of NYC may be old, but it rings true. I have read some of Block's other books, and he can write. Enjoy.

Great!!

Elegant writing. Masterful narration. The mood remains even after the book is over. And best of all, there are 17 more of them in my future!!

Great story. Terrible reader

Its a great story and i loved the book when I read it some years back. But god almighty who decided that a man with a severe head cold, allergies and a recently broken nose should be the reader.

So I went over to armstrongs, psshhh, snort.

Finally got to be too much.

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Title: The Far Side of the Dollar

Subtitle: A Lew Archer Novel

Author: Ross MacDonald

Narrator: Tom Parker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-15-08

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 51 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Archer knows that 20 years ago a handful of dreamers and losers came together in the Barcelona. The only questions now are: What kind of deal went down there? And why were a mixed-up rich kid and a beautiful blonde the first to pay the price?

Members Reviews:

Labyrinthine Shocker

Ross Macdonald's imagination, knowledge of the human psyche, and gift for 20th Century dialogue can probably be summed up best with two words: Literary Genius. His novels are absolutely addictive. I hate to see them end! This one is particularly affecting and mysterious to the last heart-breaking page. It's a masterpiece! But one titillating question remains: Will Lew Archer ever find love?

Subtle and controlled

Ross Macdonald writes quite differently than the other masters of the genre. He gives very little insight into his detective's mind or feelings. The focus is on the other characters, the detective remaining a cypher who reports dispassionately. He seems depressed in a way. The book is very plot-driven. We see what Archer sees as he works through the events of the case. Lacks the humor and warmth of Rex Stout. Closer to Hammet but in a 1960s world. Very enjoyable for fans of detective stories with focus on plot, not personality of the detective. It's the opposite of Grafton or Christie.

Psycho action

Great development of mystery and character. Usual snappy dialogue from McDonald's, along with psychological portrayal that is just about successful

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Title: The Burnt House

Author: Faye Kellerman

Narrator: George Guidall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-31-07

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 719 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

A small commuter plane carrying 47 passengers crashes into an apartment building, and LAPD Lieutenant Peter Decker works overtime to calm rampant fears. But a grisly mystery lives inside the plane's wreckage: the unidentified bodies of four extra travelers. And there is no sign of an airline employee who was supposedly on the catastrophic flight. The fate of the unaccounted-for flight attendant, 28-year-old Roseanne Dresden, remains a question mark more than a month after the horrific event, when the young woman's irate stepfather calls, insisting that she was never on-board the doomed plane. Instead, he claims, she was most likely murdered by her abusive husband. But why was Roseanne's name included on the passenger list?

Under pressure to come up with answers, Decker launches an investigation that carries him down a path of tragic history, dangerous secrets, and deadly lies - and leads him to the corpse of a three-decades-missing murder victim. And as the jagged pieces slowly fall into place, a frightening picture begins to form: a mind-searing portrait of unimaginable evil that will challenge Decker and his wife Rina's own beliefs about guilt and innocence and justice.

Combining relentless suspense with intense, multi-layered human drama The Burnt House is Faye Kellerman at her mesmerizing best.

Editorial Reviews:

George Guidall is so comfortable performing the Rina Lazarus/Peter Decker series that even first-time listeners will feel right at home. In the sixteenth book featuring the married couple, Faye Kellerman builds tenderness, intelligence, and normalcy into Rina and Peter's Orthodox Jewish family life and their conversations about God, guilt, and sin. She produces a convoluted (if occasionally coincidence-prone) story, but, thanks in part to Guidall's top-notch performance, her characters have the gritty feel of real people. Guidall's pacing, vocal shifts, and delivery of the many Yiddish expressions sprinkled throughout are masterful. This is one listeners won't want to miss.

Members Reviews:

Recommended for Faye Kellerman Fans

Faye is the best of the Kellerman clan, and over the years, Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus have become very real characters, like old friend whose visits I look forward to every year or so to find out what is going on with the family.

This book is a solid police procedure piece. The strengths are the carefully woven plot, Peter's experiences with his compatriots on the police force, the technical aspects of the investigation and the gripping tension.

What I missed was spending more time with Rina and the kids whose life-cycle stresses seemed rather mundane. I also missed the intersection of the plot with interesting sub-cultures which have been such fascinating parts of FK's prior works. There is a brief interlude with a Hispanic-Indian family in Santa Fe, but it was rather contrived, and seemed like it was put there for FK to take a tax write-off on a trip to New Mexico. The plot resolution that links the two missing persons seems rather unlikely, but was still satisfying.

Unlike the previous reviewer, I am a big fan of George Guidall, though I have no idea how he gets the time to perform all of the books in his repertoire. He does his usual strong performance here

puzzled by publishers review

This book was okay but it sure didn't match the publishers review of it.

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Title: The 6th Target

Subtitle: The Women's Murder Club

Author: James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

Narrator: Carolyn McCormick

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-23-07

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 56 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Amid uncertainty, Lindsay juggles the possibility of love, an unsolvable investigation, and the possibility that a member of the club could die. When everything appears to be under control, the case takes a turn, and puts the city in danger. Lindsay must make a choice with no certainty that either outcome has more than a prayer of success.

Members Reviews:

Classic Women's Murder Club

This was a very good listen. I ususally don't listen to my books, but the sound effects, voices and plot kept my attention and the twist at the end was classic!

I was so disappointed!

I eagerly waited for the 6th book in this series! How disappointed I was that the relationship between the women was largely left out of this volume. Oh, there was some interplay between some of the characters, but none of the wine drinking and lunching that fostered closeness between the women and made them dear to me.

I'll get the 7th book from the library and not waste my money!

thrilling

Suspenseful, thrilling, yet romantic! Probably the best book in the series so far.!

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Title: The Terra-Cotta Dog

Subtitle: An Inspector Montalbano Mystery

Author: Andrea Camilleri

Narrator: Grover Gardner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-06-07

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 208 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano has garnered millions of fans worldwide with his sardonic take on Sicilian life. With sly wit and a keen understanding of human nature, Montalbano is a detective whose earthiness, compassion, and imagination make him totally irresistible.

Translated by Stephen Sartarelli.

Critic Reviews:

"In Sicily, where people do things as they please, Inspector Montalbano is a bona fide folk hero." (The New York Times Book Review)

"Montalbano's deadpan drollery and sharp observations refresh as much for their honesty as their wit. All he wants is a quiet corner and an uninterrupted afternoon." (Kirkus Reviews)

"A deep evocation of the Sicilian temperament, with all its complex darkness and ambiguity, is embodied in Inspector Salvo Montalbano. Camilleri writes in Sicilian dialect, and his translator has expertly captured the rhythms and nuances of that tongue in English." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

It just gets better

Another engaging story from Camilleri. This one is better than his first, and not as good as his next. Again, I was distressed that it ended so soon, but that inevitably brought to my mind a wonderful Whoopi Goldberg routine from her early stand-up days.

When a creepy old man tried to woo her into a tumble by promising that old men can last a long time, she paused for a long Whoopi moment.

To paraphrase her question to the audience:

Now why... would I want to read a baaaaaaaaad book... for a LONG TIME?!?

And indeed, I'd rather spend a short time with a book as wonderful as this than a long time with some of the mountainous drivel I've mis-chosen lately.

Highly recommended.

AUDIO: The same competent and well-fitting narrator, thank goodness.

Bene!

A good departure from ho-hum mysteries takes you into the life of a police inspector in Sicily picking up clues in a 50 year old homicide case. Other current murders are presented as every-day occurances carried out with Mafia vengance. Hats off to the narrator with the perfect Italian accent for the reading. This one: well worth it.

A fascinating mystery with a great dectective!

This is the second of the Inspector Montalbano novels and it is much stronger than the first. You should begin with The Shape of Water, although this book can stand on its own, you will know then get the several internal references in the story much better. If you enjoyed the first novel, you will like this one even better.

As with the first novel, the characters and atmosphere of Sicily are strong. You will feel like you are there, and the narrator, Gardner, does a great job, so this book makes a wonderful commuter companion in the car or on a long trip.

The mystery itself is first-rate, and you must hang on quite a bit through the book before the meaning of the title becomes clear, but it is well worth the wait. Once again Montalbano steals the story though by now you'll be familiar with his motley crew of detectives who bring to light the wonderful sense of humor of the author, Camilleri.

Persons also with an interest in wartime (WWII) era Sicily will also find this story of interest.

Better than I thought at first

This is my first Montalbano book, after many recommendations from friends.

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Title: The Full Cupboard of Life

Author: Alexander McCall Smith

Narrator: Adjoa Andoh

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-05-07

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Mma Ramotswe herself has weighty matters on her mind. She has been approached by a wealthy lady, whose fortune comes from successful hair-braiding salons, and has been asked to check up on several suitors. Are these men just interested in her money? This may be difficult to find out, but Mma Ramotswe is, of course, a very intuitive lady.

Critic Reviews:

"Highly amusing, intelligent, and heart-warming." (Scotland on Sunday)

"Forget the library; the body is in the mud hut. An African Marple created by a Scottish law lecturer." (Stephen McGinty, Sunday Times)

Members Reviews:

Delightful

The stories are set in Botswana and McCall Smith captures the essence if Africa perfectly, the sights, smells and the people. You are instantly transported to another a place, enjoying that cup of bush tea with Mme Ramotswe, feeling like you are a friend or a neighbour being told a story. There is a simple, laid back approach to his writing that makes these stories so easy to read.

The characters are all charming and easy to connect with. The stories sometimes ramble and have no real conclusion, but I dont mind as I love the characters so much I am happy to just spend time with them.

Adjoa Andoh's narration is wonderful, what a perfect choice to bring these stories to life.

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Title: The White Lioness

Subtitle: A Kurt Wallander Mystery

Author: Henning Mankell

Narrator: Dick Hill

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 12-05-06

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 674 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

A riveting tale of international intrigue with compelling insights into the sinister side of modern life, The White Lioness will keep you on the knife edge of suspense.

Critic Reviews:

"A first-class thriller." (New York Times) "[Wallander is] a solid character, whose strengths and weaknesses are utterly credible, and Mankell knows how to make the most of his virtues." (Publishers Weekly) "The action is skillfully grounded in human rather than political concerns....[Mankell's] stature as a major voice in international crime fiction remains undisturbed." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Great boo.

What a great book. The story is well constructed and is arranged against a backdrop of the political landscape of South Africa in 1990's. What a fantastic detective story. Cannot wait to hear the next "Kurt Volander" story.

twists and turns

very entertaining with a lot of twists and turns. it never get boring

Awesome!

Great listening full of twists and turns and Wallander is at his best!!

My second Wallander

I really enjoyed listening to this book, my first by Mankell was Dogs of Riga, which I also enjoyed. The White Lioness started off a little slow but picked up momentum and turned into a good thriller. I've never been to Sweden and probably never will so it's good to hear about normal life there and it's good to know the Swedish have hopes and dreams just like the rest of us. I've never read much about South Africa, period, so listening to what it was like in the last days of Apartheid was interesting. But, Detective Chief Inspector Kurt Wallander is the star. I like the way Mankell gets into his psyche and tells us what he's thinking both bad and good, he has many thoughts just like me. I'm sure I'll try a third Wallander mystery at some point. It appears Henning Mankell quit writing and moved to Mozambique or somewhere thereabouts. That's too bad, he spins a good yard.

Needs to be Abridged

What disappointed you about The White Lioness?

Way too slow and complex to listen to

Has The White Lioness turned you off from other books in this genre?

no but turned me off from this author

What didnt you like about Dick Hills performance?

boring to listen to

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

disappointment

Any additional comments?

An audio book needs to be captivating. This book went off on too many tangents for an audio format. I dont listen to audio books from beginning to end. I listen over several days.the names of the people, towns and information was too lengthy to remember from sessionto session. The backtracking and extensive information made it very slow and sometimes boring.

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Title: Bubbles in Trouble

Author: Sarah Strohmeyer

Narrator: Barbara McCulloh

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-27-04

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 103 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

In her latest adventure, Bubbles goes undercover in an Amish community to investigate a friend's disappearance. Accompanied by her quirky mother and too-smart-for-her-own-good teenage daughter, Bubbles is about to discover that all is not as it seems among the plain-living Amish folk, and that secrets sometimes hide in the most unexpected places.

Bubbles Yablonksy is a quirky detective wannabee who has drawn favorable comparisons to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum. This well-plotted mystery is sure to please old fans and win new ones for this critically acclaimed series.

Members Reviews:

great fun!

Strohmeyer gets better with each book... I can't wait for the next. She has hilarious characters and the plot keeps you guessing.

A Joy to listen to

This book was a cliff hanger, I couldn't put it down, infact I listen to it on the way to and from getting bloodwork done. I started the book on Sunday and finished it the next day. I thought the wrong person was the killer. It kept me guessing.I recommend you getting this one.

Bubbles In Trouble

I just love these Bubbles books. They are funny, light and Bubbles is always making me laugh. She eventually gets the job done.

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Title: Secret Prey

Author: John Sandford

Narrator: Stephen Lang

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-12-04

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 159 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

There were currents running through this group, hints and whispers of something much greater than the murder of a single man. Lucas Davenport had felt this way not long before, sensed the curling of an indefinable evil, and not only had it nearly gotten him killed, it had lost him his fiance, who'd never been able to recover from the violence of the encounter. Sometime soon, unless he could stop it, there would be another death, and then still another, and Davenport couldn't help but wonder if maybe this time, the final death might not be his own.

Critic Reviews:

"Full of smart suspense and deduction as well as explosive action." (Publishers Weekly)

"A good plot, a great villain, and a realistic, flawed hero, combined with a great reading by Lang, all make this a very entertaining 'listen.'" (Library Journal)

"Sandford has sustained his "prey" thrillers by varying the premise with imaginative plotting; shifting points of view; a subtle, melancholy protagonist; and most of all, great villains. The ninth prey novel may well be the best, and that's high praise in the context of such a consistently entertaining body of work." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Another winner for Sandford

How does he do it? Sandford, I mean. He has turned out so many of these "Prey" novels, yet they are all different (even if related in some ways) and spectacular in terms of being true crime thrillers.

The reader is excellent. As I said, another winner for Sandford

Sometimes change is good...sometimes not

One of the things about listening to an audio series, or reading one for that matter, is that you begin to understand who the main character is that you are following through all these books. You may like that person, you may not, but the point is you have grown to understand and find some sort of comfort in the consistency of that. Richard Ferrone was the narrator for the previous Prey series and had developed the character of Lucas Davenport in a specific way. Over time the reader could distinguish between vocal tones, knowing what type of response Lucas was giving. With the switch to this new narrator, Lucas Davenport became a COMPLETELY different person. The narrator tried to hard to give emotion to a man who isn't supposed to express all that much emotion to begin with. His attemps at female voices are terrible and it completely takes away from the stories. Over the years I have become a BIG fan of the Prey series but I was unable to even get through this one. I highly recommend skipping this one and looking to see who is narrating. I didn't think it would make a big difference but the difference was actually huge.

Should have read Rachael's review first

Sure wish I had read Rachael's review before getting this one. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal since I am such a HUGE Prey series fan. Everything she said is absolutely right. The reader has totally changed the character of Lucas, Sloan sounds like an idiot, and his voices are almost comical. I think we could also do without all the sound effects especially when they over ride the readers voice and you can't hear what is being read. Prey fans,,,,skip this one or get it in written form.

Great prey story

This was another in a great prey series with a good story, suspense and intriguing action.

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Title: Widow's Walk

Author: Robert B. Parker

Narrator: Joe Mantegna

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-08-02

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 227 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

When 51-year-old Nathan Smith, a once-confirmed bachelor, is found dead in his bed with a hole in his head made by a .38 caliber slug, it's hard not to imagine Nathan's young bride as the one with her finger on the trigger. Even her lawyer thinks she's guilty. But given that Mary Smith is entitled to the best defense she can afford - and thanks to Nathan's millions, she can afford plenty - Spenser hires on to investigate Mary's bona fides.

Mary's alibi is a bit on the flimsy side: she claims she was watching television in another room when the murder occurred. But the couple was seen fighting at a high-profile cocktail party earlier that evening and the prosecution has a witness who says Mary once tried to hire him to kill Nathan. What's more, she's too pretty, too made-up, too blonde, and sleeps around - just the kind of person a jury loves to hate.

Spenser's up against the wall; leads go nowhere, no one knows a thing. Then a young woman, recently fired from her position at Smith's bank, turns up dead. Mary's vacant past suddenly starts looking meaner and darker - and Spenser's suddenly got to watch his back.

With its lean, crackling dialogue, crisp action and razor-sharp characters, Widow's Walk is another triumph.

Critic Reviews:

"Sometimes you have to wonder how Robert B. Parker keeps his mojo working... In an age of shifty heroes with shaky values, he has created a hero who can still stand up for himself - and us." (The New York Times Book Review)

Members Reviews:

Great narrative, slow story

I found Joe Mantegna's narrative flawless on this book. His voice was easy to listen to and offered a great narrative to Spencer. I started with Spencer back when the TV show starring Robert Urich aired. Joe's voice reminds me a little bit of Urich's great narratives on the show.

The book's story is a bit slow and I found numerous characters to be completely annoying. Mary Smith is by far the most annoying with her completely ridiculous stupidity (no one is that stupid). The side-story with Spencer's girlfriend's patient, who dies, adds nothing to the story except a distraction.

However, the book's story would be good in an abridged version that reduces the nonsense and sticks to the story.

Well Done

Parker as usual does a great job of keeping the story flowing. Montagna is my favorite reader of Parker's work. You will enjoy the inter-action of these characters.

Tired, Serious Spenser

Usually I listen to Spenser books with undivided attention, but Widow's Walk is so out of kilter with the Spenser I know and love, I started a knitting project at the same time. The fun, dry-witted personalities of Hawk, Spenser, and Susan are bland, which is disconcerting after years of scintillating repartee. There are some similar lines, but they're delivered in a tired, flat way, as if Joe Mantegna isn't enjoying what he's performing. Also, I've never known Spenser to be so psychologically focused. True, Susan has just lost a patient to suicide, but Spenser's response to her, though admirable, is out of character. Also, he says: "god damn," as opposed to "hot damn," which was a shock to hear. As an aside, it was sad to hear Spenser and Susan talk about Pearl the Wonder Dog in terms of putting her down due to her advanced age and deafness.