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Title: Red Leaves

Author: Paullina Simons

Narrator: Sandra Burr

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-06-08

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 52 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Detective Spencer O'Malley had met the girl, Kristina, only a day prior to her death. Nearly falling in love with her on this chance meeting, he learns more about her life through his investigation of her mysterious demise.

Kristina and her friends, all children of privilege, were supposedly close. They played, studied and occasionally slept together. Despite this, there were many secrets hidden within their relationship, more than O'Malley could have imagined.

Members Reviews:

the voice of Connie is very difficult to listen to

Would you listen to Red Leaves again? Why?

no, i could not listen to that voice of Connie ever again!

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Sandra Burr?

She was good untill she switched to Connie.

Any additional comments?

get two people to read or three. do not use that voice of connie ever again

Liked the story but

Not quite the epic story of the Bronze Horseman but still a good crime story. I didn't like the male voices used by the narrator they were just annoying. Would love to have more Audio books by this author

Good

Nice pace, good plot, keeps you thinking. A good read.

Paulina you are my favorite Author right now!

What did you like best about this story?

Its so different from Paulinas other books, twist and turns, intriguing from the beginning!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES!! Found it hard to stop listening.

Any additional comments?

Short review today.. but Paulina has got a great talent for writing. I loved the narrator. I was captured by the characters from the beginning. I really enjoyed it thanks!!

Great Story Hard to listen to narrator

What did you like best about Red Leaves? What did you like least?

Great story kept me listening in spite of narration. Hard to listen to characters voices which sounded like 1950's cartoon character depictions of college students. Extremely grating and did not fit the characters. I have never written a review, but I would not have purchased the audio format if I had known how aggravating the voices were.

What other book might you compare Red Leaves to and why?

I love Paulina Simons and this was a fun crime story.

Would you be willing to try another one of Sandra Burrs performances?

No.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Buy the book in print.

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Title: Coroner's Pidgin

Author: Margery Allingham

Narrator: Philip Franks

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-06-08

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Wanting only to get away to a well-deserved rest, Campion must instead assist Detective Chief Inspector Oates and Superintendent Yeo in unravelling a tangled plot of deception and murder, as the war draws to its conclusion.

Members Reviews:

Home leave

Despite Champion's best efforts it is difficult for Champion not to help solve the mystery of a dead woman placed in his bed. As the days tick pass the bodies pile up and the plot thickens with more evidence pointing to his friend as the mastermind.

Well told and well paced made this an enjoyable tale

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Title: The Second Stain

Subtitle: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: Bryan Schmidt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-13-08

Publisher: Listener's Digest Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

The Prime Minister and Trelawney Hope, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, come to Holmes in the matter of a document stolen from Hope's despatch box, which he kept at home in Whitehall Terrace when not at work. If divulged, this document could bring about very dire consequences for all Europe - even war!

©2007 Listener's Digest Inc; (P)2007 Listener's Digest Inc

Members Reviews:

Don't sweep this one under the rug

Sherlock fans will not be disappointed.

Another excellent plot!

In this story, Lord Bellinger, the Prime Minister, and Trelawney Hope, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, come to Holmes in the matter of a document stolen from Hope's dispatch box, which he kept at home in Whitehall Terrace when not at work. If divulged, this document could bring about very dire consequences for all Europe, even war. They are loath to tell Holmes at first the exact nature of the document's contents, but when Holmes declines to take on their case, they tell him that it was a rather injudicious letter from a foreign potentate. It disappeared from the dispatch box one evening when Hope's wife was out at the theater for four hours. No-one in the house knew about the document, not even the Secretary's wife, with whom he will not discuss his work. None of the servants could have guessed what was in the box.

Holmes decides to begin with some spies known to him, and is then astonished to hear from Dr. Watson that one of those that he names has been murdered. Eduardo Lucas of Godolphin Street, near Whitehall, was stabbed to death at his house last night. Holmes is sure that this is beyond coincidence.

Before Holmes has a chance to act, another piece of the puzzle arrives at 221B Baker Street in the form of Lady Hilda Trelawney Hope, the European Secretary's wife. She asks Holmes about the stolen document's contents, saying that it is in her husband's best interest for her to know. Holmes will only reveal that there would be very unfortunate consequences if the document were not found. Holmes reads terror in Lady Hilda's eyes. Lady Hilda also begs Holmes to tell her husband nothing of her visit.

Holmes's spy hunt does not go well. It lasts days without result. As for the murder, the police arrest Mitton, Lucas's valet, but soon release him as he has a solid alibi.

Four days after the murder, a newspaper report from Paris connects Madame Henri Fournaye to Lucas's death. A woman matching her description was seen in London, where Mme Fournaye has recently been. She is, it seems, Lucas's wife, Eduardo Lucas and Henri Fournaye having been the same person, as established by photographs. She is of no use as a witness, however, as she has gone insane.

Inspector Lestrade calls Holmes to the murder scene to examine something odd. Lucas bled over a drugget, and the blood soaked through it, but curiously, there is no bloodstain on the floor under the drugget. However, there is one under the opposite edge of the carpet. It can only mean that the constable guarding the crime scene has been foolish enough to let someone in, and leave them alone while they moved things in the room, including the carpet.

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Title: The Red Circle

Subtitle: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: Bryan Schmidt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-11-08

Publisher: Listener's Digest Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Sherlock Holmes is at it again. Mrs. Warren, a London lodging-house keeper, comes to Holmes with a curious story of a reclusive and eccentric tenant. Mrs. Warren's husband has been abducted and then quickly released again, perhaps a case of mistaken identity. Holmes decides the case is more important than it appears.

©2007 Listener's Digest Inc; (P)2007 Listener's Digest Inc

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Title: The Crooked Man

Subtitle: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: Bryan Schmidt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-05-08

Publisher: Listener's Digest Inc.

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Only Sherlock Holmes can put the pieces back together after a murder; especially one with no motive, clues, or keys. And what about that crooked man with a mysterious pet?

©2007 Listener's Digest Inc; (P)2007 Listener's Digest Inc

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Title: One of Those Malibu Nights

Author: Elizabeth Adler

Narrator: Julie Briskman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-08

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 31 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

One night in Malibu, he comes to the rescue of a distraught woman holding a gun in the doorway of a fabulous beach house. When the woman disappears and the gun shows up in his car, Mac is pulled into a web of deception and lies.

His quest to find her takes him from southern California to the beaches of Mexico, to the streets of Rome, and the countryside of France. All the while, he's one step behind an elusive murderer, and one step ahead of an actress who wants nothing more than to get lost.

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

A gift.

Five Stars

Loved the book.

One of those Malibu Nights.

I enjoy Elisabeth Adler' s books. I have now read all of her books about Sunny and Mac Reilly. I wish she would write more stories about them.

I was so entertained by the characters and locations.

Pretty lousy

I finished it, but I had to force myself to do it. I was expecting way more plot than there is, so may be I'm not the sort of person the book is written for. Not much happens and there's a lot of words used to describe it in great detail.

always love her books!

Always page turning mysteries with vibrant settings that make me feel like I'm there, and loving every minute of it. Thanks for another great book, Elizabeth!

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Title: City of the Sun

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: David Levien

Narrator: Scott Brick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-26-08

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 250 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Fourteen months later, Paul and Carol Gabriel are on the verge of abandoning all hope. Crushed by frustrating dead ends and exhausted by a police force that cannot (or will not) find their son, the Gabriels finally stumble upon a name - an elusive private investigator who may represent their last chance for answers.

Frank Behr is an enigmatic mountain of a man, a former cop who is reluctant to help - he knows better than to promise the Gabriels a good result. But Paul's plea for closure stirs up old personal demons that Behr can no longer ignore. Going against everything he fears, Behr enters into an uneasy partnership with Paul on a quest for the truth that is, in turn, dangerous...and haunting.

Richly textured and crackling with suspense, City of the Sun weaves a moody narrative that hinges on the bond between a damaged detective and a lost father. David Levien masterfully peels back the layers of his gripping story, taking listeners on an investigation like no other.

Members Reviews:

B- Detective Fiction

If you have not read Connelly, Verdon, etc., then go read them and come back when you have nothing to download and want a mystery on your drive to NY. I was glad I discovered David Levien BUT the story does not live up to your expectations at the beginning of the book. Quite frankly, it is way too easy for this P.I. to come across clues -- or even to figure out where to look. ("Mhm, let me find the bike that has been lost for a year and a half and that the police never thought to look for"...and a page later, his intuition pays off.) That said, I have downloaded the second novel in the series...I do have to drive back to Boston. (Scott Brick, who tends to annoy me as a reader, is actually quite good in this.)

Easily 5 stars

Mr. Levien has written a winner here. This is a fast paced, intelligent story of a boy who was abducted and a private investigator who tries to find him.

The action is reminiscent of Michael Connelly and the character development reminds me of Capote's 'In Cold Blood'.

The story starts off fast immediately and never backs off. I hate to use the cliche 'page turner', but that is exactly what it is. I could not turn off my iPod and listened well into the night. I didnt get much sleep and was tired the next day at work. But I just HAD to finish the audiobook... there was simply no good place to stop, it was THAT good.

Scott Brick does his usual brilliant job of narration. As someone else once said, "He could make a phone book sound interesting".

I don't often write reviews, and when I do write a review it's usually critical. But I had to share my enjoyment of this one. I listen to thrillers, spy novels, police procedurals, true crime, and even horror novels... this is the best book I've listened to in several months.

Formula Based So So Fun

The book was very formula based and so where the characters without much imagination or depth. Writng was also pretty basic and predictable.

Scott Bricks talents were a bit wasted here but he did make the book at least mildly entertaining.

Almost Great

With inferior material, Scott Brick's highly dramatic narration can become a distraction; with really good material, he can make the story soar. The latter is the case here.

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Title: When Darkness Falls

Author: James Grippando

Narrator: Jonathan Davis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-22-06

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 129 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Panicked and on the run, Falcon takes Jack's best friend, Theo, as hostage. They end up barricaded in a motel room, and Theo isn't the only one at Falcon's mercy. Jack has to work with the cops and their crackerjack hostage negotiator to free Theo and the other hostages before Falcon decides he has nothing to lose by killing them all.

But what Jack doesn't know is that Falcon has a much bigger agenda, and that people behind the scenes will stop at nothing to keep their dangerous secrets. Thus unfolds a lightning-paced story, as only James Grippando can tell it.

Editorial Reviews:

In the latest installment of this author's Jack Swyteck series, Jonathan Davis gives an uplifting performance to an implausible plot. A homeless man, who has access to several hundred thousand dollars, kidnaps Swyteck's best friend, Theo, who is tough and streetwise and is, thus, an unlikely victim. Factor in a female police officer who is the mayor's daughter who, in turn, is in love with a blind hostage negotiator - and you have a smorgasbord of improbable fun. Davis to his credit, gives this melodrama a spirited performance in clear, authoritative tones. He's at his best when describing the kidnapping, the most exciting scene in the story.

Members Reviews:

Better Than Expected

This makes Jonathan Davis my new favorite narrator, not because the story is so good (I give that a 3+), but because Davis slips so effortlessly in and out of the various Miami characters in this story, after he had had me in stitches with his rendition of Texas characters in "Guilt Trip." This is the first Jack Swytek story I've found entertaining all the way through. It ended up in a much different place than I expected at the beginning, so I appreciate Grippando for that. Even got me to listen through some chapters of a hostage situation, though I usually try to avoid the misery of most kidnap and/or hostage stories. The author broke up the hostage part well with background info, but it might not have kept my interest so well without Davis's skillful, yet simultaneously relaxed style of narration.

international intrigue hits miami

easy to listen with a twist at the end. Theo plays a big role here.

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Title: A Kind of Transaction

Author: Roy Lewis

Narrator: Tim Bruce

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-13-06

Publisher: Oakhill Publishing Ltd

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

The arrival of Malaysian businessman Simon Chan in the north-east brings the prospect of business for Morcomb Estates and an assignment for solicitor Eric Ward: find the missing executive Harry Staughton. At the same time, the merchant bank on whose board he reluctantly sits asks him to investigate an aggressive takeover bid against their clients, Artaros SA. Neither task is clear cut. When a body is washed ashore in Spain, the trail leads Ward to Berwick, where he stumbles upon another murder - and finds himself fighting for his own life. But it is only in the courtroom, where Ward is pitted against his old adversary, Charles Davison, that the threads of these interwoven cases finally unravel.

©1991 Roy Lewis; (P)2006 Oakhill Publishing Ltd

Critic Reviews:

"A literate, thoughtful examination of human nature combined with a grimly suspenseful police procedural." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Sorry, too graphic for audio?

The excellent long review by "Amy" is accurate, but the first chapter of the book is almost gratuitously descriptive of a pre-rape scene. It's not like you are reading a book and can skip the graphic passages you really don't need. Unless readers really enjoy that kind of description, they might start listening at chapter two. The plot would be the same and the squirmy-ness avoided.

Intriguing Business

Author Roy Lewis has created a tale of intrigue in the world of international business. Although the opening chapter is bone-chilling, and towards the end the story becomes quite suspenseful, the core of the novel is understated in its quiet but steady plot development. Lewis gives us vivid descriptions of a variety of colorful and interesting characters and settings, seen through the eyes of protagonist Eric Ward. Eric observes the self-serving and unscrupulous nature with which several key characters surrounding him have attempted to make a dishonest buck while conducting business as usual, while he follows clues in an effort to find the mysteriously missing, apparently charismatic con-artist Harry Staughton, who has left a trail of angry people behind in the wake of his antics. Lewis has created an extremely likeable character in Eric Ward, honest and somewhat self-effacing, but with a strong sense of dignity and integrity. A nice touch to the story is the strong relationship between Eric and his wife. Although their careers often take them in different directions, they never fail to connect when they have time together. Eric Ward becomes ever-appealing as brought to life by narrator Tim Bruce, who has captured his essence perfectly, along with the other characters as well, all of whom he has rendered utterly believable. The narrators skills with accents are remarkable and his varying intonations excellent, creating clearly distinguishable characters with distinct personalities - the essence of what makes for an enjoyable listening experience. This also establishes proper flow and transition in the dialogue, making it possible for the reader to follow along with ease. I originally looked in to downloading audio books for my ailing grandmother who is no longer able to read, but after listening to this title, Ive discovered the fun and convenience of audio books. Who can resist a good story, well-told? I'm hooked.

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Title: The Best of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-11-06

Publisher: Hodder Headline Limited

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Contents:

"The Blackmailer": Holmes resorts to some lawbreaking of his own in the pursuit of essential evidence on a powerful blackmailer.

"A Scandal in Bohemia": A delicate case involving an ardent monarch and an indiscreet photograph leads Holmes to the one person he could not outwit: the beautiful Irene Adler.

"Silverblaze": Holmes searches for a murderer and a missing racehorse called Silverblaze.

"The Speckled Band": Holmes and Watson are entreated by a woman to get to the bottom of her sister's horrible and mysterious death.

Members Reviews:

this was still a nice collection of stories with nice

Having read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories many times, this was still a nice collection of stories with nice illustrations

The Game is Afoot!

Wonderful little books. Enjoying immensely :)

12 From the Author, 8 from the editor. Can't fault the selection.

A hard-to-fault selection of Sherlock Holmes mysteries. 12 of the stories were selected by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the best from the 44 stories that had appeared by then. David Stuart Davies adds a further 8 to the mix, which include such classics as The Man With the Twisted Lip, The Blue Carbuncle, and Charles Augustus Milverton. The mysteries seem to lose little of their charm and appeal more than a century after their writing. Short introduction by Davies is a useful bonus that reveals interesting tidbits.

"In the March 1927 issue of The Strand Magazine, a competition was held to choose the twelve best Sherlock Holmes stories from the forty-four already published in book form. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had made his choice and placed the titles in a sealed envelope and readers were invited to match the great man's selection. ... It is fascinating to note that not one entrant chose the exact same titles. The winner, a Mr R.T. Norman, managed ten."

These are the twelve stories selected by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

1. The Speckled Band - a personal favorite of mine

2. The Red-Headed League

3. The Dancing Men - fascinating

4. The Final Problem - a must-read for every Sherlock Holmes, where the detective meets his end, almost, at the hands of his nemesis, Prof Moriarty.

5. A Scandal in Bohemia

6. The Empty House - aka the Return of Sherlock Holmes.

7. The Five Orange Pips

8. The Second Stain

9. The Devil's Foot

10. The Priory School

11. The Musgrave Ritual

12. The Reigate Squires

and the 8 additional stories selected for this collection are:

1. The Man With the Twisted Lip

2. The Blue Carbuncle

3. The Copper Beeches

4. Silver Blaze

5. The Greek Interpreter

6. The Solitary Cyclist

7. Charles Augustus Milverton

8. The Illustrious Client

Good, not great, not bad, just...above average.

This edition contains `The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' short stories and the novel `The Hound of the Baskervilles'. I actually stole this book from my High School library but I didn't want to read it until I had read the stories which preceded. Since I've already commented on `Adventures' in another review I'll stick to discussing `Hound'.

Written after Conan-Doyle's `Final Problem' short story about Holmes' `death' this book takes place before his confrontation with Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls.