Download the New Releases Audiobooks in Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

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Title: Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: Edward Hardwicke

Format: Unabridged

Length: 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-31-11

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

"A Scandal in Bohemia" tells of the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes' encounter with Irene Adler, a beautiful and intelligent woman, in a story of love, intrigue, and political scandal.

The story is read by a true master, Edward Hardwicke, a talented actor who plays Sherlock Holmes's associate, Dr. Watson, in the popular PBS series Mystery!

Critic Reviews:

"An outstanding audio edition (that) features the splendidly effective narration of Edward Hardwicke." (AudioFile)

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Title: Sherlock Holmes: Silver Blaze

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: Edward Hardwicke

Format: Unabridged

Length: 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-30-11

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

In the vintage Sherlock Holmes tale "Silver Blaze", the police must make sense of an unusual knife, a missing horse, and a strange visit in order to find the murderer of a trusted horse trainer.

The story is read by a true master, Edward Hardwicke, a talented actor who plays Sherlock Holmes's associate, Dr. Watson, in the popular PBS series Mystery!

Critic Reviews:

"An outstanding audio edition (that) features the splendidly effective narration of Edward Hardwicke." (AudioFile)

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Title: Paranoia on River Road

Author: Terry Rich Hartley

Narrator: Sean Pratt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-25-10

Publisher: Mind Wings Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

A dispatcher sends Deputy Sheriff Lita Echeveria to a ghoulish burial site. A professor isolates himself in Mystic Canyon after apparently going mad. A wealthy retired farmer lives in denial of child abuse. A mysterious blonde girl and a dog point the way to criminal evidence before disappearing. The interaction of these characters cracks the boundaries of normal/abnormal psychology and criminal justice/cosmic punishment.

Editorial Reviews:

This unnerving short tale of murder, madness, guilt, and responsibility will grab you from the moment it starts and leave you thinking long after the performance is over. Narrator Sean Pratt's smooth tones expertly weave author Terry Rich Hartley's dark web, adopting the distinct personalities of the various mysterious characters. Best listened to after darkness falls, Paranoia on River Road is guaranteed to leave a psychic stain, like a strange figure glimpsed on the edge of the highway late at night.

Critic Reviews:

"This is a one-hour wonder, a clever little cupcake of a story about guilt, mental illness, and karma. Award-winning narrator Sean Pratt tells the tale straight down the middle, making it hard to discern which character to trust - which is on the up-and-up and which is crazy. Pratt doesnt make the main character sound like a hero, which hes not. But Pratt gives him enough dignity so that he doesnt sound like a coward either. Hes just a guy who cant live with his actions. Intriguing premise, memorable ending. Pratts rhythmic reading, his storytelling, is so compelling youll wish the book were longer than an hour." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Short story of paranoia

I read this twice trying to figure out what I must have missed in the telling.

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Title: Someone Else's Dream

Author: E. Jean Beres

Narrator: Marc Cashman, Gale Van Cott

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-25-10

Publisher: Mind Wings Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

When Ruth marries Robert Dowland, she has no idea of the impact Roberts first wife, Madeline, had on everyones life. Ruth must prove her worth to long-time housekeeper, Mrs. Billy, and overcome all the vivid memories of Madeline, as well as make friends with those who talk about Madeline as if she were still alive. Then, Ruth finds Madeline's journal and discovers a dreadful horror.

Editorial Reviews:

Mark Cashman and Gale Van Cott show off their versatility as they perform this story about dark secrets coming to light. After a whirlwind courtship, Ruth marries widower Robert Dowland and moves to his manor in Virginia, only to discover the impact Robert's first wife, Madeline, had on everyone's life. But after Ruth discovers Madeline's journal, she realizes that things aren't what they seem, and Van Cott's careful use of volume and pitch express Ruth's growing apprehension to great effect. Cashman, who was awarded AudioFile Magazine's Best Voice in 2011, also does an excellent job in individualizing his characters through accent and mannerism.

Members Reviews:

terrific short story

I really liked this story from start to finish. It started out sweet and at the end my feeling ended with "ah, that is so sweet".

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Title: The Copper Peacock and Other Stories

Author: Ruth Rendell

Narrator: Penelope Keith

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-01-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

With deceptive economy in these nine short stories, Ruth Rendell indicates hidden depths in ordinary events and creates a sense of profound unease. The stories are: 'A Pair of Yellow Lilies', 'Paperwork', 'Mothers Hel'p, 'Long Live the Queen', 'Dying Happy', 'The Copper Peacock', 'Weeds', 'The Fish-Sitter', and 'An Unwanted Woman'.

Members Reviews:

Nine tales of the unexpected

The underlying theme of these nine stories seems to be what happens in the face of selfishness. The self-absorption that keeps one from seeing what one does not wish to see, or what does not affect one personally, is of central importance.

In "A Pair of Yellow Lilies," the victim of a theft comes into unexpected contact with an irresistible young man in possession of an equally irresistible article of clothing.

A woman looks back on her strange upbringing in the care of her grandmother who is obsessed with scissors, paste, and her "Paperwork."

A dangerous husband with a vulpine smile is the antagonist of "Mother's Help."

"Long Live the Queen" is about a cat lady and her distress at the loss of a prized pet.

"Dying Happy" has an old man in his last days regretting getting what he wished for.

"Weeds" finds us in an English country garden in which a gathering of guests finds something darker and more dangerous going on than the cultivation of herbacious borders.

"The Copper Peacock" introduces us to a self-absorbed author with elitist preconceptions who fancies the daily help.

"The Fish Sitter" is a bizarre story about, not surprisingly, an aquarium.

The final story, "An Unwanted Woman," is an Inspector Wexford mini-mystery centering upon a teenage girl.

For me, there wasn't a disappointment in the lot, and Penelope Keith's narration was a delectable treat.

More please !

What did you love best about The Copper Peacock and Other Stories?

These just suit my taste...interesting, engrossing without taxing one. The narrator is perfect as far as I am concerned in terms of expression, clarity, timing etc.

Any additional comments?

if only there were more ....

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Titolo: La giara [The Jar]

Autore: Luigi Pirandello

Narratore: Marco Gallico

Formato: Unabridged

Durata: 18 mins

Lingua: Italiano

Data di pubblicazione: 06-23-10

Editore: Club degli Audiolettori

Valutazioni: 5 su 5 su 1 voti

Categoria: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Riepilogo Editore:

Forse la più nota novella di Pirandello. Don Lolò Zirafa trova la sua nuova e bellissima giara...rotta!!

Please note: This audiobook is in Italian.

Recensioni dei membri:

La giara

Ottima recitazione della novella di Pirandello. Abbastanza realista l'interpretazione del narratore Marco Gallico. Mi piacerebbe vedere altre opere aggiunte alla collana, incluse poesie di Giovanni Pascoli, Saba, Quasimodo ed altri moderni.

(Excellent recitation of Pirandello's short story. A rather realistic interpretation given by the narrator Marco Gallico. I would liketo see more works added to the list, including poems by Giovanni Pascoli, Saba, Quasimodo and other modern poets.)

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Title: Bored to Death

Subtitle: A Noir-otic Story

Author: Jonathan Ames

Narrator: Jonathan Ames

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-15-10

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 20 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

"Bored To Death" is from the new collection The Double Life Is Twice as Good by Jonathan Ames.

Now an HBO original series starring Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore), Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover), and Ted Danson, "Bored to Death" is a Raymond Chandleresque tale of a struggling Brooklyn writer curiously named Jonathan Ames who, in a moment of odd whimsy and boredom, becomes a private detective after spontaneously posting an ad on Craigslist. As a rank amateur who just thinks he can help, this Ames alter ego quickly becomes embroiled in the search for a missing NYU coed. He moves from one scrape to the next, all while trying to escape a life of periodic alcoholism, dead-end relationships, writer's block, and hours of Internet backgammon.

"Bored to Death" was originally published in McSweeney's, Issue 24, and is now the centerpiece of Ames' new collection, The Double Life Is Twice as Good.

Members Reviews:

OMG - this is one of the best shows I've ever seen - why was it cancelled

OMG - this is one of the best shows I've ever seen - why was it cancelled??? Ted Danson couldn't be better in this - all the actors - it's just perfection.

Not bad

I was worried that Bored to Death: A Noir-otic Story would be a play-by-play of the first episode of the series, which is what it sounded like from the get-go. Not to say that the first episode wasnât good; in fact, it had so much potential that I kept watching, and ended up watching all three seasons with my wife in very short order.

But the book differs in a number of key ways (the ending being a major one), which gave it just enough spice to keep me reading. It was fast-paced, easy reading. I donât know if Iâll be picking up any more books by Jonathan Ames, but I wonât write him off just yet.

Appears in another collection

There's a novella of the same name that startsThe Double Life Is Twice as Good: Essays and Fiction. From the length of this one, I'm guessing it's the same. Pay the extra buck and get a full book's worth of essays along with it.

Three Stars

Like Jonathan Ames, this is a pamphlet.

Buyer Beware- Only 38 pages!

Only 38 pages long. Not worth it for 7.99. Not worth it. So disappointed. What a waste of money.

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Title: Classic Tales of Mystery

Author: Wilkie Collins, Arthur Conan Doyle, Guy de Maupassant, G. K. Chesterton, Elizabeth Gaskell, H. P. Lovecraft

Narrator: Liza Ross, Sean Barrett, Paul Panting, Stephen Thorne, Garrick Hagon, Stephen Greif, Hayward Morse

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-29-10

Publisher: The Story Circle Ltd.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 24 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Included in this collection:

"Who Killed Zebedee" by Wilkie Collins, read by Sean Barrett; "Blue Suit" by Edgar Wallace, read by Paul Panting; "A Mysterious Case" by Anna Katharine Green, read by Liza Ross; "The Crooked Man" by Arthur Conan Doyle, read by Stephen Thorne; "Vendetta" by Guy de Maupassant, read by Liza Ross; "The Sapient Monkey" by Headon Hill, read by Paul Panting; "The Worst Crime in the World" by G. K. Chesterton, read by Stephen Thorne; "A Personal Magnet" by O Henry, read by Garrick Hagon; "The Episode of the Mexican Seer" by Grant Allen, read by Stephen Greif; "Death in the Wings" by Bram Stoker, read by Hayward Morse; "The Terrible Old Man" by H. P. Lovecraft, read by Garrick Hagon; "The Black Narcissus" by Fred M. White, read by Sean Barrett; "An Alpine Divorce" by Robert Barr, read by Sean Barrett; "The Squire's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell, read by Hayward Morse; "The Case of Lady Sannox" by Arthur Conan Doyle, read by Hayward Morse; "Murder!" by Arnold Bennett, read by Paul Panting.

Members Reviews:

A Good Collection

I quite enjoyed this collection of short stories from a variety of writers with its variety of readers. The range of authors is good and being fairly well read in the genre, I was glad not to have to listen to the same old stories I've already encountered more than once. This recording includes offerings from some of the most skilled writers of mystery and suspense. Do note these are not necessarily "detective fiction" stories, but stories of mystery in the broader description, ranging from slightly disturbing accounts of vengeance resulting in murder never solved to supernatural murder to the classic detective story. I'd have preferred not to have 2 Sherlock Holmes stories but was glad to have a Father Brown story, though not one of the best. I have no idea why someone would give this a single star rating, this and other collections from the same company are very satisfying.

Don't let the boring title & cover fool you!

Short stories/novellas of this genre & time period are pretty much all I listen to & this is one of the best collections I've come across.

I think "classic tales" is a bit misleading (more like many classic authors). The lot is refreshingly eclectic - most tales I had never heard of (& some authors). Many of the mysteries were complex & creepy with tight surprise endings!

Bonus - creepy/horror factor enhanced by diverse readers & performances that all ranged from very good to awesome!

started slow, finished better

This is a long collection of victorian era or later short story/mysteries. Many of the first started out very slow and I was disappointed in the purchase but several of the later stories were far more interesting. great narrators by the way. no action here just slow mystery.

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Title: Paul Theroux: The Collected Stories

Author: Paul Theroux

Narrator: Susan Anspach, David Birney, William Windom

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-28-10

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Collected here for the first time, Theroux's tales are funny, sardonic, sensuous and evocative, streaked with terror and cruelty. All glow with Theroux's intelligence, elegance and ironic wit; with his marvelous sense of place; and with his tragi-comic vision. Full of suspense and the unexpected, this collection shows Theroux, the secret writer, as a master of the form.

Members Reviews:

A steal

Many of these short stories appeared long ago in magazines willing to pay a decent fee to a talented, struggling writer. This collection includes four earlier book-size collections of often interconnected short stories: "World's End", "Sinning with Annie", "The Consul's File" and "The London Embassy". Plus a few unpublished (?) stories, one of which, situated in Zambia when PT was 24 or so, I found truly disturbing and scary.

This collection is a bargain, a steal. Reading the small print on the page most readers skip, it traces a writer's survival efforts and shows PT getting better and progressing to better paying journals. But short stories are not his true strength: his endings are unspectacular, his punch lines feeble. His real strength is creating mindsets and worldviews to be sustained throughout a novel.

Fortunately, these stories contain lots of ideas that inspired later novels like "O-Zone", "Mosquito Coast", "Dr. Slaughter" (my all-time favorite} and later stories and books about India. They also include early examples of his bewilderment with all things English or British, expressed in a number of novels such as `Arsenal Rules, 'The Black House' and `Kingdom by the Sea', a travel book in which he circum-navigated its coast without boarding a vessel.

Around the world and the human psyche

From troubled marriages ("World's End," "You Make Me Mad") and families ("After the War"), from Africa to Malaysia to London, The Collected Stories by Paul Theroux covers a lot of physical, political, social, and emotional territory. Whether he is writing about the past, present, or future ("Warm Dogs") or as the first-person or omniscient narrator, Theroux describes places, people, and events colorfully yet coolly, as though as a writer he is not part of the world or life portrayed.

Parts I, II, and III are mostly discrete, unrelated stories covering a wide range of places, people, and themes. Unhappy marriages and relationships, also found in Parts IV and V, are the topic of many Theroux stories. "World's End" begins with, "Robarge was a happy man . . ." and ends with, ". . . he knew now they were all lost," with a subtle revelation of disloyalty and the realization of distrust in between. In "A Political Romance," love and life come full circle; bloom, discontent and stagnation (". . . in thirty years he would be--this hurt him--the same man, if not a paler version"), and renewal ("Lepska, I love you"). "What Have You Done to Our Leo?" uncovers a woman's perfidy and a man's naivete, assumptions, and developing understanding ("Her laughter was coarse, that stranger's laugh that fitted the new image that Leo had of her.").

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Title: Anything for a Quiet Life

Author: Michael Gilbert

Narrator: Christopher Scott

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-06-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 26 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Jonas Pickett, solicitor and commissioner of oaths, leaves London to set up a practice in a genteel Sussex resort.

This collection of nine inter-linked stories tell the stories of his clients: from a retired Admiral to the queen of the gypsies.

Michael Francis Gilbert ( 1912- 2006) is recognized as one of the most versatile British mystery writers. He was a lawyer in London for many years and at one point had Raymond Chandler as his client. He wrote almost every sort of mystery and thriller. He wrote police procedurals, spy novels and short stories, courtroom dramas, classical mysteries, crime novels, and almost every possible combination of these, all with the same competence and dry, detached wit. Gilbert was a founding member of the British Crime Writers Association, Named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and was named Number 24 on The Telegraph's "50 crime writers to read before you die".

Members Reviews:

Cool, amusing, intelligent: ideal Michael Gilbert

These connected stories are amusing, elegantly-written, and engrossing. Michael Gilbert is one of the very best of the Brits, not nearly well enough known. His books encompass every kind of mystery and thriller: these are legal conundrums, far more interesting puzzles than Rumpole ever constructed, and told with cool detachment but no lack of suspense. As story follows story, Jonas Pickett's new life unfolds and complicates and resolves. High recommendedand great re-listening, too.

Traditional charmer

Successful, middle-aged solicitor Jonas Pickett decides he's saved enough money from his north London practice to support him for the rest of his life and that qualifies him for semi-retirement somewhere more relaxing. He takes himself off to Shackleford, a quiet beach town not far from Brighton, and sets up in a practice that he hopes will be only successful enough to keep him from getting bored.

Pickett has his acerbic secretary, Claire, his super-competent but somewhat contrary partner Mrs. Mountjoy, and his general factotum (and sometime bodyguard) Sam, all of whom seem sometimes to be conspiring to turn the new practice into a full-time job.

This is a collection of nine interconnected stories that were originally published in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Stories cover such subjects as hostility toward a gypsy encampment, crime associated with the annual August fun fair, treasure trove sought on a local farm and more. Michael Gilbert's dry humor is in good supply, the stories are entertaining but not too mentally taxing, the good guys are vindicated and the bad guys vanquished. What's not to like?

Excellent narration by Christopher Scott. Minor issues with the production value. There is a faint hiss and a couple of times (especially toward the end of Chapter 7), the sound is muffled for a few seconds.

Very Good Reading of a Good Read

I have this book in my collection and just plain love it. That's why I was so glad to see Audible had an audio copy of it on their site, that way if I ever get the hankering to follow Jonas and his solicitoring adventures, its only a few clicks away. Though I do wish Audbile could separate the audio files by chapters instead of having it in one large chunk of audio. Oh well.

The reading of the book is done very well, and I enjoyed every second of it.