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

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Title: Kwik Krimes

Author: Otto Penzler (editor)

Narrator: Phil Gigante

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-22-13

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Crimes happen in a flash. Before you even know it, the shots have rung out, the jewels have been stolen, and the bodies are cooling on the floor.

In this anthology, over eighty authors - including veterans such as Chuck Hogan, Ken Bruen, and Tasha Alexander - come together to tell tales of murder and mayhem, all in one thousand words or less. Dare to confront these fearful, furious tales, each offering a glimpse of the darkness lurking in the human heart: The mystifying murder of a pack rats wife...A mothers terrifying attempts to save her childrens souls...The runaway consequences of a mindless act of violence...A detective who cant resist the disturbing lure of his latest case...The cold-blooded scheming of a desperate businessman...Told with precision and punch, these stories come and go as quickly as a gunshot.

Members Reviews:

Mr. Penzler's best collection ever!

OK, I'm a big fan of Otto Penzler's annual collections. There's certainly satisfaction in reading well told tales and allowing authors the space to stretch out and tell them. This collection is different because as the name suggests, the selections are mostly short, short stories. Some maybe even "flash" stories. And they work WONDERFULLY!

I've stayed up much too late reading "just one more" before turning out the light because the stories are so good and the pleasure of reading them is so compelling.

This book should be required reading; it's that good. You will absolutely never regret this one. I'm already looking forward to Kwik Krimes 2.

Confusing!

The book has stories written by the best in the trade. I did not like the endings, though. I realize they are very short stories, but the endings left me empty. I needed a little more. I have given 5 stars to most of the books I have read by the various authors. I have also read, and liked, many short stories, but most of the ones in the book left me thinking; "is that all?" I plan to read the book again in order to see if I left something out during my first reading. I want to be fair!

a bag of noir chips. You can't read just one!

Wow. What a great read. Fitting a short story in a thousand words or less is a work of art. Doing it with great character build up and sometimes a twist is even harder. The fact that this is cutting edge noir increases the difficulty level. Having close to 90 of these gems in one volume is priceless. Many short story compendiums are like a bag of chips, mostly air before you get to minuscule amount of potatoes and salt. Not in this case, not a dud in the bunch.

Did not work for me.

Unfortunately the idea of Kwik Krimes in a 1000 words or less just did not work. Too many of the crimes were not conclusive and left me wondering what happened in the end or a feeling of "so what" . I am a avid crime/thriller reader but too many of the stories just had no meaning for me -- maybe I am not all that bright or have not been exposed to this genre of crime writing but the format just did not work for me.

Kwik Krimes are some of the best

I was looking for something to read in those moments when something quick was best. Add good writing and diverse plots and you have a great deal to boot. If you're looking for the short-winded examples of a host of authors mysteries, this is the book for you.

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Title: The Man with the Twisted Lip

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-22-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from the The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes III collection.

In this collection are four more individual cases for Mr. Sherlock Holmes, narrated by his faithful friend and admirer Dr. Watson. They dive into the opium dens of London in "The Man with the Twisted Lip," recall the curious history of "The Musgrave Ritual," come face to face with the grisly evidence contained in "The Cardboard Box," and go on a wild-goose chase in "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle." The powers of Sherlock Holmes prevail.

Editorial Reviews:

There is a link between a missing gentleman with a secret vocation and a beggar living on the second floor of an opium den near the docks. What seems at first an open-and-shut case of murder will be better understood by Sherlock Holmes as a connection of an intimate nature to be kept secreton one condition. David Timson, who has taken on an incredible array of roles since winning a BBC student prize for radio drama in 1971, entertains and delights with his performance of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles famous literary creation and all the other characters in this selection from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 3.

Members Reviews:

TIMSON RULES !!

TIMSON RULES !!

A superb reading of a superb writing.

Timson's voice and his obvious mastery of The Canon are compelling.

Do you get my drift here ? Or, would you like me to use simple, declarative sentences ?

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Title: The Adventure of the Empty House

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-22-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from The Return of Sherlock Holmes I collection.

When Sherlock Holmes met his demise in "The Adventure of the Final Problem," published in 1893, the distress of the unsuspecting reading public was profound. For years fans showed no signs of letting Sherlock Holmes lie down and die. Eventually, Doyle saw fit to continue his Holmes' canon and wrote a series of 13 short stories, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, published in 1905.

The series begins, inevitably, with the shock re-appearance of the master detective in "The Adventure of the Empty House." This plus 3 others are included in Naxos AudioBooks' first volume of Doyle's continuation of the famous bloodhound of a genius, read by master storyteller David Timson.

Though he has been away, it seems that Holmes has lost none of his remarkable qualities.

Editorial Reviews:

Don your deerstalkers and pack your pipe, listeners: The king of crime-solving is at it again in Arthur Conan Doyles "The Adventure of the Empty House", one of 13 engrossing stories originally published in The Return of Sherlock Holmes. In this entrancing puzzler, one of Doyles own favorites from the Holmes pantheon, the inimitable Sherlock performs perhaps his grandest feat: He returns from the dead to investigate the death of Ronald Adair, suspecting the second-in-command of his erstwhile nemesis Moriarty of the crime, and determined to see him caught and decommissioned for good.

David Timsons skillful narration sets this story ablaze, his crisp but dramatic tones raising the tension in this unbelievable tale to a fever pitch.

Critic Reviews:

"Beautifully produced, thoroughly satisfying rendition of four Holmes stories. English actor David Timson...clearly appreciates Conan Doyle's clever writing. Holmes is masterful....Timson's sensitive pacing and varied intonation make conversations spring to life, intensify dramatic moments, and highlight Conan Doyle's often disregarded humor." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Murder in an empty house

A most interesting story with Dr.Watson working on solving the murder in an empty house as Holmes had died in a fall by a waterfall. All is not as it seemed.

Fun book

Used to replace lost book for my sons library. Worked like a charm.

Solving A Locked Room Murder

The Adventure of the Empty House, Goodwin

This is the âGraphic Novel Adventures of Sherlock Holmesâ, similar to the old âClassics Comicsâ from around 1950. It has a short biography of Arthur Conan Doyle (p.46). There is a listing of Arthur Conan Doyleâs works (p.47). Vincent Goodwin wrote this adaptation, Ben Dunn is the illustrator (p.48). These âSherlock Holmesâ stories were written over a century ago. They used to be part of High School English courses. How many other novels from that era are still popular? Doyle followed crime news, his stories were been based on true crimes that were adapted for these short stories. The written stories are better than the movies or âgraphic novelsâ, they tell about the life of those times. The drawings of these people make them appear much younger characters compared to the books. Your Public Library has the full uncensored story in âThe Return of Sherlock Holmesâ.

It begins with a fateful meeting with Professor Moriarity at the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland.

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Title: The Greek Interpreter

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-22-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes IV collection.

Four more stories from the master detective. The mystery of the missing suitor is solved and Sherlock Holmes raises his whip: an Indian pot stands in the shadows of a Colonel's death; serious affairs of state and international diplomacy are threatened by a theft; and surely evil intent lies behind threats in a hidden house. The cool observations and swift action of Mr. Sherlock Holmes resolves all.

Editorial Reviews:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyles "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter" marks the first appearance of Mycroft Holmes, Sherlocks similarly wise and discerning older brother who, lacking any other recourse, enlists the help of his sharp-witted younger sibling after he becomes aware of a sordid situation involving kidnapping and extortion his friend Mr. Melas becomes embroiled in.

The talented David Timson guides the listener through Doyles layered mystery with an effortless grace, gliding between Melas thick Greek accent and Holmes dignified British timbre with equal finesse.

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

My husband enjoyed listening to it very much.

For Lovers Of Holmes

Though not necessarily the best Sherlock Holmes stories, David Timson does a wonderful job bringing flavor and color to stories of our favorite Victorian "consulting detective." Picturing the flat at 221B Baker Street and 19th century London is easy through Watson's naratives and Timson's excellent voice characterizations. David Timson does the best readings among all the Sherlock Holmes audio books I own. I highly recommend any Holmes story read by David Timson.

Would school-age kids enjoy this?

Why grade 9 and above? How about 5th/6th graders?

(disregard the rating, as I have not yet listened to it)

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Title: The Adventure of the Dancing Men

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 11-22-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from The Return of Sherlock Holmes II collection.

No case is too slight for the mental powers of the Great Detective in this second selection from The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

A young girl is stalked by a "Solitary Cyclist"; whilst the "Dancing Men" hieroglyphics found in Norfolk lead to a sinister connection with America. Holmes enters the murky world of high society blackmail in "Charles Augustus Milverton"; and finds an abducted student from the "Priory School". As always, his friend Dr. Watson is with him to assist and chronicle these cases.

Editorial Reviews:

Hilton Cubitt's wife, Elsie, has a mysterious past that seems to be coming back to haunt her. After receiving an upsetting letter, illustrations of dancing stick figures begin appearing around the Cubitts' home at Ridling Thorpe Manor. Sherlock Holmes is shown the series of dancing men, discovering that it is a code that threatens imminent danger. But will he able to warn the Cubitts in time and catch the person behind these drawings? Arthur Conan Doyle's enigmatic mystery will keep listeners rapt thanks to David Timson, whose brisk and propulsive style adroitly builds exciting tension.

Members Reviews:

Encryption Learning

In this story, Mr. Hilton Cubitt of Ridling Thorpe Manor in Derbyshire visits Sherlock Holmes and gives him a piece of paper with a mysterious sequence of stick figures representing dancing men.

The little dancing men are at the heart of a mystery which seems to be driving his young wife Elsie Patrick to distraction. He married her about 3 years ago, and until recently, everything was well. She is American, and before the wedding, she asked her husband-to-be to promise her never to ask about her past, as she had had some âvery disagreeable associationsâ in her life, although she said that there was nothing that she was personally ashamed of. Mr. Cubitt swore the promise and, being an honorable English gentleman, insists on living by it, which is one of the things causing difficulty at Ridling Thorpe Manor.

The trouble began when Elsie received a letter from the United States, which evidently disturbed her, and she threw the letter on the fire. Then the dancing men appeared, sometimes on a piece of paper left on the sundial overnight, sometimes scrawled in chalk on a wall or door, even a windowsill. Each time, their appearance has an obvious, terrifying effect on Elsie, but she will not tell her husband what is going on. Holmes tells Cubitt that he wants to see every occurrence of the dancing men. They are to be copied down and brought or sent to him at 221B Baker Street. Cubitt duly does this, and it provides Holmes with an important clue. Holmes comes to realize that it is a substitution cipher. He cracks the code by frequency analysis. The last of the messages conveyed by the dancing men is a particularly alarming one.

Holmes rushes down to Ridling Thorpe Manor only to find Cubitt dead of a bullet to the heart and his wife gravely wounded in the head. Inspector Martin of the Norfolk Constabulary believes that it is a murder-suicide, or will be if Elsie dies. She is the prime suspect in her husbandâs death. Holmes sees things differently.

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Title: The Boscombe Valley Mystery

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 11-21-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes V collection.

Dr Watson comments: 'The stage lost a fine actor' when Holmes chose to devote his formidable talents to the solution of crime. Two of these stories, "The Reigate Squire" and "The Adventure of Beryl Coronet", Sherlock Holmes demonstrates his thespian powers as he unravels the mysteries. In the first he explains a rural murder while in the second, Holmes' timely intervention prevents something of a national, even royal, scandal.

Editorial Reviews:

Scotland Yards Detective Lestrade once again turns to Sherlock Holmes. This time to unravel a murder that took place in the woods of Boscombe Valley at the end of a path that includes young lovers kept apart by the secret their fathers shared, a son with a secret marriage to a wife who kept her previous marriage a secret from him, and a dying mans last words, something about "a rat". BBC radio drama stalwart, West End, film, and television veteran, and award-winning audiobook director David Timson proves himself a master storyteller in tone and character development with this performance of a selection from the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collection.

Members Reviews:

A Good Listen

I completely enjoy listening to all the Adventures..., Reminiscences..., Further Adventures... in the Sherlock Holmes series. I think that David Timson does an admirable job in these recordings, and I look forward to future productions.

The Best in Audiobook Production

Add the classic indespensibility of Sherlock Holmes to the brilliant audio performances of David Timson - rivaled only by Jim Dale - and you get an undeniable necessity to any audiobook collection (especially if there are children!).

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Title: Balto

Author: T. C. Boyle

Narrator: T. C. Boyle

Format: Unabridged

Length: 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-15-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This short story from the collection Wild Child was originally published in the Paris Review and selected for The Best American Short Stories, 2007 by Stephen King.

Angelle's father is a drunk, and Angelle and her little sister, Lisette, know it. Their mother has told them as much. But their mother has abandoned them and gone back to France, leaving only the empty promise to return behind.

Now Angelle is the key witness in a case that may decide whether she and Lisette are taken away from their father. Angelle must choose between the truth that could hurt them all and the "necessary truth" her father's lawyer wants her to tell.

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Title: Lost Cantos of the Orobouros Caves

Author: Maggie Schein, Pat Conroy

Narrator: Janis Ian, Pat Conroy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-01-13

Publisher: Skyboat Productions

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

A collection of fables in the literary tradition of Italo Calvino (if he were a Taoist seeker), Lost Cantos of the Ouroboros Caves brings together medicine men, monks, immortals, witches, seekers, souls in various stages of their cycles in and out of lived-life, and the occasional talking animal, all searching for the meaning of it all and each other.

Members Reviews:

Creative, thought-provoking stories

Maggie Schein has written and enjoyable and engaging series of fables. These are not the type of short stories that you will want to simply read and move on. They are creative, intricate fables that address life's big questions and offer some wonderfully different perspectives. One of my favorites examines the connections between all living things in the universe. Is the predator prey relationship really what it seems? Could it be that the prey willingly allow their fate in order to sustain the predator?

While reading the stories, I often felt like the writing was almost poetry or music. At times there is a cadence to Maggie Schein's writing. There are some sections of stories that repeat themselves almost like a chorus. And this brings me to the narration.

The narration is expertly done by writer, singer and songwriter Janis Ian. Her narration adds another dimension to the writing, especially in those sections which are poetic/musical. I'm not sure another narrator would have managed to find this interpretation of the words.

This collection of stories will remain in my library and I will visit them over and over in the future.

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Title: Charming and Just a Bit Disarming

Author: Catherine Gayle

Narrator: Catherine O'Brien

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-08-13

Publisher: Catherine Gayle

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Charming and Just a Bit Disarming is a collection of three novellas. Each of these novellas was previously featured in other anthologies.

This collection includes: "An Unintended Journey," (originally featured in A Summons from the Castle), "Flight of Fancy," (originally featured in The Betting Season), and "To Enchant an Icy Earl," (originally featured in A Season to Remember.)

Members Reviews:

Fun!

What did you like best about this story?

I loved listening to the collection of novellas. I was able to listen to each one in chunks as a whole.

Any additional comments?

This was a fun collection of Regency-set novellas. I thoroughly enjoyed each one and highly recommend them.

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Title: Molotov Cop Tales

Author: Bill Bernico

Narrator: Joe Geoffrey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-23-13

Publisher: Downwind Publications

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Here for your listening enjoyment are seven tales of actual police cases straight from the files of a real Wisconsin police department, as they actually happened.

These incidents were related to me by a retired police captain. Names were changed to protect the innocent, but the events are as real as they get. Truth IS stranger than fiction, as you will find out when you read these accounts.

Members Reviews:

I agree with the other reviews.

I agree with the reviewer who said these weren't funny: there was not one humorous situation to be found whatsoever. However, nothing in the description indicated that they WOULD be funny so I guess I'll have to give ol' Bernie a pass on that one.

Too bad, too. This definitely could have USED some humor because as another reviewer noted these were dry. I reached the point where I almost put this down to take a break from it. That says something when I normally tell people Bernico's stories are good for a break in their day. So if you are taking a lunch break between painting the kitchen and the bathroom, it is not good if you need to take a "break" from your break!

Yes, I understand this is a collection of 7 stories instead of one story, but when you consider the overall length and reading time, it is roughly the same as some of Bernico's other offerings.

All in all I would say this is not bad reading; it is just dry. And as someone else pointed out, they are all about shootings. Is that REALLY the only kind of story this retired cop would share with Bernico? Or was it just all that Bernico wanted to share with us?

I'm glad there were only 7 stories. I don't know if I would have read a much larger collection of them without SOMETHING in there to make them less dry. I do think a funny story here or there would have helped. Or maybe a story about rescuing someone from a burning building, car wreck, river... a kitten from the attic...delivering a baby...SOMETHING - ANYTHING to break the monotony.

Yes, you would think shootings would be exciting. Not when Bernico tells us about them.

Don't chain read them.

Read all the multi-packs and shorts packs long ago, since 2012. The author has gotten better with age/practice. I've read all of the Cooper stories (1 - 230) and several of Mr. Bernico's short stories and most have not disappointed me. You'll find some poorly written or predictable stories, but for the most part they are fair to good.

The Cooper series are better, but there's a few stinkers, too. They're great for a coffee break or a few minutes to relax. Don't chain read them.

All in a Day's Work?

The "description" states the stories are from a retired police Captain. It is not clear if he is the person involved in all the incidents. And while the writing 'sounded' like a police report: "just the facts", it made the reading very dry. Also, the stories give a very distorted view of police work - most officers neither shoot nor are shot, and while the first story gives a small insight into the emotional aspect of the job, the rest give too much emphasis on 'shots fired,' which are not the only interesting tales to be told.

Not very funny

I have heard funnier and I have lived crazier. Like feeling a stair tread start to crack and my partner giving my behind a push. I landed right in a pack of five friendly face licking flea-ridden mutts.