Get New Releases Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective Best Sellers

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Title: Bolero

Subtitle: A Nick Sayler Novel, Book 1

Author: Joanie McDonell

Narrator: Peter Berkrot

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-05-13

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 55 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Bolero introduces Nick Sayler, the private investigator who lives aboard a Hudson River barge with a brilliant savant, a retired psychiatrist, and a stunning Creole girl. But Saylers haunted by memories of the woman who took a bullet meant for him, so his good life is belied by a bad drinking habit.

Then an emergency room doctors desperate call about a ballerina with no memory and nothing on her except his card, changes everything. If he can dip into his notorious past to uncover the secret that will save the dancer, maybe he can finally save himself.

Critic Reviews:

"Joanie McDonells Bolero is an auspicious debut - sophisticated, stylish, and sexy. We shall be hearing a lot more about Nick Sayler, a disenchanted hero in the classic mode." (Benjamin Black, author of Christine Falls)

Members Reviews:

Good Idea, but cliched with excessive exposition

What disappointed you about Bolero?

The cliched gathering of comrades for the main character, the rich doctor/mentor, the savant/researcher, the buddy/detective along with the private investigator with a sordid past were one of the weakest aspects of this story. Additionally, far too much time was spent bemoaning the main characters sad lost love. The weakest point of all is the lack of momentum. Since almost all the action occurs either in the past or "off-page" there is no excitement, no tension, no need to keep reading/listening because it doesn't feel like the story is trying to go somewhere.

Has Bolero turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes, unfortunately.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Bolero?

As editor, I would delete all of the flash-back chapters about the main character's old girlfriend as well as almost all the long, tiresome paragraphs of her throughout the book. They merely slow down the pace of the story and are so cliched that they don't contribute anything towards making Nick a unique or interesting protagonist.

The performer did a good job of different voices

The storyline got engaging about one fourth of the way into it. The ritualistic hard boiled detective: snarling questions, gratuitously withholding information from the cops, falling in love with the beautiful endangered client while having a committed relationship, having painful physical scars from past cases. This book hit all the obligatory noirish points.

Information seemed rather hurried

This is what I will dub "A Pretty Good' story. I did enjoy the story and the characters, but the author seemed to be crowding information all the time. Slayer would be in the middle of asking some guy a question, and we'd get a whole slue of background material, about something in that characters past. It's quite overwhelming at times, as the story flies away on one tangent or another.

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Title: The New Year's Eve Murder

Subtitle: A Christine Bennett Mystery, Book 9

Author: Lee Harris

Narrator: Dee Macalouso

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-24-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

The Party's Over

On December 30, Susan Stark was dropped off in front of her parents' house. She hasn't been heard from since. Not a good scenario, especially in New York.

Former nun (now crime investigator) Christine Bennett fears the worst. Armed with only a few phone numbers and a photo of Susan, she steps into the missing girl's life - and meets a Susan that neither her parents nor her boyfriend knew existedwith strange obsessions and a secret life that may have lured her to a deadly end.

Members Reviews:

Good Read

I love the Christine Bennett series by Lee Harris. This former nun has a nose for murder and she is unrelenting in tracking down the who and why. No gore and blood just good old-fashioned legwork. These are light mysteries great for a rainy afternoon escape.

Five Stars

I bought this book to continue the Christine Bennett series.

Despite new baby showcase, Chris #9 usual good read!

This 9th entry in the Christine Bennett mystery series follows close to form of the pleasant puzzles we have discovered on each outing with Lee Harris. The re-introduction of ex-nun (for 15 years) Chris to the secular world doesn't get as much play as it did earlier: during the last almost three years since she left the convent she has dated, married, and in this book spends the first few weeks with her new baby, Eddie. Indeed, although irrelevant to the plot, we get a pretty steady dose of Eddie nursing, getting his first bottle, his first time home alone with his father (NYPD detective Jack), his first sleep through the night, and his first time visit to "day care". Together with a partially humorous incident where Chris is briefly detained at a rural police station for "nursing in public" (a little improbable since it was in the front seat of her own car), it occurred to us our author might have been weaving a bit of an ulterior message about life with new children into the story; and if so, fine.

The main plot is a slight departure from the mysteries of most of the other books, where the crime in question (usually murder) is long ago stale and unsolved, and seemingly right up the friendly and inquisitive amateur sleuth Chris' alley. Here the object of concern is Susan Stark, missing daughter of a couple with whom Chris and Jack spend a big New Year's Eve bash along with their friends the Golds (an attorney with whom Chris frequently consults or does little chores for...). Some very clever investigating by Chris over the next few days (not much the police can do with a missing adult) leads her to a cottage in the upstate New York woods where a dead body resembling the missing woman lies murdered on the kitchen floor. A long series of twists and turns leads Chris to one interesting discovery after another, delivering an entertaining enigma suspense-laden to close to the final pages. Revealing more would spoil this well-crafted tale of family intrigue and hateful revenge.

We felt having Chris solve a contemporaneous crime leant a little more credibility to the story than in some of the previous cases. When the trails are 30 years old, and half the witnesses dead or elderly, it gets a little harder to believe the quantity of fresh clues that just happen to surface to Chris that never cropped up during the official investigation.

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Title: A Stranger in My Grave

Author: Margaret Millar

Narrator: Jennifer Bradshaw

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-03-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Margaret Millar is somewhat of a hidden treasure among American "mystery writers". (She was originally from Canada, but her many years of living in California with her writer-husband Ross McDonald give us Americans a claim on her.) What makes her unusual and special within the genre is the way so many of her novels subtly and eloquently examine the emotional toll taken on people by the small things that haunt their lives, create inner conflict or despair.

Members Reviews:

The Work of a Major American Novelist

Perhaps one day Netflix will turn one of Millar's social and psychological mysteries (such as Beast in View or A Stranger in My Grave) into a binge-worthy mini-series, and she will finally gain a vast audience. Until then, know that you're in the company of a crafty and heartbreaking master.

but is full of good characterization and has an engrossing story line

This is an unusual mystery novel that follows none of the standard forms and plots, but is full of good characterization and has an engrossing story line. Original and an excellent read.

Margaret Millar is a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master ...

Margaret Millar is a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master. In this story a woman named Daisy believes there is a somebody in her grave. Of course she is alive, but neither is she nuts. There is a reason for her belief and she hires a bail bondsman/private detective to help her reclaim one day in her life that might solve the mystery. It is a literary murder mystery, one with dark secrets. Reading this book you realize why she is a Grand Master. Well worth reading.

Much better than Millar's later novels

They certainly knew how to write a good thriller way back in the 1940's to 1960's!

Many years ago I read everything from Canadian thriller author Margaret Millar and her author husband Ross MacDonald.

Her last 5 or so novels were not as suspenseful, but this one is.

Also it reminded me of the Carroll Baker & George Maharis film "Sylvia". Similar plot.

My recommendation: try also "The Fiend" by Millar.

Five Stars

I love it.

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Title: The Alpine Xanadu

Subtitle: An Emma Lord Mystery, Book 24

Author: Mary Daheim

Narrator: Tanya Eby

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-29-13

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 16 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Winter in Alpine should be quiet, but the town is humming. At the Alpine Advocate, editor Emma Lord and her staff are on deadline with a feature about the opening of RestHaven, a new rehab and mental health facility. Front Street is buzzing with gossip about Emma's recent engagement to Sheriff Milo Dodge. And now that fool Wayne Eriks has climbed an electric pole in the middle of a storm and got himself electrocuted. Sheriff Dodge doesn't buy the idea that Wayne's death is an accident. But how - and, more important, why - he died is only one of the conundrums that keep the sheriff and Emma working overtime.

After the Advocate's House & Home editor disappears, Milo and Emma suddenly have too many loose ends to solve before they can even think about tying the knot.

Members Reviews:

Love the Alpine Series

I have followed this series from the beginning and just love it. This was a really good book, one of the best and I was glad to see Emma finally finding some happiness. I hope the earlier books will be available soon on audible.

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Title: Footprints in the Sand

Subtitle: A Wedding Cake Mystery, Book 3

Author: Mary Jane Clark

Narrator: Therese Plummer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-08-13

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 61 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Its the dead of winter and struggling actress and wedding-cake decorator Piper Donovan is thrilled to be in warm and romantic Sarasota, Florida, enjoying the powdery white beaches, soothing seas, and golden sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. She and her family are there to celebrate her beloved cousins wedding. Not only is Piper creating the sugar-sand-dollar-festooned wedding cake, shes also the maid of honor.

But a cloud seems to hover over the whole affair. Shortly after a bridesmaid mysteriously disappears, a kindly neighbors car is run off the road and a prospective witness, an innocent Amish teenager, is threatened to keep silent. Then a body is found on the wedding beach. With the nuptials threatened, it falls to Piper to unmask a killer. Could it be the wedding planner with something to hide? A doctor and his wife who collect unusual Japanese figurines? The best man, an ex-drug dealer with lecherous eyes and roving hands? What about her cousins future stepfather - or even the bridegroom himself?

As Piper gets close to figuring out whos been covering his guilty footprints in the sand, the cunning killer has already set his sights on Piper as his next victim!

Members Reviews:

Not the best. ...

I love most of Mary Jane Clark 's books, but

struggled to finish this book. Storyline is slow.

lots of twists and turns, everyone is suspect

Would you listen to Footprints in the Sand again? Why?

No, the narrator gets a bit tiring and I almost quit when she horribly mispronounced cities and areas. If you are going to narrate about a known setting, learn how to pronounce the names. Pitiful. Also her voices all sounded alike, she had one female style and one male style. Again, if you want to narrate learn how to do it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Footprints in the Sand?

Good story overall. Everyone was suspect right to the end.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

See above, terrible narrator

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

No

Any additional comments?

Served it's purpose of light entertainment.

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Title: Death in Zanzibar

Author: M. M. Kaye

Narrator: Bahni Turpin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-27-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 50 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

From one of our most beloved and renowned authors, here is a new edition of this classic masterpiece of mystery and romance.

Dany Ashton is invited to vacation at her stepfather's house in Zanzibar, but even before her airplane takes off there is a stolen passport, a midnight intruder - and murder. In Zanizbar, the family house is Kivulimi, the mysterious "House of Shade", where Dany and the rest of the guests learn that one of them is a desperate killer. The air of freedom and nonchalance that opened the house party fades into growing terror, as the threat of futher violence flowers in the scented air of Zanzibar.

Richly evocative, Death in Zanzibar will charm longtime fans and introduce new ones to this celebrated writer.

Members Reviews:

Read don't listen

Any additional comments?

I'd read this book and some of the other MM Kaye mysteries years ago. This one was a favorite. They are dated but that's part of the charm. This was the third of these mystery I've listened and the performance is disappointing. The characters are voiced as though it was a melodrama, the manly-men are brusque, loud, abrasive and the women shrill. Dani the young heroine comes off as a whinny nincompoop. If you like this type of story try Death in Cyprus instead.

Bad performance

Why is it that they cannot find narrators to match the book! This is a lovely little mystery (a bit dated but still a fun book) but the narration ruined it for me. An American obviously trying on an English accent...and not done at all well! I was able to complete the listen but only because I wanted to hear how it ended. Otherwise a waste of time.

Old Favorite Now in Audio

I read and loved M. M. Kaye's mystery series decades ago. When I finished one, I always had the urge to travel to the location in which they were set (Zanzibar, Kenya, Kashmir, Cyprus). It was a pleasure to see Death in Zanzibar available on Audible.com. Written in the late 1950's, Death in Zanzibar is an old fashioned mystery. For the most part, it has stood the test of time. I would describe it as an exotic cozy with a strong romantic subplot, if there is such a thing. A cross between Agatha Christie and Elizabeth Peters. If you like a hard boiled police procedural, this isn't the book for you. The narrator does an excellent job.

Love M M Kaye

Would you consider the audio edition of Death in Zanzibar to be better than the print version?

No

Who was your favorite character and why?

Danny. She was the heroine

What three words best describe Bahni Turpins performance?

Lively

theatrical

varied

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

exciting mystery in exotic Zanzibar

Any additional comments?

Performance not as good as the cultured voice of Virginia Mckennan. If another of her mysteries are done would prefer another British reader

Dated but ...,

Definitely dated but interesting. Meant to relevant to it's time, 60 years later the US still has a Mid East problem and Africa is more complicated than we realize.

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Title: Dearly Departed

Subtitle: A Holland Taylor Mystery

Author: David Housewright

Narrator: Michael Kramer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-18-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

St. Paul private eye Holland Taylor is back in Edgar Award-winning author David Housewright's third lively tale.

Private investigator Holland Taylor has a low opinion of sleazy lawyer Hunter Truman and listens reluctantly to Truman's plea to help him find the missing Alison Emerton, whom the police suspect has been murdered. But when Truman plays the tape Alison left and shows Taylor her photograph, the elusive woman captures his curiosity. Could it be that Alison is not dead but has disappeared to start life under a new identity? If so, why?

As Taylor investigates, he meets people who loved her, or hated her - sometimes both. They include her secretive parents; her handsome, angry ex-husband; a wary former lover; her very loyal women friends; and the man the police had once held as the chief suspect. Taylor's investigation leads him to a rural Wisconsin town, where he meets two men very much involved in Alison's life and uncovers big-money plans involving a resort and proposed gambling casino: schemes with stakes high enough that they will cost not only fortunes but lives. As Taylor exposes the motives of the players and untangles Alison's strange story, events come together in an explosive finale.

Members Reviews:

Dearly appreciated.....

A first class mystery read by a first class narrator is always dearly appreciated and this book did not disappoint.

The book was fast paced, entertaining and engaging. The fact that I did not guess the ending made me even like it even more!.

Highly recommended!

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Title: Smoke

Subtitle: Lydia Strong, Book 4

Author: Lisa Unger

Narrator: Emily Beresford

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-10-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

In the final installment of her Lydia Strong series, best-selling author Lisa Unger, writing as Lisa Miscione, brings us her most shocking and emotionally wrenching case yet. An NYPD detective visits Lydia and her husband, P.I. Jeffrey Mark, to inform them that Lily, one of Lydias former writing students, has been missing for more than two weeks. Before she disappeared, Lily had tried to get in touch with Lydia, seeking her help. Could this have had something to do with the death of Lilys brother, which Lily refused to accept as a suicide?

If they want to discover the truth, Lydia and Jeffrey will have to follow the trail that Lily left behind, a trail of evidence that - like Lily herself - seems to disappear like smoke.

Members Reviews:

Not her best by far

Struggled to finish this book. Narrator was pretty bad. I Would not recommend this book.

A good start for the author's career

If you could sum up Smoke in three words, what would they be?

Twisty, conspiratorial, exposed!

Have you listened to any of Emily Beresfords other performances before? How does this one compare?

Aside from this series I'm not sure if I have but her being a narrator may tip the scales to a yes purchase if a was on the fence.

Any additional comments?

This was an early series in the author's career. While it is rough around the edges, more so in the first 2 books in the series, you can see she's going to be a best selling author. I would love to see what Lydia is up to now!!

love Lydia Strong

Absolutely loved Lydia Strong and all her journey's and conviction to doing what's right and helping those in need!

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Title: Cat and Dog: A Cajun Tale

Author: James Ory Theall

Narrator: Mike Ortego

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-02-12

Publisher: James Ory Theall

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Clarence Cat Touchette, an elderly and very rich Cajun farm owner, is acting as campaign advisor for his friend, Simon, who is a candidate for parish sheriff. When Simon is threatened with blackmail, Clarence, with the help of his blind brother-in-law, J.O., and his friend and employee, Tee Man, investigates the threat.

Cat resents getting old and irritability invades his personality in dealing with his family, friends, adversaries, and associates. The discovery of a stray dog among his cattle affects him in a manner that even he has difficulty understanding.

In his first novel, James Ory Theall weaves a sometimes humorous, light-hearted tale of intrigue about relationships, aging, small town politics, illegal activities, and even murder. This book contains descriptions of violence and some strong language.

Members Reviews:

Unique Hero

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I recommend. I like stories about set in the bayou area with Cajun characters. I really like the hero who is an awesome senior citizen with aches, pains and still has the moves! I listen while driving for entertainment and this was very entertaining. I will try more Theall books.

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Title: Dark Horse

Subtitle: Jim Knighthorse, Book 1

Author: J. R. Rain

Narrator: Jason Starr

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-29-12

Publisher: One Acre Audio Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 92 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

When high school student Derrick Booker, the only black student at a posh Orange County high school, is accused of killing his white girlfriend, ex-college football hero and detective Jim Knighthorse is hired to dig a little deeper into the murder. It doesn't take long for Knighthorse to realize that not all is as it seems at tranquil Huntington High, from a band director who preys on the innocent to a vice-principal with a secret agenda of her own. Not to mention someone's hired a professional killer to keep Knighthorse permanently off the case.

As the investigation continues, Knighthorse's personal life is shattered by the discovery of new evidence relating to his mother's unsolved murder, a murder dating back 20 years. Reeling from the discovery, a determined Jim Knighthorse sets out to bring two killers to justice.

Critic Reviews:

"I read Dark Horse by J.R. Rain. He's the author of Moon Dance, that I reviewed last column. The author is a private investigator, and it shows; this is another fast moving and entertaining detective story. It is the first of a series, published by Lulu. Rain is surely destined for larger success, if he can get the right break; his fiction is fun reading." (Piers Anthony, New York Times best-selling author of A Spell for Chameleon and On A Pale Horse)

"I finished Dark Horse late last night. I enjoyed it immensely - very good story, J.R.! I really liked your dialogue, which kept me chuckling each time I sat down to read the book. Add great character and scene descriptions and a well-paced plot, and you've got a gripping story indeed. I can honestly say your book was as entertaining as anything I've ever read from Patricia Cornwell. I can easily see Dark Horse moving to the big screen!" (Aiden James, author of Plague of Coins and Deadly Night)

"Dark Horse is one of the best books I've read in a long time! A great classic detective story with a modern twist. Unique and interesting characters (I think I'm half in love with Jim Knighthorse now!), a great plot that kept me guessing until the end, and some of the funniest lines I've read anywhere. Rain does an amazing job of blending suspense, mystery and humor in this fantastic debut novel destined for the keeper shelf." (Gemma Halliday, author of Deadly Cool and Play Dead)

Members Reviews:

Will be looking for more from this author

What did you love best about Dark Horse?

This was a really good book, I especially liked the character interaction.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

There were a lot of plot twists that made it a very engaging read. I really enjoyed the surprise character and look forward to the next novel which I hope this character will be a part. Also enjoyed the main character and hero who was not too good to be true.

I admit it I love Jim Knighthorse

I know that a lot of other reviewers are not fans of this character or his ego and self-love. I actually find that side of his character gives some humor to some very dark storylines. It helps relieve the tension of some of the content.