Get the Most Popular Audiobooks in Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

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Title: Genteel Spirits

Author: Alice Duncan

Narrator: Denice Stradling

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-14-16

Publisher: Alice Duncan

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Genteel Spirits is a wonderful change-of-pace book, thoroughly enjoyable with great writing that is good for the heart and soul!

Daisy Gumm Majesty is back and she's up to her ears again. Not only does she have to deal with her husband Billy's declining health and her dog Spike's obedience training, but she's been hired by Lola de la Monica, a fabulously spoiled silent-screen beauty, to be her spiritual advisor on the set of her next picture.

As if this wasn't already enough, a friend asks her to find out who's been sending him poison-pen letters. Her problems only multiply when Sam Rotondo, Billy's best friend and Daisy's worst nightmare, is stationed on the same picture set as she!

Members Reviews:

H urray for Hollywood

Daisy gets an assignment with the movie industry. And oh what an assignment. Poison pen letters, secret lifestyles, and spoiled starlets. Oh my! Luckily for Daisy, she has the spirits on her side. Another wonderful book in the Daisy Gumm Majesty series.

Great read! I love Daisy Majesty.

Denice Stradling gives Daisy the perfect voice as she narrates this latest adventure. Someone is writing threatening letters to the stars of movie being made in Pasadena. Can Daisy stop the letters before she herself is driven to mayhem by the self-centered, demanding leading lady?

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Title: The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins

Author: Antonia Hodgson

Narrator: John Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-15-16

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

London, 1728. Tom Hawkins is headed to the gallows, accused of murder. Gentlemen don't hang, and Tom's damned if he'll be the first. He may not be much of a gentleman, but he is innocent. He just always finds his way into a spot of bad luck.

It's hard to say when Tom's troubles began. He was happily living in sin with his beloved, Kitty Sparks, though their neighbors were certainly less pleased about that. He probably shouldn't have told London's most cunning criminal mastermind that he was "bored and looking for adventure". Nor should he have offered to help the king's mistress in her desperate struggles with a brutal and vindictive husband. And he definitely shouldn't have trusted the calculating Queen Caroline. She's promised him a royal pardon if he holds his tongue, but then again, there is nothing more silent than a hanged man. Now Tom must scramble to save his life and protect those he loves. But as the noose tightens, his time is running out.

Critic Reviews:

"Those who relish their historical action fast and vivid will enjoy...." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

Good Story, but did not care about the narrator

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

good, read, interesting.. the reader of the story was too distracting from the actual characters thus made listening somewhat uneasy.

Would you listen to another book narrated by John Lee?

No, but bought another book read by John Lee (not realizing ) and could not even finish listening to the story, Sorry to say..

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Title: Whirlwind

Subtitle: The Asian Saga, Book 6

Author: James Clavell

Narrator: Derek Perkins

Format: Unabridged

Length: 52 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-01-16

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The sixth book in James Clavell's epic Asian Saga tells the story of three weeks in Tehran in February 1979 - three weeks of passion, self-sacrifice, and heartbreak.

When the shah is thrown out of Iran, the nation's turmoil becomes world headlines. Caught in this shifting world of fanaticism, ambition, duplicity, and violent death are the foreign helicopter pilots who have been servicing the oil fields up and down the country. Their one objective is to make a bold, concerted escape to safety across the Gulf.

Members Reviews:

Excellent Adaption

Would you listen to Whirlwind again? Why?

No, but only because its so long, its a great performance

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Gorgon Khan, as always there is an orchestra of bombastic characters and he was one of the best

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Hard to Choose, but I like the early scence setting set up which contrasts with the chaos of the revoloution later

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

I've never stayed awake that long in my life

Any additional comments?

I read most of Cavell's books while backpacking as a youngster, but didn't finish this. It's hard to concentrate while working on something so long. A great read that does the story true justice

Long long book but worth it in the end

Lots of mini actions linked to the main story, even more so that in the previous books of the series. So much so that it was difficult to follow unless you are super-concentrated. The last part tied it all together finally

An enjoyable yarn but not top-tier Clavell

This has all the usual Clavell tropes... a diverse and engaging cast of characters, plenty of inner monologue, multiple sub-plots and an over-arching main plot that takes time to reveal itself. I really liked it, and thought the use of helicopter pilots gave an interesting way into the story.

The narrator is very good and brings the characters to life.

While not in the class of Shogun or Tai-Pan, this is comfortably better than Gai-Jin. Overall... recommended!

An exciting, nail nibbling adventure.

Would you listen to Whirlwind again? Why?

I will listen again to clarify the characters and their roles. It is a lengthy listen with numerous characters and relatively complex plot. A second listen will sort out a bit of confusion.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Whirlwind?

A nail biting escape from Iran, but it was not a moment it was frustratingly slow. I wanted to tell them they had to get a move on or they would be discovered. The suspense was brilliant.

Have you listened to any of Derek Perkinss other performances? How does this one compare?

This was my first encounter with Derek Perkins. His performance was unquestionable. In fact I would not have continued with another less able reader. It took about 20 chapters before I became totally hooked and couldn't put the book down. I would have found it a hard book to read but Derek Perkins performance was compelling.

IDEAL FOR XPATS

(RE)LIVE THE XPAT3AT LIFE.

READ BEFORE YOU GO AS IT IS VERY CLOSE TO REALITY.

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Title: The Return

Subtitle: Steve Dancy Tales, Book 4

Author: James D. Best

Narrator: Jim Tedder

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-08-16

Publisher: James D. Best

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It's the summer of 1880, and Thomas Edison's incandescent bulb is poised to put the gaslight industry out of business. Knowing a good business opportunity, former New York shopkeeper Steve Dancy sets out to obtain a license for Edison's electric lamp. Edison agrees, under one condition: Dancy and his friends must stop the saboteurs who are disrupting his electrification of Wall Street.

After two years of misadventures out West, the assignment appears to be right up his alley. But new troubles await him in New York City. Dancy has brought a woman with him, and his high-society family disapproves. More worrisome, he has also unknowingly dragged along a feud that began out West. The feud could cost him Edison's backing...and possibly his life.

Members Reviews:

loved it!

I have enjoyed each installment of this series. I look forward to the next tale.

Steve Dancy In New York?

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

The Steve Dancy series started with Best's first book "The Shopkeeper" where Steve Dancy comes from his refined eastern upbringing to adventures in the rugged and wild West. In this book his business in the West brings him back to his roots in New York to rub elbows with very familiar celebrities of the time. As usual the author did his homework researching history to give his fictional characters the importance that makes you feel like you were there at a pivotal time in 19th century America. This is an easy but compelling "listen" and cuts the monotony of freeway traffic in Los Angeles.

A Good Western Thriller w/Strong Characters

THE RETURN: STEVE DANCY TALES, BOOK 4 was a good historical western. I liked the beginning when Dancy was out west and in fact I was drawn in rather quickly. The first part of the story in Leadville was involving but whenever Dancy and (Virginia) set out for NYC to help Thomas Edison, it meandered a little with his family drama and especially his mother who was high-strung and vile. The trouble that followed him reemerged and the story picked back up with fiery suspense. Overall, I think this is a solid tale with great characters, especially Dancy. I didn't listen to the previous episodes but I would suggest doing so because JAMES BEST is a good author and I feel this is more of an epic where one would want to start at the beginning.

JIM TEDDER has a perfect voice for westerns. He showed great voice inflections and maintained a slow drawl reminiscent of a rugged cowboy. This was the first time I've listened to him and found him to be a talented narrator.

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."

Nice Continuation

I dont usually read many books from this genre, but I really enjoyed this one. The narration brought the story to life and held my interest throughout. The story was well thought out, complete and will keep you listening. I will be watching for this author in the future.

* I was provided a free copy of this book from AudioBookBlast for an honest review.

Let there be light: A Western

What made the experience of listening to The Return the most enjoyable?

Jim Tedder's Narration is a BIG part of this series! This is the third book I have listened to.

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Title: INVADER

Author: Simon Scarrow, T. J. Andrews

Narrator: Jonathan Keeble

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-04-16

Publisher: Headline Digital

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Roman Britain, AD 44. General Plautius' hard-won defeat of Caratacus should have brought peace. But though the land is conquered, it is far from tamed. A puppet king is doing little to calm the hatred of the tribes and bring them under Roman rule.

Fighting is in Optio Horatius Figulus' blood. His Celtic ancestry is mocked by his fellow soldiers, but it gives him the toughness essential for survival. His Centurion, though, is a very different kind of soldier - one who seems to care more about paperwork than leading his men into battle.

Sent on a thankless mission deep in hostile territory, in the knowledge that to fail will bring the end of his military career, Figulus finds his courage - and that of his men - tested to the very limit. And, more than anyone, Figulus understands the Celtic mind. He knows that, even utterly crushed in battle, their warriors routed and the Druids driven from their hill forts, the tribesmen of Britannia will sooner die than surrender.

Critic Reviews:

"I really don't need this kind of competition.... It's a great read." (Bernard Cornwell)

"Blends together historical facts and characters to create a book that simply cannot be put down.... Highly recommended." (Historical Novels Review)

"A fast-moving and exceptionally well-paced historical thriller." (BBC History Magazine)

Members Reviews:

Excellent

I have listened to all of the Eagles series and was pleased to find another to keep me going.

All link together to entertain.

Bit samey

Same story , same setting but without Cato and Macro.

Pity to dump established characters which help enliven a tired theme

Great

It was very great audio - if you read Cato & Macro then this for you.

Entertaining and enjoyable

A great yarn, with many twists and turns as it plays out. Perhaps predictable in the accepted genre, but we buy it to enjoy, and this is enjoyable in the extreme. The character of Figulus does develop during the story highlighting the tensions of an optio being directed by situations and forces outside of himself to a more commanding role.

Apart from the story itself, the narrator, Jonathan Keeble, delivers yet another amazing performance, moving the characters forward in his inimitable style. Battle descriptions seem to be his forte and he relishes the action, blood and gore of this bygone age. Does one detect a still remaining shadow from Uhtred of Bebbanburg?

A great production, highly recommended.

quite entertaining and historically interesting

easy to follow with lots of action good story line and historically fascinating recommended for any one who likes historical fiction

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Title: Bloodlines

Subtitle: A Crown of Blood and Honour, Book 2

Author: T. K. Roxborogh

Narrator: Napoleon Ryan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-03-16

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

An epic tale of love, loss and revenge set amidst the turmoil of Scotland after Shakespeare's Macbeth.

The rebellion is over, Scotland has its rightful king, and the battlefields lie still - for now. Fleance, son of Banquo, has brought a new dawn to Scotland, and in the process become a very different man from the lowly huntsman who rode north to save his country.

A generation has passed since Macbeth, but still there are evil forces at work across the land. Civil war is imminent, and there are traitors at the castle gates. The witches who foresaw Fleance's rise to power are watching and scheming once again. And there is turmoil, too, within the king's own soul: urged to marry a princess and strengthen his claim to the throne, he must choose between Rachel, of royal bloodline, and his first love, Rosie, whom he left behind.

With the rebels circling and his crown starting to slip, the time has come for Fleance to prove that Scotland is in his heart as well as in his blood.

Members Reviews:

Good reading...

Good read, kept me interested, my only frustration was the hanging cliff ending to the book, now must await the third in the series.

Five Stars

GOOD READ

It could have been better, but the author repeated and repeated and went ...

It was alright. It could have been better, but the author repeated and repeated and went back over pass events which for me, in my way of thinking, the author doesn't have much to say so he or she goes over the same grounds or they describe a character over an over again.

I stared skipping pages and then gave up and went to the last two chapters to end my misery.

Not for me

too simple of a read & not very interesting

Great sequel to Banquo's Son

(Thank you NetGalley for an early release copy)

Bloodline's picks up where "Banquo's Son" left off. Fleance is now King of Scotland, his friend Duncan having been knocked off in book 1 by by a crossbolt meant for Fleance. (If you haven't yet read "Banquo's Son", you need to stop reading this review and read that book first!).

Fleance wants to be a good king, and in a move very unusual for his time, Fleance reaches out to his subjects to hear their complaints and actually helps them. But there are forces working against him, some of which (or perhaps I should say whom) would just as soon see him dead. And then there's the fact that he needs a queen; he'd prefer that it be Rosie, but the lovely Rachel is a much better choice politically (and a pretty great catch at that).

Without going into detail, Fleance's need to be good and do good ends up with him getting into some pretty hairy pickles: war, treachery, kidnapping, you name it, he has to face it down.

Bloodlines is a good sequel to "Banquo's Son", and judging by how it ends, there will be another book in the works. I hope so, and I will happily read it when it comes out.

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Title: The Uninvited Guest

Subtitle: A Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mystery, Book 2

Author: Sarah Woodbury

Narrator: Laurel Schroeder

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-25-16

Publisher: Sarah Woodbury

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It is the winter of 1143 and all is not well in the court of Owain, King of North Wales: His future in-laws are untrustworthy; the Norman lords on his eastern border are restless; and among his wedding guests lurks a cold-blooded killer.

Gareth and Gwen have marriage plans of their own, but their love will have to wait while the pair race to separate truth from lies, friends from foes, and unravel the mystery before King Owain - and his new bride - fall victim to their uninvited guest.

Members Reviews:

Haven't read the book but the audio was great

Where does The Uninvited Guest rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

I'd give it a top 12 at least ;). It's really good.

What other book might you compare The Uninvited Guest to and why?

Well considering I'm not usually fond of murder mysteries I don't really have a comparison to it, but I do like historical novels. So I'd say probably anything by Phillipa Gregory in terms of research potential and historical fact mixed with artistic liberties wrapped around fictional events.

Which character as performed by Laurel Schroeder was your favorite?

Oddly? Christina. That heifer amuses me to no end.

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

I wanted to listen to all of them in one sitting, but unfortunately life and work prevent that. I did listen to it as fast as I possible though.

greatly enjoyed!

I am rather enjoying this series. I listen to audio books while I work to make the time go faster. I have found this series engaging without being distracting.

Great mystery with a medival setting - LOVED IT

If you could sum up The Uninvited Guest in three words, what would they be?

Inviting Interesting Intrigue

What did you like best about this story?

The characters and the humor. Also I love trying to figure out whodunit while I read.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Gwen finds Gareth in the woods.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes when the girl realized that her father really loves her.

Any additional comments?

Love all of the author's books. This is a new series for me and I love it too. The narrator is awesome too.

Enjoyable story, but reader is not the best

I read this because I enjoy the Cadfael mysteries by Ellis Peters. It was a good story with likable characters. I really want to listen to other books in the series, however, the reader was a bit tiresome. She did not do a great job differentiating between characters. Still is you like historical mysteries, you should give this a listen

How to make a great book even BETTER!

I read this book before but enjoyed it even more while working outside

Great time gardening and listening to a great book

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Title: Tumbleweeds

Author: Will Henry

Narrator: Jeff Harding

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-15

Publisher: Isis Publishing Ltd

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A collection of frontier stories which includes tales of Frank and Jesse James, Cole Younger and his brothers and even explorers Lewis and Clark.

Members Reviews:

Roll, Tumbleweed, Roll

As the title implies this book is a collection of stories which are as diverse and distinct and as far reaching as any tumbleweed that ever rolled across the prairie. Will Henry is known for his eclectic sense of diversity when it comes to story telling, yet at the same time stayed within the boundaries of the "west"--for the most part. These stories go from outlaw to out of America--three of them deal with Jesse James or at least his gang and their activities and Sam Bass, and one has an American in Africa tracking dangerous game, Will Henry's humor comes through as well in The Tallest Indian in Toltepec a story about the revolution in Mexico. As the blurb on the back of the book says, "...each of the dozen stories in this book is filled to the brim with the adventure, excitement, and humanity of the West that only Will Henry could capture."

Short story collection.

Well written as to be expected from Will Henry, but still it is just a collection of 12 short stories in 248 pages and there can't be much character development or as far as that goes much story development, I thought it was a complete novel or I would not have bought it, perhaps the name tries to explain that.

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Title: Last Act in Palmyra

Subtitle: The Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, Book 6

Author: Lindsey Davis

Narrator: Simon Prebble

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-30-15

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 63 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Last Act in Palmyra is the sixth book in the best-selling Falco series by Lindsey Davis.

The spirit of adventure calls Marcus Didius Falco on a new spying mission for Emperor Vespasian to the untamed East. He picks up extra fees from his old friend, Thalia the snake dancer, as he searches for Sophrona, her lost water organist. With the chief spy, Anacrites, paying his fare, Falco knows anything can go wrong.

A dangerous brush with the brother, the sinister ruler of Nabataean Petra, sends Falco and his girlfriend, Helena, on a hasty camel ride to Syria. They join a traveling theater group, which keeps losing members in nonaccidental drownings. The bad acting and poor audiences are almost as bad as the desert and its scorpions - then, as the killer hovers, Falco tries to write a play.

Members Reviews:

Awful narration but good story

What did you love best about Last Act in Palmyra?

Helena is my favorite character. It is awesome how she and Falco work together and respect each other, but continue to be very different people.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I know the main character has a sense of fun and humor, but the narrator just doesn't get that across. The narrator makes Falco sound mature and serious. DH hears bits of it and keeps commenting on how awful the narration is, and asks when I am going to be done with the series. I keep listening to his narrations because there are no other options on Audible, and I really like the story. I ought to buy up all of the other narrations available on audible now so I get a better narration, even though there are about ten books in between.

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Title: Friar Tuck and the Christmas Devil

Author: Steven A. McKay

Narrator: Nick Ellsworth

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-13-15

Publisher: Steven A. McKay

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 23 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

December, 1323 AD - Holly and ivy decorate the houses while voices are raised in song, but the Christmas cheer is tempered by terror this festive season, as demons haunt a small English village. Strange thefts; cloven hoof-prints in the snow; a house burned to the ground. Something evil stalks the icy streets of Brandesburton and former mercenary Tuck must find out what, before it's too late. As he sets out to solve the mystery the friar prays his faith will protect him. His faith...and his great quarterstaff, for he knows full well - the Devil makes no deals.... This brand new novella from the best-selling author of the Forest Lord series will delight and entertain historical fiction fans looking to escape the madness of Christmas shopping for a little while. Grab a mince pie, warm some mulled wine, and join Friar Tuck on this snowy adventure!

Members Reviews:

Great performance of a grand story.

Would you consider the audio edition of Friar Tuck and the Christmas Devil to be better than the print version?

Nick Ellsworth delivers a first rate performance of Good Friar's Christmas adventure and I find his Tuck voice to be a perfect match to this wonderful short story. The read alone is great and the listen now makes the story that much better.

What did you like best about this story?

I find McKay's "Tuck" character to be the best of the many Tucks produced over the years. Most realistic in manner and his back story puts him in the context of the outlaw model with a most complete and believable grounding.

Have you listened to any of Nick Ellsworths other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have enjoyed listening to all of the McKay stories as read by Nick Ellsworth. Mr. Ellsworth gives each story a life in voice that enhances every aspect of the adventure.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The manner in which Tuck relates to the young brother and sister as an understanding friend and fellow outlaw brings an element of humanity to his character which warms the story to just the right degree.

Not what I expected

I was hoping for a bit more scary/threatening type of story line, but alas, it was not meant to be. I guess I was expecting a Krampuus type character but nothing like that even remotely occurs in this story. Excellent narration though!

Wonderful story for Christmas

This story gave me more of a feeling of Christmas than any other. This is a perfect Christmas tale about a character who has been fondly thought of for centuries. I liked the medieval superstitions which gave the story lots of atmosphere. It is warm, witty, and touching, with some appropriately included violence. The hardness of life comes across as the writer puts you right there in 14th century northern England. Despite seven hundred years of distance in time, you feel the characters are folks just like us. I felt the cold and the hardship with them. The author's comments at the end of the story were uplifting and funny. I will be playing the story to my family today, and I am sure it will become an annual tradition in our house, as the writer suggests. Merry Christmas.

Great Christmas tale

Typical McKay. Action, good characters and a lightness of touch that makes his writing such fun.