Listen Legally to Most Popular Full Audiobooks in Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

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Title: Classic Gothic Tales

Author: The Story Circle

Narrator: The Story Circle

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-04-12

Publisher: The Story Circle Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Here are 19 classic tales from masters of the genre. The collection comprises:

'Schalken the Painter' by J. S. Lefanu; 'Sredni Vashtar' by Saki (H. H. Munro); 'The Room in the Tower' by E. F. Benson; 'Charles Ashmore's Trail' by Ambrose Bierce; 'The Mark of the Beast' by Rudyard Kipling; 'The Castle of Ratcliffe Cross' by J. Wadham; 'The Bead Necklace' by Alice Perrin; 'The Oval Portrait' by Edgar Allan Poe; 'The Leather Funnel' by Arthur Conan Doyle; 'Berenice' by Edgar Allan Poe; 'The Cedar Closet' by Lafcadio Hearn; 'An Original Revenge' by W. C. Morrow; 'A Madman's Manuscript' by Charles Dickens; 'Hurst of Hurstcote' by E. Nesbit; T'he Return' by H. Murray Gilchrist; 'The Devil of the Marsh' by H. B. Mariott-Watson; 'The Professor's Story' by Amelia B. Edwards; 'The Music of Erich Zann' by H. P. Lovecraft; and 'Across the Moors' by W. F. Harvey. Read by Sean Barrett, Anne Rosenfeld, Hayward Morse, Liza Ross, Garrick Hagon, Paul Panting and Nigel Lambert.

Members Reviews:

Fireside tales for the darkening year

There are no bad stories here, and there is a lot of variety. Some of the stories are old-fashioned tales which are very much of their time, and may strike one as somewhat less gothic than quaint, such as ACROSS THE MOORS or THE BLUE BEADS. Others are deeper, darker, and more imaginative.

"The Story Circle" is at its best when it presents stories which haven't been included in too many anthologies. Unfortunately, this one included many well-known and heavily anthologized stories, such as SREDNI VASHTAR, THE LEATHER FUNNEL, BERENICE, THE OVAL PORTRAIT, etc. However, they are very well performed. I haven't heard a bad narration yet from anyone in "The Story Circle."

For me, there were two stories that would have made it worth owning this no matter what else was included, and these rarely found in audible format:

My favorite was A STRANGE EVENT IN THE LIFE OF SCHALKEN THE PAINTER by Sheridan Le Fanu, a fantasy that takes us back to the Golden Age of Dutch painting. The eponymous character is a nod to Godfried Schalcken (1643-1706), a technically brilliant Leiden "fijnschilder." As M.R. James said, the story is "one of the best of Le Fanu's many good things." It is atmospheric, dark, imaginative, and chilling. I love listening to anything about painting and in this one, I can almost smell the studio and see the scenes described in Sean Barrett's brilliant narration.

THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN is said to be the story Lovecraft believed his best. I haven't read enough Lovecraft to make any comparisons, but standing alone, it is a truly brilliant story. The narrator tells us how he made the acquaintance of a mute, eccentric musician, Erich Zann, who plays the viol, an obscure bowed stringed instrument. He finds Zann on the Rue d'Auseil, a street neither he nor anyone else has been able to find since the occurrence of the events he describes in his story.

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Title: Spadework: A Collection of 'Nameless Detective' Stories

Author: Bill Pronzini

Narrator: Nick Sullivan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-24-12

Publisher: Crossroad Press

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Spadework was published on the 25th anniversary of The Snatch, the first Nameless Detective novel. Spadework collects 15 short stories perfect for those who love the Nameless Detective. Two of the stories appear in print for the first time ("Worried Mother Job" and "Zero Tolerance"). The book has an excellent foreword by Marcia Muller about her take on her husband's work, and an interesting afterword by Mr. Bill Pronzini in which he talks about his dedication to the needs of the story over the continuity of the series. One of the highlights of the book is "Cats-Paw", which won the Shamus award for the best detective short story in 1983. The book also has a bibliography of the Nameless Detective novels and short stories through 1996.

The stories in Spadework cover the whole gamut of Nameless Detective styles, from early noir to sophisticated plots to wonderful locked room mysteries. The times of the stories are not specified, but appear to date from 1970 to 1996 based on their first publication dates.

This will be a Crossroad Press production.

Members Reviews:

Nice short stories.

1 little word

2 little word

3 little word

5 little word

6 little word

7 little word

and done

Outstanding Collection of Nameless Detective Short Stories

Spadework was published on the 25th anniversary of The Snatch, the first Nameless Detective novel. I am delighted to highly recommend this collection of fifteen short stories to all fans of detective fiction and especially those who love the Nameless Detective. Two of the stories appear in print for the first time ("Worried Mother Job" and "Zero Tolerance"). The book has an excellent foreword by Marcia Muller about her take on her husband's work, and an interesting afterword by Mr. Bill Pronzini in which he talks about his dedication to the needs of the story over the continuity of the series. One of the highlights of the book is "Cats-Paw" which won the Shamus award for the best detective short story in 1983. The book also has a bibliography of the Nameless Detective novels and short stories through 1996.

The stories in Spadework cover the whole gamut of Nameless Detective styles, from early noir to sophisticated plots to wonderful locked room mysteries. The times of the stories are not specified, but appear to date from 1970 to 1996 based on their first publication dates. I found Spadework to be even more appealing than the Casefile collection that preceded this work in 1983.

My favorite story in the collection is "Worried Mother Job" which typifies the kind of case that Nameless hates to take . . . and hates even more after he has taken it. The story touches on deep psychological themes that chilled me . . . and will stay for me for years to come. "Home Is the Place Where" is almost as gripping and moving.

I love puzzles, which is one reason I like Mr. Pronzini's work. He has a wonderful talent for them, which is not the case for many writers of short stories. His puzzles can be solved, but you have to pay close attention to what is seen and heard. Then you have to think about what it all means. He uses subtle misdirection that will cause the careless reader to miss important clues. This was masterfully done in "Cats-Paw." Mr.

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Title: When It Happens to You

Subtitle: A Novel in Stories

Author: Molly Ringwald

Narrator: Molly Ringwald

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-14-12

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 81 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Audie Award Nominee, Short Stories/Collections, 2013

Audie Award Nominee, Narration by the Author or Authors, 2013

When it happens to you, you will be surprised. That thing they say about how you knew all the time, but just weren't facing it? That might be the case, but nevertheless, there you will be.

Molly Ringwald mines the complexities of modern relationships in this gripping and nuanced collection of interlinked stories. Writing with a deep compassion for human imperfection, Ringwald follows a Los Angeles family and their friends and neighbors while they negotiate the hazardous terrain of everyday life - revealing the deceptions, heartbreak, and vulnerability familiar to us all.

In "The Harvest Moon", a stay-at-home mom grapples with age, infertility, and an increasingly distant husband. In "Ursa Minor", a former children's television star tries to rebuild his life after being hospitalized for "exhaustion". An elderly woman mourns the loss of her husband and her estranged relationship with her daughter in "The Little One". In "My Olivia", a single mother finds untapped reserves of strength to protect her flamboyant six-year-old son who wishes only to wear dresses and be addressed as Olivia. And in the devastating title story, a betrayed wife chronicles her pain and alienation, leading to an eviscerating denouement.

As the lives of these characters converge and diverge in unexpected ways, Ringwald reveals a startling eye for the universality of loss, love, and the search for connection. An unflinching yet poignant examination of the intricacies of the human heart, When It Happens to You is an auspicious literary debut.

Members Reviews:

astonishing debut; I loved it!

What made the experience of listening to When It Happens to You the most enjoyable?

"Molly Ringwald"--yeah, I had preconceptions, but I had a credit on my account and I had read good reviews, so I tried it. This book blew me away, and not just because it was this particular actor's fine literary debut. Each story on its own is true and touching, a perfect bubble in time. Well done. As you read on, it will take a minute or two into each story before you realize who the characters are, where we are in their lives, whose perspective we are seeing. It is so much fun, so surprising, so perfectly fitting together into a great 'novel'. I LOVED 'When it Happens to You', and I will enjoy listening to it again. The author herself is an enjoyable narrator.

Narrated by Molly!

Molly didn't disappoint. A good story with interesting characters. Not a page-turner (or a riveting listen), but likable and interesting enough. And Molly's voice is great. Wish more narrators would take a cue from her. She knows how to deliver lines that sound authentic and not melodramatic. Refreshing.

This is not Sixteen Candles or the Breakfast Club

Well done, Molly Ringwald. The device of telling a story through linked short-stories was well-executed in this effort, with every new short story leaving the listener waiting for the tell-tale line that would contribute a new dimension to the overall plot development involving a family riven by the father's affair.

The book title, "When It Happens to You," is also the title for one of the short stories.

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Title: Deep Down

Subtitle: A Jack Reacher Short Story

Author: Lee Child

Narrator: Kerry Shale

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-19-12

Publisher: Random House Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 23 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

An original short story about Jack Reacher, available exclusively in digital format (ebook and audio), following the success of last year's "Second Son".

Early in his military career, Jack Reacher is ordered undercover in Washington, to discover which one of four women, all staff officers on fast track careers, is leaking secrets. The suggested method: get close to each in turn. The obvious problem: the most receptive will be the guilty one, with an agenda of her own - to kill the investigation ... and the investigator.

Members Reviews:

I Wish Was A Full Novel!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend it if they liked a short story, however, I felt ripped off as I became engaged with the book and the story and the excellent narration,but then the book finished before I knew it! Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Would you be willing to try another book from Lee Child? Why or why not?

I would read another book by Lee Child and have, but not another short story, because the novel gives you a chance to enter into the bigger story, while the short story gets you in and pulls the rug from under you.

Have you listened to any of Kerry Shales other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. An outstanding narrator and well worth listening to future stories narrated by this narrator.

Did Deep Down inspire you to do anything?

Find a full novel by Lee Child.

Any additional comments?

Lee Child in conjunction with Kerry Shale will taunt you by getting you into the short story. They get you excited and engaged in the story and then bring you crashing down as you realise the story has ended and you need to find another novel or audiobook! Hopefully it was as good as this story before the rug was ripped from under me!

Not the usual Reacher Voice

but still the usual Reacher style. Amazing story telling, Lee Child can seemingly do no wrong!

I would have loved this to have been a full blown novel, but as a novella, it had the right pace & intrigue, and ultimately an enjoyable ending! (I do miss the 'old' Reacher though.

Enjoy!

Subtle......

The thing I like about this book is its predictable... You know Reacher isnt going to lose. He might have a bump n a scrape on the way but, so what 6 foot something weighing 200 and something pounds moving steadily and swiftly... The other guys might as well just search for their pension books

Compacent and disappointing

What would have made Deep Down better?

A plot. This isn't as idiotic as "not a drill" but still a third class efford from Lee Child.

What was most disappointing about Lee Childs story?

The whole thing could have been developed into a decent book, but as it was the plot seems incomplete and full of holes, and none of the charactors are developed. The whole thing is short and expensive for what it is.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment, feeling that as a reader we are being taken advantage of.

Any additional comments?

A short story can be an absolute joy if the the distilled essence of a story is masterfully told and elegantly presented. This just has the flavour of an author who, now he's signed a hollywood book deal, doesn't feel the need to try anymore.

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Title: The Very Best Classic Crime Short Stories

Author: Edgar Wallace, G.K. Chesterton, Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: Bart Wolffe, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-25-12

Publisher: Saland Publishing

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This audiobook contains a collection of crime short stories by the greats, including Arthur Conan Doyle, G. K. Chesterton, and Edgar Wallace.

Members Reviews:

Still cant play this book

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

If I could actually play the file

What could the authors have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

NA

How could the performance have been better?

Make the file playable

Any additional comments?

I need a refund or credit

Disappointed

The Sherlock Holmes storytellers sound quality, Dreadful !!! The link between the stories are just thrown together, was this Audio Book made by Amateurs?

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Title: Great Classic Westerns

Subtitle: Unabridged Short Stories

Author: Zane Grey, Ambrose Bierce, Joaquin Miller, Bret Harte, Max Brand

Narrator: Meredith Mitchell, Richard Waterhouse, Bronson Pinchot

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-01-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

A collection of timeless Westerns from some of the most well-known authors of the genre, including Zane Grey and Max Brand: "The Little Gold Miners" by Joaquin Miller, "Bulger's Reputation" by Bret Harte, "The Leaf of Red Rose" by W.H.H. Murray, "The Secret of Macarger's Gulch" by Ambrose Bierce, "The Californian's Tale" by Mark Twain, "Twelve O'Clock" by Stephen Crane, "The Vengeance of Padre Arroyo" by Gerturde Atherton, "A Deal in Wheat" by Frank Norris, "The Caballero's Way" by O. Henry, "On the Divide" by Willa Cather, "Timberline" by Owen Wister, "The Passing of Black Eagle" by O. Henry, "Ananias Green" by B. M. Bower, "Lightening" by Zane Grey, "Pardon of Becky Day" by John Fox, and "The Laughter of Slim Malone" by Max Brand.

Members Reviews:

Classic Westerns Well-told

Great stories. The narrators were true to the spirit of the tales. I recommend it heartily for those needing old charms.

good old stories, well told

What made the experience of listening to Great Classic Westerns the most enjoyable?

interesting stories written by good authors and presented by experienced narrators

What was one of the most memorable moments of Great Classic Westerns?

I like Zane Grey stories, they may have been written more than 100 years ago but are stil enjoyable

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Title: Black Mask 8: The Sound of the Shot - and Other Crime Fiction from the Legendary Magazine

Author: Otto Penzler (editor), Dale Clark, Frederick C. Davis, Don M. Mankiewicz, Norvell Page, Hugh B. Cave, Robert Reeves

Narrator: Richard Ferrone, Peter Ganim, David Ledoux, Jeff Gurner, Bart Tinapp

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-29-12

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

From its launch in 1920 until its demise in 1951, the magazine Black Mask published pulp crime fiction. The first hard-boiled detective stories appeared on its pages. Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Erle Stanley Gardner, and John D. MacDonald all got their start in Black Mask. The urban crime stories that appeared in Black Mask helped to shape American culture. Modern computer games, films, and television are rooted in the fiction popularized by what Booklist called the seminal and venerated mystery pulp magazine."

Otto Penzler selected and wrote introductions to the best of the best, the darkest of these dark, vintage stories for the collection The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories. Now that collection is available on audio.

Includes:

Critic Reviews:

There is gold in every set. . . . Hitting like a Tommy gun blast, these pulse-pounding collections will leave mystery hounds panting for the next installment. (Library Journal)

Black Mask lives. . . . Read by top-notch performers. (BookPage)

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

Good

Excellent. To set the mood I prefer to sip ...

Excellent . To set the mood I prefer to sip Bourbon on the rocks and do some time travel with these stories.

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Title: Black Mask 8: The Sound of the Shot - and Other Crime Fiction from the Legendary Magazine

Author: Otto Penzler (editor), Dale Clark, Frederick C. Davis, Don M. Mankiewicz, Norvell Page, Hugh B. Cave, Robert Reeves

Narrator: Richard Ferrone, Peter Ganim, David Ledoux, Jeff Gurner, Bart Tinapp

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-29-12

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

From its launch in 1920 until its demise in 1951, the magazine Black Mask published pulp crime fiction. The first hard-boiled detective stories appeared on its pages. Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Erle Stanley Gardner, and John D. MacDonald all got their start in Black Mask. The urban crime stories that appeared in Black Mask helped to shape American culture. Modern computer games, films, and television are rooted in the fiction popularized by what Booklist called the seminal and venerated mystery pulp magazine."

Otto Penzler selected and wrote introductions to the best of the best, the darkest of these dark, vintage stories for the collection The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories. Now that collection is available on audio.

Includes:

Critic Reviews:

There is gold in every set. . . . Hitting like a Tommy gun blast, these pulse-pounding collections will leave mystery hounds panting for the next installment. (Library Journal)

Black Mask lives. . . . Read by top-notch performers. (BookPage)

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: The Sea Witch

Subtitle: Three Novellas

Author: Stephen Coonts

Narrator: Dick Hill

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-08-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

When young dive-bomber pilot is dismissed for reckless behavior, hes reassigned to the Black Cat squadron as the co-pilot of a giant Catalina seaplane, The Sea Witch. Hes thrown into a whole new world, where a Catalina carries five tons of bombs, a half-dozen machine guns, and a crew that walks a fine line between valor and a death wish.

A daring rescue mission forces them deep into enemy territory, where the crew of the Sea Witch must band together as never before. Each man will soon find out what hes made of... and not everyone will make it back alive.

Members Reviews:

Not The Three Novellas Promised

Any additional comments?

The title page for this listing says "Three Novellas", which suggests that it includes all three shorty stories from the printed book. But my download only included "The Sea Witch". The fact that the next most popular downloads for this listing are the other other short stories included in the book indicates that other people are running into this problem. I hope they didn't pay extra for getting what they should have gotten in the original download.

Way too short

Any additional comments?

I thought this was way too short of a story. I felt there could have been so much more put into this story and made it a much better story

Great insight into the soldiers mind set & history

I enjoyed the book, it was entertaining but it was too short and lacked entertaining diversions with the ladies. Which would have been very natural with the World War II setting.

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Title: Past Perfect, Present Tense

Subtitle: New and Collected Stories

Author: Richard Peck

Narrator: Various

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-02-12

Publisher: Listening Library

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Though Richard Peck is best known as a novelist, he has been writing rousing, provocative, and thoroughly entertaining short stories throughout his career. "Priscilla and the Wimps", his first, is perhaps the most-read children's short story of all time. Others have inspired his award-winning novels: A Long Way from Chicago and A Year down Yonder began with a tale called "Shotgun Cheatham's Last Night above Ground", and "The Electric Summer" was the jumping point for Fair Weather.

Compiled for the first time, here are all of Richard Peck's stories: eleven previously published tales and two brand-new ones. He has also written engaging notes about the stories, an informative introduction about the genre, and tips on how to write short stories, including "Five Helpful Hints" that will be a valuable aid to aspiring authors.

Vibrant and varied - from comic to supernatural, from historical to modern-day romantic - there's something for everyone in the collected stories of Richard Peck.

Members Reviews:

Great for Peck fans

Would you consider the audio edition of Past Perfect, Present Tense to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version. It was nice to hear Richard Peck speak, though.

What did you like best about this story?

I am surprised to admit, that I love the sections where Peck explains his writing. I love his stories, but it was great to hear his motivation. Like his novels, his explanations are very approachable for the younger reader, too.

What aspect of Variouss performance would you have changed?

The girl! There is one story in particular (Waiting for Sebastian) where she took on a British accent, and it was HORRIBLE! I was so distracted, I couldn't enjoy the story. She should have just stuck with her American accent. It wouldn't have detracted from the overall feel.

If you could take any character from Past Perfect, Present Tense out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The obvious choice would be the author, but thinking of his written characters, I would have to say Grandma Dowdell, although she probably wouldn't share much! I love a salty character.

Any additional comments?

If you already love Richard Peck, definitely worth a listen! I don't know if I would start with this, if I hadn't read any of his novels, but definitely quality stuff just like his novels.