Listen to New Releases Audiobooks in Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

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Title: Mistletoe & Murder

Subtitle: The Presley Thurman Mysteries

Author: Laina Turner

Narrator: Danielle Daly

Format: Unabridged

Length: 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-29-12

Publisher: Five Seas Ink

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

In this short story Presley goes home for Christmas expecting it to be a relaxing holiday until her old boyfriend, Brian, asks for her help finding out who has been stealing from him and it turns from theft to murder. Why would anyone want to kill Tommy and what was he hiding?

Members Reviews:

Give this one a pass

If you're looking for an enjoyable, quick holiday read, this is not for you. The book was so deadly dull I can't even work up the passion to indignantly demand the last 30 minutes of my life back. At least it was only 30 minutes. Realizing this is a novella, I'm not expecting literary gold. However, the author didn't even seem to really try. She must have heard that some authors spend too much time describing everything instead of having dialogue. Unfortunately, her solution was to have all dialogue and limited description. And what description there was, was pointless and didn't serve to move the story or paint the scene. The result: dialogue delivered by the characters in monotone. I imagine the teacher from Ferris Bueller's Day Off reading the whole thing. Not sure why the author bothered to call it Mistletoe and Murder either, other than because Christmas was mentioned once or twice. Overall, just boring, choppy and confusing.

Mistletoe & Murder

In Mistletoe & Murder, the fourth book in The Presley Thurman Mysteries Series, the reader follows the latest investigative adventures of amateur sleuth Presley Thurman.

Author Laina Turner weaves another entertaining cozy mystery that follows sassy Presley Thurman as she gets herself embroiled in a new murder investigation. Told in the first person narrative, Presley heads home to Alkon for the Christmas holiday with her family. While there, Presley's ex-boyfriend Brian asks for her help when there is a theft and murder of his employee at his auto garage. Presley and friends once again find themselves caught up in a new murder investigation.

Mistletoe & Murder is an intriguing cozy mystery novella that is filled with enough crazy antics and trials and tribulations that easily keeps the reader guessing. Just when you think Presley and friends will be enjoying the Christmas holiday, the theft and murder at ex-boyfriend Brian's auto garage has this sassy lady kicking into amateur sleuth mode, and if that isn't enough, there is family drama between her younger brother Jesse and his girlfriend Ashley added into the mix. Presley is determined to find out who is behind the theft and murder at the auto garage with the help of Cooper, Jesse, and Ashley, even when danger is around the corner.

Mistletoe & Murder is a fast paced Christmas cozy mystery novella that has a good mixture of humor, mystery, and a touch of romance that will easily keep the reader engaged as they follow Presley's latest amateur investigative adventures.

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Title: Nice Girl Does Noir: A Collection of Short Stories

Author: Libby Fischer Hellmann

Narrator: James Lewis, Robin Rowan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-11-12

Publisher: Libby Fischer Hellmann

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

A collection of 15 crime fiction short stories in print, some of them award-winners, by author Libby Fischer Hellmann. The collection is divided into two parts: The Ellie Foreman/Georgia Davis stories and Chicago Then and Now; Other Places, Other Times.

Note: This is the combined print version of Nice Girl Does Noir, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

Members Reviews:

Nice easy reading

I enjoyed the short stories from beginning to end. They made me want to read the next one all the way through. It's a beautiful job of narrative....

An Interesting Read with Literary Flair

This is a collection of intriguing stories with literary flair. Just my cup of tea. I enjoyed the read, with my favourite story being the first. I'm a bit biased because the setting of Chicago in the first story resonated with me (my home is in the suburbs of Chicago). The depiction of Chicago was realistic and gave life to the city. I also appreciated how the Jewish characters and their culture were presented. Overall, a nice mix of suspense and literary fiction.

(BTW, I saw no issues with the formatting).

Great writing, but not my cup of tea.

"These are well written stories of the noir variety. I got this book off the free list. It's not really my thing, but if you're into that it's quality writing."

Short stories, fast-paced mysteries

Although entertaining, the five short mysteries included in this collection, they lacked the atmosphere of a noir setting and the mystery was always short-lived. The first story in the collection is the one that stands out, and it's the only one set in a past era. Author Libby Fischer Hellman does exhibit a knack for that kind of storytelling, weaving historical facts into every day scenes from the past, along with the specific feeling that era bore.

Recommended to readers who are up for a light mystery story, with fast-paced narration and believable dialogue.

Great Stories...lousy publisher

The stories are well written and interesting...IF she has had 7 novels published her bio states, I'm surprised a trade publisher would not print her stories. This book is poorly printed and laid out. Gaps on pages, run together stories, etc. If you want a good read, buy it, but I would never give this as a gift...too shoody of printing job.

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Title: Murderous Mysteries Audio Collection, Volume 2

Author: L. Ron Hubbard

Narrator: R. F. Daley, Jim Meskimen, Jock Ellis, Edoardo Ballerini, Corey Burton, Phil Proctor, Josh Robert Thompson, Tait Ruppert

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-25-12

Publisher: Galaxy Audio

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Unlock your inner Sherlock! Discover intrigue and bloodcurdling suspense in tales that appeared in the pages of the most popular pulp fiction magazines.

Featuring award-winning Hollywood actors and unprecedented cinematic sound. Each audiobook provides the listener with a true "theater of the mind" experience.

The Murderous Mysteries Audio Collection, Volume 2 includes nine stories: "False Cargo", "Mouthpiece", "The Phantom Patrol", "Inky Odds", "Brass Keys to Murder", "Grounded", "Flame City", "Calling Squad Cars!", and "The Grease Spot".

Critic Reviews:

"Hubbard is always a quick, fun read. Fans of pulp writing will eat these up. The audios feature full-casts and great sound effects. Listen to one and youll be hooked." (Library Journal)

"After an action-packed opening on stormy seas, this has everything youd expect, from false accusations to daring escapes to a pretty gal who knows how to take care of herself." (Booklist)

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Title: Wild Westerns Audio Collection, Volume 2

Author: L. Ron Hubbard

Narrator: R. F. Daley, Jim Meskimen, Martin Kove, Bruce Boxleitner, Bob Caso, Fred Tatasciore, Shannon Evans, Taron Lexton, Josh R. Thompson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-25-12

Publisher: Galaxy Audio

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Wrangle with some of the finest renegades, outlaws, and dangerous desperados in the Wild West! Saddle up for excitement with these riveting tales of the Old West that appeared in the pages of the most popular pulp fiction magazines.

Featuring award-winning Hollywood actors and unprecedented cinematic sound. Each audiobook provides the listener with a true "theater of the mind" experience.

This Wild Westerns Audio Collection, Volume 2 includes 14 stories (10 hours): "Baron of Coyote River", "Shadows from Boot Hill", "Death Waits at Sundown", "The Toughest Ranger", "The Magic Quirt", "Reign of the Gila Monster", "The Gunner from Gehenna", "Gunman!", "Ride'Em, Cowboy", "Boss of the Lazy B", "Silent Pards", "The Ranch That No One Would Buy", "Vengeance Is Mine!", and "Stacked Bullets".

Critic Reviews:

For listeners keen on fast-paced adventures, who will literally feel the dust kicking up around them. (Library Journal)

"If proof were needed that L. Ron Hubbard could handle the Western with the flair of a Louis L'Amour or Zane Grey, this book is it." (True West Magazine)

"Hubbard is always a quick, fun read. Fans of pulp writing will eat these up. The audios feature full casts and great sound effects. Listen to one and you'll be hooked." (Library Journal)

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Title: Exciting Explorations Audio Collection, Volume 2

Author: L. Ron Hubbard

Narrator: R. F. Daley, Thomas Silcott, Christina Huntington, Corey Burton, Josh Robert Thompson, Jim Meskimen, Phil Proctor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-25-12

Publisher: Galaxy Audio

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Breathtaking, pulse-pounding adventures that would put Indiana Jones on edge! Buckle up for adventure in these action-packed tales that appeared in the pages of the most popular pulp fiction magazines.

Featuring award-winning Hollywood actors and unprecedented cinematic sound, each audiobook provides the listener with a true "theater of the mind" experience.

The Exciting Explorations Audio Collection, Volume 2 includes nine stories: "Destiny's Drum", "Hurricane", "Hell's Legionnaire", "While Bugles Blow!", "Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead" (Earphone Award), "The Barbarians," "The Squad that Never Came Back," "Price of a Hat", and "Starch and Stripes".

The complete list of narrators includes Gino Montesinos, Erin Reitel, and Michael Yurchak.

Critic Reviews:

"An exciting story told at a brisk clip, with characters and dialogue that keep readers glued to the page. Hubbard at his best. (Booklist)

"Captain Spar has escaped to Martinique from Devil's Island, a penal colony in the Caribbean. He's soon framed for a double murder and must take to the seas during a hurricane in order to escape this latest misfortune. The full-cast performance with authentic accents, excellent sound effects, and music enhances the melodramatic tale, which also includes an old-fashioned romance. The story twists and turns until the boat reaches a castle that includes a torture chamber. This is an excellent example of American pulp fiction of the 1930s-40s, complete with garish red cover and illustration of damsel in distress with plunging neckline." (AudioFile)

"Fans of pulp writing will eat these up. The audios feature full-casts and great sound effects. Listen to one and youll be hooked." (Library Journal)

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Title: The Very Best Classic Detective Stories

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

Narrator: Bart Wolffe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-25-12

Publisher: Saland Publishing

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This audiobook contains four classic detective short stories, including "The Blue Cross" by G.K. Chesterton, "The Five Orange Pips" by Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Treasure Hunt" by Edgar Wallace, and "The Flying Stars" by G.K. Chesteron.

Members Reviews:

Great British Detectives - Short Stories

Would you consider the audio edition of The Very Best Classic Detective Stories to be better than the print version?

Because I have a very active lifestyle and love to read, the audio versions of books satisfies the reader in me. I still enjoy non-audio books, but the audio titles such as this one, are easy and enjoyable to listen to. The reader was very good and the stories,were entertaining. I downloaded these short stories onto my Kindle and then played the Kindle through my MP3 jack in my car. This way, I have something audio and in e-ink with me at most times, should the need to read/listen arise. I also find that if I have trouble sleeping, listening to an audio of short stories, such as this collection, helps me go to sleep - but only if I have already listened to the story previously.

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

Because these were short stories, I didn't have long to wait for solutions to the crimes perpetrated herein. I did find myself curious and anxiously wondering how the author was going to explain everything in the solution, however.

What about Bart Wolffes performance did you like?

Bart Wolffe has a pleasant voice and he performed admirably in the reading of these short stories. He sounds as though he enjoyed reading these titles and that is usually nice for the listener.

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

There were a few instances whereby I laughed out loud at the antics described in the stories.

Any additional comments?

Short, easy stories written and read in a way that it isn't difficult to follow the plot even while driving or otherwise distracted during listening.

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Title: Scenarios

Subtitle: A Nameless Detective Mystery, Book 31

Author: Bill Pronzini

Narrator: Nick Sullivan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-13-12

Publisher: Crossroad Press

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

A Shamus Award-winning Author

Few characters have the loyal readership of Bill Pronzini's "Nameless Detective." The 14 stories in this collection span his entire 35-year life on the printed page. They include "It's a Lousy World," where Nameless proves that a friend did not commit the crime he was accused of; "Dead Man's Slough" and "The Ghosts of Ragged-Ass Gulch," which take him out of San Francisco into the hinterlands; and "Souls Burning," where he tries to help an old friend make one last try at setting things right.

Members Reviews:

Haven't finished yet but enjoying it so far. Pronzini is fun writer.

I haven't finished this yet because I like to read short stories in between whole books. But Bill Pronzini is definitely one of my favorite authors. I have read other short story books of his and thought they were all very good.

Hit List of Short Stories

OK, I am a real fan of Bill Pronzini and short stories and this is a great combination. Short and sweet, great variety. Where does this guy get his ideas? I can not think of a better way to spent 15 mins. than with one of these stories.

Cop Shop

Must-have collection of short stories.

If you like Pronzini's Nameless Detective, this is a must-have book. I had read a couple of the stories before, but most were new to me. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Smart and Fun

I liked this collection of interesting stories. And each one was just the right length to take me through the lunch hour!

Nameless not the same in short stories.

I enjoy the Nameless series but as short stories it's not the same. Love the detail in the novels which is missing in the short stories although it is still nice to visit with Nameless.

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Title: Tanaka and the Yakuza's Daughter

Author: Clay Boutwell

Narrator: Clay Boutwell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-06-12

Publisher: Kotoba Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Akira Tanaka's past as an undercover agent in Tokyo's underworld has caught up with his present. Now he must find out who kidnapped his only daughter, and why. Can he rescue her before it's too late?

The lives of a father, a daughter, and a yakuza's daughter are all intertwined in this fast-paced 7,500 word short story. This is the first in a series of thrilling adventures featuring Tanaka.

Critic Reviews:

"Well written and puts you into the action right away." (Larry LaVoie, author of Leap of Faith)

Members Reviews:

Brief and intense

action-adventure, Japan, kidnapping, mafia, read, short, undercover

Intense and somewhat violent, this short interlude grabs your interest and keeps it. The action is very easy to visualize.

Read by the author, he keeps it low key and thereby heightens the impact.

Disjointed

Plot buildup is ok but the twists sometimes don't make sense. I wouldn't want to recommend

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Title: Faulkner's Short Stories: CliffsNotes

Author: James L. Roberts

Narrator: Luke Daniels

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-23-12

Publisher: CliffsNotes on Brilliance Audio

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

The CliffsNotes study guide on Faulkner's Short Stories supplements the original literary work, giving you background information about the author, an introduction to the work, critical commentaries, expanded glossaries, and a comprehensive index, all for you to use as an educational tool that will allow you to better understand the work.

This study guide was written with the assumption that you have read Short Stories.

Reading a literary work doesnt mean that you immediately grasp the major themes and devices used by the author; this study guide will help supplement your reading to be sure you get all you can from Faulkner's Short Stories. CliffsNotes Review tests your comprehension of the original text and reinforces learning with questions and answers, practice projects, and more.

For further information on Faulkner's Short Stories, check out the CliffsNotes Resource Center at www.cliffsnotes.com.

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Title: The Derelict

Author: William Hope Hodgson

Narrator: Felbrigg Napoleon Herriot

Format: Unabridged

Length: 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-22-12

Publisher: FNH Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

FNH Audio presents an unabridged reading of William Hope Hodgson's "The Derelict". When a storm abates, leaving the ship in need of repairs, the men set to work, only to discover another ship a mile off, a floating wreck, a derelict. Thinking there may be salvage to be had, they cross to the mysterious stranger. Instead of salvage, they discover horror and death, and possibly a clue to the origin of life itself.

Members Reviews:

Classic Hodgson brand of horror fiction

Hodgson's unique and terrifying monsters always deliver, so far above Stephen King's obscenities filled garbage.

Sludge isn't scary.

Would you try another book from William Hope Hodgson and/or Felbrigg Napoleon Herriot?

Don't think so.

Would you ever listen to anything by William Hope Hodgson again?

Maybe.

What aspect of Felbrigg Napoleon Herriots performance would you have changed?

I sort of liked the English accent, but made it a bit harder to follow the story.

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

Most of it.

Any additional comments?

Nope.