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

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Title: The Blue Cross

Author: G. K. Chesterton

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-05-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from the The Innocence of Father Brown collection.

Father Brown is an eccentric priest with his own particular ways of dealing with crime. David Timson, having completed the whole of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes canon, a remarkable achievement, turns his hand to the genial but certainly not innocent priest! This collection contains a group of stories from the Innocence of Father Brown, told unabridged.

Editorial Reviews:

Prolific English writer and theologian G. K. Chesterons unique spin on detective fiction, originally published in a literary magazine in 1910, marks the introduction of the unassuming, diminutive priest-detective Father Brown, who, through sheer wit and ingenuity, helps the Parisian detective Aristide Valentin apprehend the notorious Flambeau, one of Europes most sought-after criminals, who also happens to be a master of disguise, in this compelling audiobook adeptly performed by David Timson, whose agile, spirited performance captures the dynamism of Chestertons distinctive prose.

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Title: The Sign of the Broken Sword

Author: G. K. Chesterton

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-02-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from the The Innocence of Father Brown - Volume 2 collection.

Here are the six final stories from The Innocence of Father Brown relating the crime-solving adventures of a rather unconventional detective. Having accumulated wisdom and empathy from years of listening to the dark confessions of his parishioners, in a flash Father Brown is able to solve mysteries that confound all others. Here is an eccentric and loveable character that will appeal to fans of the legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes. The stories are engagingly read by David Timson: "The Wrong Shape", "The Sins of Prince Saradine", "The Hammer of God", "The Eye of Apollo", "The Sign of the Broken Sword", and "The Three Tools of Death".

Editorial Reviews:

While wandering the forest in search of a famous monument to a war hero, Father Brown and his sidekick Flambeau begin to wonder about the truth behind General Sir Arthur St. Clare. Though English streets and parks bear his name in tribute, his legacy has come into question. For Father Brown, St. Clare was more a villain than a hero, and in the forest will be his proof. G. K. Chesterton wonderfully explores the myths behind heroism in this installment of the Father Brown series, which David Timson - with a grave and insinuating performance - gives a weighty urgency.

Members Reviews:

Well read

Another gem from the astonishingly detailed and insightful mind of GK Chesterton. The reader does a good job with the contrasting voices of Fr. Brown and his huge felonious French friend.

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Title: The Adventure of the Dying Detective

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-25-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This story is from The Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes (His Last Bow) collection.

Further adventures by the master of observation and deduction, as faithfully recounted by his companion and greatest admirer, Dr Watson. "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans," "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax", and "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" are among the stories. David Timson's award-winning performances continue with this series.

Editorial Reviews:

When Dr. Watson is called to the home of his friend Sherlock Holmes, he is shocked to find that the detective is gravely ill, apparently stricken with a highly contagious disease. Holmes asks Watson to fetch Culverton Smith, a supposed expert on the disease whom Holmes had once accused of murder. In an ironic twist, Holmes is afflicted with the same disease that killed Smith's nephew, and the two have a spirited confrontation. Arthur Conan Doyle crafts a clever narrative that David Timson imbues with great intrigue, making The Adventure of the Dying Detective an endlessly compelling listen.

Members Reviews:

CAN ONLY BE USED ON A COMPUTER!

CAN ONLY BE USED ON A COMPUTER!

Seriously Disappointing Formatting. Not worth $2.50

There is no table of contents and worse than that -- no obvious chapter headings. The stories are here (which is more than one can say about other Last Bow collections), but if you want to get to a specific story . . . well, good luck! Not worth paying for.

More Short Stories

His Last Bow

These are the next to last of the series of short stories about Sherlock Holmes. Some are set before the Great War (WW I), the last takes place in 1914. Holmes is retired and refused to take on any more cases, preferring to live out his years in a small rural village. [Where strangers stand out.]

* The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge. Mr. Scott Eccles visits Holmes about his "grotesque experience". The police question Eccles about a murder! Eccles tells Holmes about this experience. Holmes goes to investigate. There is a link to another mansion, then a break in the case. Inspector Baynes explains his method. The governess explains the hidden mystery. Later they learn of two deaths in Madrid. Justice was served.

* The Adventure of the Cardboard Box. Miss Cushing received a package in the mail: two human ears! Lestrade calls Holmes to investigate this crime. Holmes later sends a note to Lestrade and a man is arrested. There is a confession. Jealousy and anger caused three deaths.

* The Adventure of the Red Circle. Mrs. Warren visits Holmes to tell about a lodger who stays in his rooms in seclusion. Holmes deduces a reason for these actions. Holmes sees a signal, meets Gregson, and they enter a room to find a body. A woman explains the mystery behind the conspiracy.

* The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans. Holmes received a telegram from his brother Mycroft about a matter of state security. A clerk was found dead, he had technical papers on a secret weapon. Holmes investigates, then devises a plan to trap the guilty party. It works, and a letter is mailed to catch his accomplice and the rest of the secret papers.

* The Adventure of the Dying Detective. The now married Watson is called to attend to a very sick Holmes. Holmes has caught a strange disease known in Sumatra, and asks Watson to call upon a man who is an expert. This man visits Holmes. Alone, he boasts about what he did.

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Title: The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-25-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

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

Once again Arthur Conan Doyle presents a series of cases which baffle the police, but are no match for Sherlock Holmes and his trusty companion Dr. Watson.

In "Black Peter", the peace of rural Sussex is disturbed by the discovery of a seafarer's body pinned to the wall of his hut with a harpoon. In the "Golden Pince-Nez", a young man is found dead clutching a pair of spectacles, yet he had perfect sight. Who is the short-sighted murderer?

In the "Missing Three-Quarter", Holmes takes on a novel case when a Rugby player goes missing the day before a major University match. A woman tied to a chair; her husband clubbed to death with a poker; a case of robbery with violence? But all is not what it seems in the case of the "Abbey Grange".

The series ends with the "Second Stain" where a top secret document that could lead Britain into war goes missing. Holmes is put to the test to save his country as well as his reputation.

Editorial Reviews:

A pair of hard bridge pince-nez glasses is one of the few pieces of evidence Sherlock Holmes and his trusted compatriot Watson have to work with in Sir Arthur Conan Doyles 1904 mystery, which finds an unassuming professors secretary named Willoughby Smith dead from a knife wound at the residence he shares with his employer, who doesnt turn out to be quite who he seems.

Holmes witty repartees with Watson are enthusiastically portrayed by the talented David Timson, whose vibrant, engaging tone turns this classic work of detective fiction into a must-listen.

Members Reviews:

Excellent plot!

In this story, we are in one wretched November night, and Inspector Stanley Hopkins comes to see Holmes at 221B Baker Street to tell him of a murder that defies solution. The dead man is Willoughby Smith, secretary to Professor Coram, an old invalid. The murder happened at Yoxley Old Place near Chatham, Kent. The most perplexing thing about the case to Hopkins is that it is apparently motiveless. Willoughby Smith seems to have nothing untoward in his background, and not an enemy in the world. He was the third secretary to the professor, the former ones not having worked out. The murder weapon was a sealing-wax knife belonging to the professor.

The maid found Smith, and the last words that he uttered as he lay dying were âThe professor; it was she.â The professor, however, is a man.

This same maid told Hopkins while he was at Yoxley that she had heard Smith leave his room and walk down to the study. She had been hanging curtains and did not actually see him, only recognizing his brisk step. The professor was in bed at the time. A minute later, there was a hoarse scream from the study, and the maid, after hesitating for a moment, went there to find a murder scene. She later tells Holmes that Smith went out for a walk not long before the murder.

The murdererâs only likely means of entry was through the back door after walking along the path from the road, and Hopkins found some indistinct footmarks running beside the path, the murderer obviously having tried to avoid leaving a trail. Hopkins could not tell whether the track was coming or going, made by big or small feet. The road was a hopeless quagmire and nothing could be discerned there.

The professorâs study contained a bureau; nothing seemed to have been stolen.

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Title: The Problem of Thor Bridge

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 11-22-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, Volume I collection.

These six cases are among the last undertaken by Sherlock Holmes before he retired to the Sussex downs. However, the problems facing the sleuth are as diverse and challenging as ever. What with seeking the whereabouts of the stolen Mazarin Diamond, discovering the importance of being called Garrideb, encountering a mysterious murder on Thor Bridge, searching for eternal youth and the threat of a vampire in Sussex, there is no sign of Holmes' deductive powers slowing down.

Editorial Reviews:

Fans of Sherlock Holmes' adventures will want to make room in their collection for another of narrator David Timson's adroit performances. In "The Problem of Thor Bridge", Holmes investigates the death of a Brazilian woman, seemingly at the hands of her children's governess. Can Holmes clear the governess' name or is she truly guilty of the crime? Timson's Holmes is perceptive and cool as always, and his scientific detachment is strikingly contrasted with the desperation and fear of the other characters.

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Title: The Reigate Squire

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-21-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

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

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

Editorial Reviews:

Following a difficult investigation in France that has left Sherlock Holmes feeling tired and ill, Dr. Watson takes him to a friend's estate in Reigate to rest and relax. But Holmes is soon called into action when a robbery at the Acton estate and a murder at the neighboring Cunningham estate prove to be the cure that Holmes needs, as he uncovers deadly secrets of landowner disputes, blackmail, and death. David Timson performs Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery with an energetic breeziness that propels listeners as they follow the numerous twists and turns found in The Reigate Squire.

Members Reviews:

A Good Listen

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

The Best in Audiobook Production

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

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Title: The Lie

Author: T. C. Boyle

Narrator: T. C. Boyle

Format: Unabridged

Length: 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-20-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This short story from the collection Wild Child was originally published in the New Yorker.

Lonnie is tired. He's tired of his job, the monotony of it, and tired of the predictability ofhis home life now that he's a father. It's a day like every other day, and hecan't face the inevitability of it all. So he lies. It's a small lie, but heknows small lies become big ones. He knows it as soon as he says his daughteris in the hospital. But he can't stop himself, and he can't stop the lie fromtaking on a life of its own.

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Title: Till Human Voices Wake Us

Author: Annie Bellet

Narrator: Dan Boice

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-04-13

Publisher: Doomed Muse Press

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

In this large collection, author Annie Bellet demonstrates her gift for the short form, offering listeners twenty short stories, novelettes, and novellas that are compelling, beautifully imagined, and entertaining.

Till Human Voices Wake Us contains 20 stories ranging from hard science fiction to space opera, sword and sorcery to magical realism, some in print for the first time.

Included in this collection are:

Members Reviews:

Great variety, solid writing.

Any additional comments?

I've never written a review before but since this title is new and has no reviews yet, I wanted to support the book/author. It's been awhile since I've read short stories, so I enjoyed the regular intervals of resolution - something you don't get with a long novel. I enjoyed the variety - Some stories were about futuristic space travel, some leaned more towards witches and fairy tales. Several had female heroines - warriors, athletes and a**-kicking characters. Several stories struck me at how deep the character went - alluding to a past and future that defined the character. I enjoyed the narrator too, his female voices took a little getting used to but ultimately I liked him. I've read Asimov, Douglas Adams, Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, John Scalzi, James Dashner, Allen Steele, etc

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Title: The Edge of Tomorrow

Author: Howard Fast

Narrator: Steven Menasche

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-15-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Vintage science fiction tales from an American master

Big bugs, cloned cats, and feral star-children play leading roles in the seven stories that make up Fasts unconventional and thought-provoking collection. The Edge of Tomorrow is a significant foray into science fiction by one of the 20th centurys most prolific novelists. In looking beyond our universe, Fast reveals much about the America of his time - where the Cold War and a nascent civil rights movement stoked unconscious fears and desires. From "The First Men", about scientists tampering with genetic engineering, to "The Large Ant", about a mans thoughtless violence against nature, these stories are as relevant today as when they were first written.

Editorial Reviews:

Actor Steven Menasche is often hired as the voice of "the guy next door" in his many national and television campaigns, but in his performance of The Edge of Tomorrow, he branches out of the neighborhood to become a giant ant, a Martian, and a feral child - or at least to animate them from the page.

Howard Fast wrote more than 80 books, including Spartacus, Citizen Tom Paine, and April Morning, both under his own name and the pseudonyms E. V. Cunningham and Walter Ericson. He also tried his hand at screenplays and genre writing like mysteries, and in the case of The Edge of Tomorrow, science fiction.

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

First Men one of my all time favorite futuristic stories.

Four Stars

Some tales are amazing

a must read for scfi lovers

there are many short tales, all of them full of incredible imagination. it is an old book, but filled with new energy

Five Stars

so important to me to have the copy. Thank you

Stories With a Moral Twist

Howard Fast (1914--2003) was best known for his historical novels such as _The Unvanquished_ (1942), _Citizen Tom Paine_ (1943), _Sparticus_ (1951), and _April Morning_ (1961). Under the pseudonym E.V. Cunningham, he wrote several excellent mystery stories. _The Edge of Tomorrow_ (1961) is Fast's first collection of science fiction stories.

"The Large Ant" appeared in the penultimate issue of _Fantastic Universe_ as "The Big Ant" and was one of the most famous stories to appear in that magazine. It has since been reprinted many times. The other six tales all appeared in _Fantasy and Science Fiction_ between 1959 and 1960. Some (like "The First Men," "Cato the Martian," and "The Martian Shop") had some fame. Others (like "Of Time and Cats" and "The Sight of Eden") were little known beyond this collection.

"The Large Ant" is about a writer who encounters a large, antlike creature on a fishing trip. He instinctively kills it. But then he feels a sense of guilt. It does him no good to say that most other people would have done the same thing, for he feels that the human race is being judged as well-- and being found wanting.

"The First Men" is about a growing number of feral children who are appearing round the world. Is it a step forward in God's plan for peace? Or a step backward into bestiality?

"Cato the Martian" is a statesman who says that Earth must be destroyed, root and branch. One scholarly philosopher opposes him. Who proves to be right? Who proves to be righteous?

"The Martian Shop" is a terrific science fiction mystery.

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Title: Coyote Ugly

Author: Pati Nagle

Narrator: Diane Piron-Gelman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-10-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

From the dark depths of the past to the bright hopes of the future, Pati Nagle's stories range across the palette of human emotion. Named for her Theodore Sturgeon Award Finalist story, Coyote Ugly includes fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, romance, mystery, and a few surprises. The rhythms, colors, and flavors of New Mexico enrich many of the stories. Curl up with this collection and your favorite hot cuppa, and prepare to escape the ordinary.

Editorial Reviews:

Pati Nagle's collection of 17 short stories is a multi-genre affair that takes listeners to New Mexico. A fantasy element mixed with a connection to nature ties together many of these tales, such as "Mother Ditch", concerning an avenging river goddess, and the titular story's artist and her special relationship to wind. Diane Piron-Gelman adapts beautifully to these diverse tales, capturing a lovelorn damsel and a sardonic space cat with equal clarity. Throughout, Nagle also includes recipes for treats like New Mexican cocoa and chicken chile soup, adding to the Southwestern flavor in Coyote Ugly.

Members Reviews:

A collection rich in both quality and quantity

This is a rich collection of 17 stories by Nagle--one which defies pigeon-holeing. These tales span many measures--profound or comedic, high fantasy or hard SF, cerebral or action-packed. The reader is sure to find many treasures, and any stories out of one's comfort zone are sure to expand one's horizons. As a lagniappe, there are also several of the author's own recipes scattered through the volume as well, and they are well worth sampling.

Coyote Ugly is anything but.

I liked most of the short stories in this book, which I can't always say about short story compilations. Most of the stories felt very fresh compared to a lot of the stale same-old-story stuff that is out there.

It is hard to categorize the stories in this book - some are romances, some are fantasy, some are science fiction, some are historical...most are a mesh of one or more genres. Elves, gods, vampires, talking cats, scientists, FBI agents, medieval Italian damsels, soldiers, rebels and Yanks, space stations ...there are even a couple of recipes included. I liked the artwork that was coupled with each story, but as I read the book on my Kindle, I wonder if they were in color or not (I went back and downloaded the pdf of the story and discovered that yes, indeed, they are in color!). Most of the stories were well-edited, compact nuggets of story that almost felt like the beginning of something larger, as though the author was trying out some ideas within various larger worlds. Each of the stories reflected a definite voice and character, and I enjoyed them, but the looseness of the collection makes the book somewhat easy to put down. However, the anticipation of the unknown is also quite a draw.

My one big complaint is that in the third story, The Cygnius sedonai Caper, the feline characters just did not read as anything other than human.

I would recommend this book for anyone who likes something that is new, wistful and evocative.

I received a free review copy of this book through LibraryThing.com.