Bianca Amato's performance perfectly re-creates the wonderfully realized characters in Alexander McCall Smith's latest No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency episode. Listeners will enjoy the company of wise Mma Precious Ramotswe, owner and founder of the agency; Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, her husband and owner of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors; and her irrepressible assistant, Mma Grace Makutsi. This adventure includes an unfaithful spouse, a wheeler-dealer who has devious plans for Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, a hungry crocodile, and a venomous puff adder. Amato is so comfortable with the African names and phrases that listeners are transported to Gaborone. With Mma Ramotswe, time moves slowly, pumpkins flourish in the rainy season, and a cup of bush tea sounds delightful.
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798891789470
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An amusing audiobook that works hard to make fun of syrupy holiday romances.
Three narrators perform a funny, irreverent take on a Hallmark-esque Christmas tale. Detectives Holly Frost and Mark Shepherd, who have an enemies-to-lovers dynamic going on, are both assigned to investigate a murder in the quaint town of Christmas—a murder they must solve in order to save the town’s Jingle Bell Jubilee, and their careers. In alternating chapters, Patti Murin deftly performs Holly, who has a penchant for cursing, while Colin Donnell charmingly voices Mark. Angela Dawe pops in with interspersed comments reminding the listener not to take the story too seriously.
An amusing audiobook that works hard to make fun of syrupy holiday romances.Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 18 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250451828
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
Listeners are in excellent hands.
Nicola Walker brings the perfect vocal touch to the second in Osman’s We Solve Murders series. Her friendly voice perfectly matches the tone of this murder mystery, whether she’s depicting Rosie’s seductive mid-Atlantic drawl or Steve and his mates in the village pub. Walker even throws in a convincing Graham Norton impression. The plot twists are as good as ever, with laugh-out-loud moments as well as some high drama and just a little suspense. With bodies aplenty but no violence, the action moves smoothly from Tuscany to Palm Springs, California and back to the New Forest, as if we were all flying in Rosie’s private jet.
Listeners are in excellent hands.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 21 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217166657
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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