Mr. Fox
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Helen Oyeyemi, read by Carole Boyd. AudioGO, unabridged, eight CDs, 8.25 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 978-1-60998-603-2 9781609986032
Set primarily in 1930s New York, Oyeyemi’s latest novel follows the adventures of a famous novelist, Mr. Fox, with a penchant for murdering his heroines. His life and work are transformed by the discovery of his muse, Mary. But when Mr. Fox’s wife, Daphne, becomes convinced her husband is having an affair, the novelist finds himself forced to make a very difficult decision. Carole Boyd’s narration is playful, well paced, and utterly enjoyable. She captures the spirit of the fantastical prose and creates restrained but effective voices—employing several pitch-perfect accents and dialects—for Oyeyemi’s characters. One of the many highlights is Boyd’s rendition of the rich American teenager to whom she lends a wonderfully flat, bored tone. A Riverhead hardcover. (Nov.)
The End of the Wasp Season
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Denise Mina, read by Jane MacFarlane. AudioGO, unabridged, 11 CDs, 13 hrs., $29.99 ISBN 978-1-61113-021-8 9781611130218
In Mina’s latest thriller (and follow-up to Still Midnight) set around and in contemporary Glasgow, detective Alex Morrow—pregnant with twins—must investigate the brutal murder of a young woman named Sarah Errol. What Morrow finds is a web of deceit that will rock the community and eventually connect to an earlier suicide. Jane MacFarlane—who has recorded previous Mina novels—narrates in a lilting, mesmerizing voice and with a lovely Scottish brogue. Her reading is well paced, clear, and utterly compelling. Easily managing the books thrills and chills, MacFarlane also creates distinctive but restrained voices and regional accents for the book’s many characters—never resorting to caricature or cliché. Highly enjoyable and a must for Mina fans. A Little, Brown/Reagan Arthur hardcover. (Nov.)
Out of Oz
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Gregory Maguire, read by John McDonough. HarperAudio, unabridged, 23 CDs, 29 hrs., $59.99 ISBN 978-0-06-209366-0 9780062093660
In the conclusion to Maguire’s Wicked Years series, Glinda is put under house arrest, the Emerald City prepares to invade Munchkinland, and Elphaba’s little granddaughter, Rain (not knowing her heritage and working as a lowly maid in Glinda’s house) is just beginning to discover her powers. Meanwhile, back in Kansas, Dorothy is considered eccentric for insisting she visited Oz, and her aunt and uncle take her on a trip to distract her—that is until she finds her way back to that faraway magical land. John McDonough—who has narrated all of the audiobooks in the series—offers up a nuanced performance that showcases a deep understanding of Maguire’s fantasy world and its inhabitants. He creates distinctive voices for each character and capably conveys the ironic spirit of the novel. And while listeners may find an adult male voicing the dialogue of a little girl somewhat jarring at first, McDonough performance is a natural, engaging one that makes the Land of Oz come to life. A Morrow hardcover. (Nov.)
Great Expectations
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Charles Dickens, read by Simon Prebble. Blackstone Audio, unabridged, 15 CDs, 18.5 hrs., $39.95 ISBN 978-1-4551-2290-5 9781455122905
This beloved classic from Dickens follows the life and adventures of a six-year-old orphan named Pip as he makes his way and comes of age in 19th-century England. Simon Prebble turns in a solid performance in this audio edition, offering up a lush and resolutely dramatic reading and creating a panoply of unique voices and accents for the book’s many characters. But while Prebble’s performance is lavish, it fails to distinguish itself from the scores of previous audio productions of Dickens’s novels. Still, his reading remains a pleasure and a well-orchestrated introduction to the world of Dickens—one that could serve as a wonderful opportunity for both fans and those new to the author’s work. (Nov.)
Micro
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Michael Crichton and Richard Preston, read by John Bedford Lloyd. Harper Audio, unabridged, 12 CDs, 14 hrs., $39.99 ISBN 978-0-06-087308-0 9780060873080
Unfinished at the time of his death and later completed by Preston, Crichton’s last book receives serviceable narration from John Bedford Lloyd. Hawaii-based microtechnology company Nanigen has developed the ability to shrink objects—and people—and the megalomaniac head of the company, Vin Drake, sees the potential to make billions of dollars. But when one of Drake’s executives, Eric Jansen, threatens his boss’s plans, he suddenly goes missing and is presumed dead. When Eric’s brother, Peter, arrives—along with six fellow graduate students—and begins to ask questions, Drake shrinks them and leaves them to die in the Hawaiian rain forest. What follows is a nonstop fight for survival in the micro-world, where insects are as big as cars, bats the size of airplanes, and everything is hungry. Lloyd’s performance is uneven but enjoyable. With his deep, well-modulated voice, he certainly narrates clearly and with good vocal intonation. But at times, he sounds unprepared and his performance flat. A HarperLuxe paperback. (Nov.)
The Doll: The Lost Short Stories
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Daphne du Maurier, read by Wanda McCaddon. Dreamscape Audio, unabridged, library edition, five CDs, 5.5 hrs., $59.99 ISBN 978-1-61120-302-8 9781611203028
The audio edition of these 13 early tales by du Maurier—originally published in the 1930s—are skillfully narrated by Wanda McCaddon and prove to be as relevant and entertaining as if they were written today. The stories range from the murderous to the humorous, from the ironic to the melancholy, and each offers interesting insights into the sometimes bizarre human condition. McCaddon beautifully renders du Maurier’s characters. And her reading of the title story, a chilling tale of love macabre, is guaranteed to give listeners chills, while her performance of “Week-End”—which chronicles two lovers’ ill-fated weekend away—will certainly amuse. McCaddon particularly shines in her reading of “Piccadilly,” in which a wayward woman of ill repute pragmatically, and unrepentantly, recounts to a young writer the events that led to her fall from grace. It is a monologue that is as funny as it is sad, and McCaddon hits every emotional note with professional precision. A Morrow paperback. (Nov.)
The Sisters
Nancy Jensen, read by Cassandra Campbell. Blackstone Audio, unabridged, 11 CDs, 13.5 hrs., $34.95 ISBN 978-1-4551-1710-9 9781455117109
In Jensen’s debut novel, set during the Great Depression, two sisters, Mabel and Bertie Fisher, suffer under the tyrannical rule of their abusive stepfather. In an effort to start a new life, Mabel secretly concocts an escape plan with the help of Bertie’s boyfriend. But things go wrong and Mabel and her sister are separated. Cassandra Campbell’s narration is warm, rich, and a pleasure to listen to. She creates distinctive voices for all the characters, and her tone conveys deep empathy and compassion. Campbell is even able to make the stepfather—who is evil and wholly unsympathetic—believable and authentic, his voice tough and hard, yet laden with the frustrations and disappointments of his own life. Additionally, Campbell lends voices to the book’s numerous children and grandchildren that reflect their separate personalities and dreams. A St. Martin’s hardcover. (Nov.)
The Boy in the Suitcase
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Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis, read by Katherine Kellgren. AudioGO, unabridged, seven CDs, 9 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 978-1-60998-658-2 9781609986582
Kaaberbol and Friis’s latest installment in the bestselling Nina Borg series finds Nina—a nurse, mother, and wife—working with women and child refugees. One day she receives a call from an estranged friend named Karin who asks her to pick up a suitcase from a public locker. When Nina finds the locker, she discovers a naked three-year-old boy—drugged but alive—inside the case. Thus begins Nina’s effort to help the boy and discover his identity. But when Karin is beaten to death, Nina is sure that her life—and that of the young boy—is in danger. Katherine Kellgren turns in a winning performance in this audio edition. Her gritty, nasal, and vaguely ominous narration perfectly captures the essence of this bizarre thriller. Additionally, she lends Kaaberbol and Friis’s characters a wide range of unique voices and European accents. A Soho hardcover. (Dec.)
The Thirteen Hallows
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Michael Scott and Colette Freedman, read by Kate Reading. Macmillan Audio, unabridged, nine CDs, 11 hrs., $39.99 ISBN 978-1-4272-1348-8 9781427213488
In Scott and Freedman’s fantastical thriller, when Londoner Sarah Miller helps a mugging victim, she finds herself face to face with one of the Keepers—guardians of powerful and deadly artifacts know as the 13 Hallows. The Keeper gives her Hallow (a broken sword) to Miller and persuades her to deliver it to the Keeper’s American nephew, Owen. But when Miller is accused of murder, she and Owen embark on a quest to find the other surviving Keepers, prevent the Hallows from falling into the wrong hands, and avoid the mysterious and malevolent Dark Man. Kate Reading’s narration of this audio edition is crisp, emphatic, and well paced. She creates distinctive voices and accents for the novel’s characters and keeps listeners engaged throughout. But Reading shines brightest when rendering moments of tension, modulating her tone and pace perfectly and leaving listeners on the edge of their seats. A Tor hardcover. (Dec.)
Death Comes to Pemberley
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P.D. James, read by Rosalyn Landor. Random House Audio, unabridged, eight CDs, 10 hrs., $40 ISBN 978-0-449-01115-7 9780449011157
James’s latest mystery is set in 1803 and picks up where Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice left off: Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are married and have twin boys. The family lives at Pemberley, an elegant old mansion where they often entertain people of consequence and hold lavish balls. But a murder in the woods on the property interferes with their otherwise idyllic lives and shrouds Pemberley in mystery and fear. Rosalyn Landor turns in an excellent performance, with well-paced narration that captures the posh atmosphere of James’s (and Austen’s) world. Landor also creates unique voices for the books many characters, modulating her voice for males and lending working-class dialect to servants. Highly recommended for fans of both Austen and James. A Knopf hardcover. (Dec.)
