Features AudioFile Spotlight: February Mystery and Suspense Audiobooks

Whether you are looking for a new thriller or a fun escape to a Scottish island, all of our audiobook recommendations have Earphones Award-winning narrations. Jump on a new audiobook from a long-time favorite like Walter Mosely, or try a new full cast narration of a compelling courtroom drama. Whichever you choose, you know they will make for excellent listening.

BEEN WRONG SO LONG IT FEELS LIKE RIGHT: King Oliver, Book 3
by Walter Mosley | Read by Dion Graham
AudioFile Earphones Award
[Hachette Audio | 8 hrs.]

Dion Graham continues his stellar work with Mosley’s Joe King Oliver series, bringing heart and rough edges in equal measure. Here, the private investigator’s Grandma B has a dying wish: Locate her long-missing son. Oliver’s complicated relationship with his father is heightened as the search brings new insights into the man. Graham, in top form, captures the grit of this New York City noir, embodying the wide cast of suspects, cops, and confidants. His delivery is so vivid it’s cinematic.

REVIEW 

PRESUMED GUILTY: Presumed Innocent, Book 3
by Scott Turow | Read by Grover Gardner
AudioFile Earphones Award
[Hachette Audio | 20.25 hrs.]

It’s been 38 years since we first met Rusty Sabich in PRESUMED INNOCENT. Narrator Grover Gardner, one of the best in the business, affects a smooth and evocative tone as he reminds us how Rusty was found innocent of murdering his mistress. Now he’s entering the third act of his life with his engagement to the loving and insightful Bea. Rusty must return to court to defend his fiancée’s son—and his last chance for love.

REVIEW 

A TRUE VERDICT
by Robert Rotstein | Read by Sean Pratt, Phil Thron, Kelli Tager, Sophie Amoss, Natalie Naudus, Fajer Al-Kaisi, Hillary Huber, Mark Bramhall, Robin Miles, Alex Boyles, Roxanne Hernandez, Eunice Wong, Deanna Anthony
AudioFile Earphones Award
[Blackstone Audio | 8.5 hrs.]

Thirteen talented narrators deliver flawless performances in this engrossing courtroom drama. Ellison Ricard, a Black research analyst for a Big Pharma company, uncovers data suggesting that their bestselling drug is harmful to Black users. After a violent confrontation that leads to his dismissal, Ricard files a civil suit against MediMiracle. The novel’s structure is perfect for audio. In interwoven monologues, secret passions, prejudices, and personal problems are revealed.

REVIEW 

THE PERFECT HOME
by Daniel Kenitz| Read by Michael Crouch, Amanda Stribling
AudioFile Earphones Award
[Simon & Schuster Audio | 9.75 hrs.]

Michael Crouch and Amanda Stribling team up to narrate this gripping thriller. Wyatt and Dawn Decker are an emerging home improvement couple on TV. Their on-screen personas project a sweet go-getter and a candid critic. Off-screen, however, Wyatt’s obsession with fame clashes with Dawn’s desire for authenticity. Crouch’s seemingly nonchalant tone and Stribling’s nuanced delivery heighten the story’s tension.

REVIEW

THE AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO MURDER
by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White| Read by Angus King, Saskia Maarleveld, Brittany Pressley, Lisa Flanagan
AudioFile Earphones Award
[HarperAudio | 11.75 hrs.]

What fun! Listeners will revel in this novel set on a scenic Scottish island, which is brought to life by four exceptional narrators. The story jumps between the distinct voices of Kat, a fantasy and erotica writer, expertly portrayed by Saskia Maarleveld; Cassie, a cozy author and mother of six, who shines with charm and guilelessness through Brittany Pressley; and Emma, a historian who is devoted to facts, masterfully voiced by Lisa Flanagan. When a murder occurs, all three women become suspects.

REVIEW