Each month, AudioFile Magazine reviewers and editors handpick the best new audiobooks for BookTrib readers. Enjoy this month’s top-rated audiobooks!
The Impossible Fortune: Thursday Murder Club, Book 5 by Richard Osman
Read by Fiona Shaw | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Penguin Audio | 10.5 hrs.]
Fiona Shaw’s inviting narration captures the humor and intrigue of this delightful new Thursday Murder Club mystery. The retirees are busy with their own lives — especially Joyce, who’s helping to plan her daughter’s wedding. However, when Nick, the best man, tells Elizabeth that someone is trying to kill him and then disappears, the sleuths are on the case. Shaw’s performance balances comedy and compassion, revealing both the mayhem and heart that make this series an irresistible listen for mystery lovers.
Good Spirits: Ghosted, Book 1 by B.K. Borison
Read by Karissa Vacker, Will Watt | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Harper Audio | 12 hrs.]
Narrators Karissa Vacker and Will Watt delight listeners with this ghostly holiday romance. Harriet York isn’t exactly Scrooge, so she’s baffled about why she’s being haunted by Nolan Callahan, the Ghost of Christmas Past. When they explore Harriet’s past, both realize they’re more connected than they thought. Both narrators’ expressive, nuanced performances of dialogue are distinct, making this memorable listen perfect for the festive season.
Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner
Read by Javier Muñoz | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Simon & Schuster Audio | 15.25 hrs.]
Actor Javier Muñoz, who also starred in Hamilton, delivers an engaging performance as he delivers this biography of playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. Muñoz gives a much-deserved sense of joy to Pollack-Pelzner’s careful research, amusing anecdotes, and quotes from Miranda, overlooking nothing from his early life to his later influences. Not a tell-all, but a peek into both private and very public moments, this is the story of a kid from Inwood, New York, who became one of the most appreciated and creative minds of his generation.
The Mires by Tina Makereti
Read by Stacey Leilua | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Harper Audio | 8 hrs.]
New Zealand author Tina Makereti’s powerful novel, set in the near future, comes alive with fellow New Zealander Stacey Leilua’s narration. Three very different women living in the same neighborhood face climate change, prejudice, and inequality while struggling to survive. As the three women support each other, they find strength in their common humanity.
At Last by Marisa Silver
Read by Mia Barron | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Simon & Schuster Audio | 8 hrs.]
In 1971 Omaha, Helene and Evelyn meet as their children marry. Mia Barron’s detached voice sets the scene and then, almost magically, transforms into women full of personality. Barron takes us back to the ‘40s and ‘60s, which molded the women, and forward from the ‘80s to 2015. As the women continue their rivalries, competing for attention and love, Barron gives each her own snarky, judgmental voice. Silver shows how histories impact families’ lives, relationships, and choices through generations.
The Fire Concerto by Sarah Landenwich
Read by Katrina Lenk | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Hachette Audio | 12.5 hrs.]
This wonderful novel with its inherent musicality receives a noteworthy performance from Katrina Lenk. Clara, once a world-famous pianist, was badly burned in a fire and no longer plays. When she receives an unexpected inheritance from her despised former teacher, Madame, she’s bewildered. Smoothly switching voices and attitudes, Lenk makes each of Landenwich’s fully formed characters ring with truth. As a thrilling mystery unfolds, Clara finds answers hidden within the metronome.
If Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry
Read by Jayne Entwistle, Julie Berry [Note] | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Simon & Schuster Audio | 15.5 hrs.]
Jayne Entwistle shows remarkable vocal versatility in this fantasy audiobook featuring Jack the Ripper and Medusa. While volunteering for the Salvation Army in New York City in 1888, Tabitha and her headstrong roommate, Pearl, attempt to help a woman escape from the brothel where she’s forced to work. When Jack and Tabitha’s paths cross, Pearl transforms into a Medusa who’s hell-bent on destroying him. Entwistle takes command of the scenes featuring the sinister Jack running from the hissing Medusa. A perfectly paced and immersive performance.
Songs For Other People's Weddings by David Levithan & Jens Lekman
Read by Jefferson Mays | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Recorded Books | 10.75 hrs.]
Narrator Jefferson Mays, Swedish singer-songwriter Jens Lekman, and author David Levithan turn strong performances and storytelling into an unforgettable audiobook experience. When wedding singer J’s girlfriend takes an open-ended job overseas, it sends the couple into fraught emotional territory. Mays balances J’s charm and playfulness with his anxiety about the future of his relationship as he immerses himself in several unique nuptials. The addition of Lekman’s performances of his original songs elevates this production into a must-listen.
Reports Of His Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated by James Goodhand
Read by Peter Noble | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Harlequin Audio | 10.5 hrs.]
This audiobook chronicles the dreary world of Ray “Spike” Thorns, a retired caretaker at a posh English boarding school whose life is dramatically changed when a visiting neighbor is rushed to the hospital and dies. Ray is confused with the dead neighbor and is, thus, officially declared dead. Narrator Peter Noble expertly portrays the hapless Ray; listeners can hear his consternation, politeness, and honesty. This work of introspective, heartwarming character-driven fiction is told in a manner that is tender, reflective, and realistic.
It Had To Be Him by Adib Khorram
Read by Corvin King, Vikas Adam
[Hachette Audio | 12 hrs.]
This delightful second-chance romance takes place in sunlit Italy. After a disastrous public proposal, Ramin escapes abroad, only to bump into Noah, his high school crush and now a divorced dad traveling with his family. Their reunion blossoms into a heartfelt, spicy romance that’s as much about rediscovery as it is about love. Narrators Corvin King and Vikas Adam bring warmth and charm to the story, smoothly balancing humor, tenderness, and vulnerability. Richly immersive and deeply romantic, this audiobook is a swoony escape and an honest portrayal of love’s second chances.
