The highly accomplished Mark Deakins delivers this novel about the life of a park ranger in Yellowstone National Park. In a voice that is natural and easygoing, Deakins narrates Captain Ren Hopper's encounters with idiotic tourists, endangered wildlife, poachers, and the few scientists and park officials who interact with him. Part mystery, part meditation, this audiobook will appeal to many.

The range exhibited in narrator Kristen Ariza’s performance of this thriller is unparalleled. She shines at voicing Coco Weber’s conflicting emotions as she escapes L.A. and returns home to remote Catalina Island. Her plan to start a new job at the local paper is interrupted by a string of suspicious deaths of the island’s elderly land owners, deaths she believes may be connected to the murder of her own family 20 years earlier.

Listeners will enjoy this robustly produced romance performed by Jessica Marie Garcia, Harry Shum Jr., and a supporting cast. Ami had a rough go of her divorce, and she believes her failed marriage is a family curse. She wants to make sure everything goes well at her sister’s wedding and reluctantly accepts the help of her brother-in-law’s best man, a carefree surfer. The high production values add to the story.

Fairuza Balk expertly differentiates the characters in this retelling of a mysterious Tyrolean folktale. From the beginning, Balk captures Otilla’s youth and curiosity. Her courage becomes clear when she meets the other character in this story, a skull. Balk’s noble tone and accent fit him, and the way she expresses his approachability transforms a typically scary icon into a friend. The author’s afterword discusses how he transformed the original tale. 

AudioFile Earphones Award