Welcome to Brian’s Book Blog’s weekly New and Notable Audiobooks Post for the Week of August 28th.
Comment below on any I missed or what you’re excited about!
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Moonseed by Stephen Baxter
Narrated by Kevin Kenerly
Blackstone Publishing
It started the night Geena and Henry broke up. What was that strange light in the sky? A new star? A comet? Neither. It was the death of Venus.
As if to commemorate the end of NASA’s golden couple, our neighbor planet exploded into a brilliant cloud of dust and debris, showering the Earth with radiation and bizarre particles as big as bacteria – a 10-dimensional superstring nanovirus that literally eats rock, transforming it into liquid, and then into molecule-size black holes that devour the very fabric of space-time.
Feasting on Edinburgh’s primeval basalt, Moonseed is steadily eating its way toward Earth’s core. The death toll rises by the hour, as buildings collapse into streets that flow like water, as hundred-foot tsunamis obliterate Seattle and Vancouver, and as volcanoes sprout like weeds across the planet’s quickly decaying mantle.
NASA “rock-jockey” Henry Meacher and his Japanese colleague, Blue, race to cut off the virus and save what is left of the Earth. Meanwhile Henry’s ex, Geena, straps in with a Russian cosmonaut for a daredevil Moon voyage, ultimately reuniting with Henry and searching for the lunar ice deposits that might make possible the greatest evacuation since Noah braved the Flood.
And a mother and her young son clamber for the last solid ground in the liquefying Scottish Highlands, under the baleful stars of a dying universe….
Audacious beyond comparison, grand in conception, and gripping in execution, Moonseed is the first modern novel to do justice to the awesome terror and promise implicit in quantum physics. Like all of Baxter’s work, it blazes new paths from which science fiction will surely follow in the years to come, and becomes required listening for anyone wishing to understand the awesome promise – and threat – revealed by modern science.
The Guide by Peter Heller
Narrated by Mark Deakins
Random House Audio
The best-selling author of The River returns with a heart-racing thriller about a young man who is hired by an elite fishing lodge in Colorado, where he uncovers a plot of shocking menace amid the natural beauty of sun-drenched streams and forests.
“Peter Heller is the poet laureate of the literary thriller.” (Michael Koryta, New York Times best-selling author of Those Who Wish Me Dead)
Kingfisher Lodge, nestled in a canyon on a mile and a half of the most pristine river water on the planet, is known by locals as “Billionaire’s Mile” and is locked behind a heavy gate. Sandwiched between barbed wire and a meadow with a sign that reads “Don’t Get Shot!” the resort boasts boutique fishing at its finest. Safe from viruses that have plagued America for years, Kingfisher offers a respite for wealthy clients. Now it also promises a second chance for Jack, a return to normalcy after a young life filled with loss. When he is assigned to guide a well-known singer, his only job is to rig her line, carry her gear, and steer her to the best trout he can find.
But then a human scream pierces the night, and Jack soon realizes that this idyllic fishing lodge may be merely a cover for a far more sinister operation. A novel as gripping as it is lyrical, as frightening as it is moving, The Guide is another masterpiece from Peter Heller.
The Coelho Medallion by Kevin Tumlinson
Narrated by Joe Hempel
OrangeSky Audio
Check out reviews of more audiobooks narrated by Joe Hempel
The adventure begins in the first Dan Kotler archaeological thriller!
An ancient medallion is unearthed in Pueblo, Colorado, revealing a secret that will rewrite the history of North America – the Vikings somehow made it to the continent’s interior, centuries before Columbus made landfall, and there they built a city of gold.
But today the Coelho medallion has been stolen, and a linguist and researcher has been abducted in connection with the crime. Could the abductors be after the fabled city of gold? Or do they have a more sinister plot in mind?
Dan Kotler is an independent researcher who often finds himself in more trouble than he was expecting. But when his colleague is abducted and he finds himself being investigated by the FBI, he must use all of his brilliance and expertise to find her and absolve himself.
Anwar Adham has plans for a terrorist action on US soil, and information from the Pueblo research site can give him everything he needs to put his plans in motion. Unless Adham is stopped, thousands and possibly millions will die.
Whoever wins this contest of wits and wills will hold the fate of thousands in his hands, and will also lay claim to the fabled city of gold.
It’s an adventure that can redefine the history of America as we know it. Kotler finds himself facing off against both the FBI and Adham’s terrorist network as he struggles to solve the mystery of Vikings in Colorado, to rescue Evelyn, and stop Adham’s plans before it’s too late.
The Begonia Killer by Jeff Bond
Narrated by Natalie Duke
Self Published
Check out my reviews of more titles by Jeff Bond
Check out my reviews of more titles narrated by Natalie Duke
You know Molly McGill from her death-defying escapes in Anarchy of the Mice, Book One of the Third Chance Enterprises series. Now ride along for her first stand-alone caper, The Begonia Killer.
When Martha Dodson hires McGill Investigators to look into an odd neighbor, Molly feels optimistic about the case – right up until Martha reveals her theory that Kent Kirkland, the neighbor, is holding two boys hostage in his papered-over upstairs bedroom.
Martha’s husband thinks she needs a hobby. Detective Art Judd, who Molly visits on her client’s behalf, sees no evidence worthy of devoting police resources.
But Molly feels a kinship with the Yancy Park housewife and bone-deep concern for the missing boys.
She forges ahead with the investigation, navigating her own headstrong kids, an unlikely romance with Detective Judd, and a suspect in Kent Kirkland every bit as terrifying as the supervillains she’s battled before alongside Quaid Rafferty and Durwood Oak Jones.
The Begonia Killer is not your grandparents’ cozy mystery.
Manflu by Simone De Munoz
Narrated by Melanie Hooks
Self Published
Following a global pandemic which has either killed or weakened most of the male population, women now dominate all aspects of life.
Dr. Morgan Digby, married to a man rendered bedbound from his bout with manflu a decade prior, is working tirelessly on a vaccine, yet obstacles keep springing up in her path.
When she meets a handsome neighbor who has never been exposed to the deadly virus, things become…complicated. There’s something between them, but he can’t leave his home.
Morgan’s struggle to remain faithful to her ailing husband isn’t her only battle. Someone has been one step ahead of her, countering her every move. Will she find a vaccine before it’s too late to protect those she loves?
Sunken Graves by Alan Lee
Narrated by Sean Patrick Hopkins
Podium Audio
Peter Lynch is a monster.
A sociopathic attorney hiding in plain sight behind billboards and a successful career. With the highest connections, he terrorizes the city and buries the evidence, and there’s no way to stop him. Until one discharged Green Beret decides to try…
A novel of crime and suspense, from best-selling author Alan Lee.
Delay of Game by Tracey Richardson
Narrated by Anastasia Watley
Tantor Audio
Check out my review of Delay of Game here
Check out my reviews of more titles by Tracey Richardson
Check out my reviews of more titles narrated by Anastasia Watley
Passion and patriotism sizzle on the ice at the Winter Olympics.
It’s been a dozen years since two of the world’s best women hockey players, Niki Hartling and Eva Caruso, first competed against each other in the Olympic Games.
The pressure of the intense USA-Canada rivalry forced an end to their love affair, and both women moved on – Niki to coach and to marry, Eva to stretch out a playing career that her ravaged body can barely sustain anymore.
The Games are upon them once again. Eva wants one last chance to beat the Canadians and win hockey’s biggest prize. Niki, now a widow and single mother, strives to coach her country to gold, even as the obstacles against her mount. The locker room seems to have ears, and there are few people Niki and Eva can trust.
Rivals and former lovers on hockey’s biggest stage, will Niki and Eva feel the same spark that first brought them together? And can they win on – and off – the ice with the whole world watching?
Love in the Limelight by Ashley Moore
Narrated by Keira Grace
Bold Strokes Books Inc
Check out my reviews of more titles narrated by Keira Grace
Marion Hargreaves is a Hollywood legend and the finest actress of her generation. She’s navigated her career with aplomb for nearly 30 years by being intensely private about her personal life and her sexuality. But a year on from her third Oscar, nothing seems interesting anymore until she becomes a voice actor for Petunia’s Potion, an animated movie based on her favorite children’s book. That role becomes the challenge of a lifetime when she discovers her costar is the out and proud global pop icon Jessica Carmichael – the woman Marion fell in love with and whose heart she abruptly broke without explanation.
The last thing Marion wants is to work in such close proximity to Jessica. She can’t forgive herself for the way she left but can’t resist the attraction that has only gotten stronger with time. Being true to herself and her passions isn’t going to be easy and may set the stage for love in the limelight.
The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn
Narrated by Paula Nederhorst, Antony Ferguson
Brilliance Audio
In this steamy tale by USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn, an American searching for her purpose escapes to a Scottish town but finds more questions than answers when she meets a brooding yet handsome handyman.
Freshly fired from her third job in a row, Bonnie St. James has lost her way. So when she and her best friend stumble upon a “help wanted” post to run a coffee shop in the Scottish Highlands, they apply on a whim. Who knows? Maybe traveling to a new place is just what she needs to figure out her next move.
When the friends arrive in the tiny idyllic town of Corsekelly, they instantly fall for the gorgeous Highland landscape and friendly townspeople. But Bonnie finds a less-than-warm welcome in Rowan MacGregor, the rugged local handyman. Busy wrestling his own demons, Rowan’s in no mood to deal with the quirky American – even if she is a bonny lass.
As Bonnie and Rowan’s paths inevitably cross, insults – and sparks – fly. Can the pair build on their similarities to help each other find purpose and direction…and maybe romance too? Or will their passionate tempers fling them apart?
Where I Left Her by Amber Garza
Narrated by Vivienne Leheny
Harlequin Audio
Check out my reviews of more titles narrated by Vivienne Leheny
“In this high-tension domestic drama, nothing is as it seems. Don’t look away, you won’t want to miss a thing!” (J.T. Ellison, USA Today best-selling author of Her Dark Lies)
“Garza establishes herself once again as a master of domestic suspense…a pitch-perfect thriller.” (Mindy Mejia, best-selling author of Everything You Want Me to Be)
From the author of When I Was You comes a spine-tingling new thriller about a mother’s worst nightmare come true, when her teenage daughter goes to a sleepover and doesn’t come back.
Whitney had some misgivings when she dropped her increasingly moody teenage daughter, Amelia, off at Lauren’s house. She’d never met the parents, and usually she’d go in, but Amelia clearly wasn’t going to let something so humiliating happen, so instead Whitney waved to her daughter before pulling away from the little house with the roses in front.
But when she goes back the next day, an elderly couple answers the door – Amelia and Lauren aren’t there, and this couple swears they never were, that she’s at the wrong house. As Whitney searches for Amelia, she uncovers a trail of lies her daughter has told her – from the Finsta account to rumors of a secret relationship. Does she really even know this girl she’s raised? And Amelia’s not the only one with secrets. Could Whitney’s own demons have something to do with her daughter’s disappearance, and can Whitney find her before it’s too late?
Iterum Compendium I: Books 1-3 by Michael Sean
Narrated by Robert Fisher, Emily Woo Zeller
Self Published
Check out my reviews of more titles narrated by Emily Woo Zeller
Echoes are the whispers of a forgotten past, slipping from Liam’s grasp like water from cupped hands.
Memories bring unbelievable truths leaving Talia with more questions than answers.
Conspiracies find themselves woven into the otherwise simple objectives of the Iterum Project.
Iterum Compendium I contains the first three novellas in the Iterum series. Dive into a mystery of memory loss, a strange Island, violent locals, and a conspiring mad scientist. Hidden from Orbit is a bonus novella found only in the Iterum Compendium, and explores the journey from an alternate point of view. Iterum Compendium I is the best introduction to the Iterum novella series.
The Introvert’s Guide to Online Dating by Emma Hart
Narrated by Savannah Peachwood, Tim Paige
Dreamscape Media
Check out my reviews of more titles narrated by Tim Paige
With all my best friends off the market, it’s time that I, Tori Sussex, join them. So where better to find my future husband than the internet? It’s great. I get to get all the awkward stuff out of the way and already know if I’m going to like the guy before we meet in person.
It’s a shame nothing’s ever that simple.
My relationship with Colton Lane, my best friend’s brother, is the very definition of complicated – dirty little no-strings-attached hookups we’ve somehow managed to keep secret from all our friends for the past six months. We’re bound to get caught, and if I’m serious about dating, I only have one choice: Call it quits; end our little covert booty calls for good; tell him my parking space is off-limits to him.
It should be easy. It should be simple. And I’m sure it would be…if only I wasn’t in love with him.
A Million Things by Emily Spurr
Narrated by Zenia Starr
Penguin Audio
“An original and impressively assured debut. A gem of a novel.” (Graeme Simsion, New York Times best-selling author of The Rosie Project)
A soaring, heartfelt debut following 55 days in the life of 10-year-old Rae, who must look after herself and her dog when her mother disappears.
For as long as Rae can remember, it’s been her and Mum, and their dog, Splinter; a small, deliberately unremarkable family. They have their walks, their cooking routines, their home. Sometimes Mum disappears for a while to clear her head, but Rae is okay with this because Mum always comes back.
So, when Rae wakes to Splinter’s nose in her face, the back door open, and no Mum, she does as she’s always done and carries on. She tends to the house, goes to school, walks Splinter, and minds her own business – all the while pushing down the truth she isn’t ready to face.
That is, until her grumpy, lonely neighbor Lettie – with her own secrets and sadness – falls one night and needs Rae’s help. As the two begin to rely on each other, Rae’s anxiety intensifies as she wonders what will happen to her when her mother’s absence is finally noticed and her fragile world bursts open.
A Million Things transforms a gut-wrenching story of abandonment and what it’s like to grow up in a house that doesn’t feel safe into an astonishing portrait of resilience, mental health, and the families we make and how they make us in return.
The Atlantis Riddle by Kevin Tumlinson
Narrated by Joe Hempel
OrangeSky Audio
Check out reviews of more audiobooks narrated by Joe Hempel
Dan Kotler is back, and this time he’s tackling one of the oldest mysteries in history.
The second Dan Kotler archaeological thriller!
1914 – Thomas Edison stands and watches his West Orange laboratory burn to the ground, taking his life’s work with it. And he smiles. In his pocket is a stone that is the key to untold mysteries, and with it, he will start fresh, and create wonders beyond any of his previous work.
1974 – Two US Army Special Forces officers uncover a lockbox filled with invaluable enemy intelligence that can turn the tide of the Vietnam conflict. Among the papers and maps is another stone, nearly identical to Edison’s. With this, the two officers will build a financial empire, corrupt to its core but powerful enough to elude even the FBI.
Two stones, found 60 years apart, and both holding clues to what may be the lost city of Atlantis.
Today – Dan Kotler, independent researcher and archaeologist, is winding down from the events surrounding the theft and recovery of the Coelho Medallion, and discovering that the fallout of this history-altering adventure reaches further than he’d imagined. As academic colleagues shun him and the press hounds him, Kotler finds himself looking for a new purpose.
When Gail McCarthy, granddaughter of one of Manhattan’s wealthiest real estate moguls, brings an ancient stone to Kotler’s attention, he finds himself embroiled once again in intrigue, jeopardy, and mystery. This time he may uncover one of history’s oldest secrets – if he survives long enough.
Working with his friend from the FBI, Agent Roland Denzel, Kotler strikes out on a quest to uncover and solve the Atlantis riddle, and once again rewrite history as we know it.
The Devil’s Interval by Kevin Tumlinson
Narrated by Joe Hempel
OrangeSky Audio
Check out reviews of more audiobooks narrated by Joe Hempel
The third Dan Kotler archaeological thriller!
As new technology, based on forbidden historic research, emerges, it quickly turns from hope for millions to a potential threat to billions.
Famed rock-star-turned-philanthropist Ashton Mink is murdered in his Manhattan high-rise apartment, leaving behind the words “Devil’s Interval” as the only clue to the killer’s identify or motives.
Dan Kotler, archeologist and consultant with the FBI’s new Historic Crimes Division, and Agent Roland Denzel, of the FBI, are called to the scene of Mink’s murder, and asked to help in the investigation. What they discover is a secret project, based on the research of historic figures such as Sir Isaac Newton, that could alter the course of history and enslave humanity.
Devil’s Interval is a technology so dangerous it was buried twice, only to return and endanger humanity again.
With the assistance of New York Police Detective Peter Holden, Kotler and Denzel embark on another adventure, racing against the clock to solve Mink’s murder, recover stolen technology, and prevent an act of terrorism against all of humanity.
