Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks from the First Half of 2025

On July 22, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List13 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday required participants to list their favourite books that take place in a setting of their choosing. While this is an interesting idea, and one I might come back to later, I’m instead going to continue my recent trend of discussing books from the first half of the year and highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of 2025. This is a continuation of my Top Ten list from a couple of weeks ago that featured my favourite overall novels from the first half of 2025.

I have a great deal of love for the audiobook format, and it is one of the main ways that I tend to check out books. Each year I enjoy a great number of different audiobooks and use the format to enjoy both recent releases and older novels. I have long been a major fan of audiobooks, and it is amazing the various ways in which listening to a book can enhance your enjoyment. A great audiobook can really bring you into the story, and I find that listening to a book enhances the amount of detail that you can take in. In addition, other features, such as captivating voices, music and sound effects can really make an audiobook something special, and there some great examples of the format I have enjoyed throughout my life. This year alone I have listened to a ton of outstanding audiobooks, includes some of my favourite books from early 2025. Because I love this format so much, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of the year.

To pull this list off I had a look at all the 2025 releases that I listened to on audiobook to figure out my favourites. It turns out that I have already gone through quite a few this year so there was a large collection of potential additions to this list, which I was eventually able to whittle it down to the best ten audiobooks. There is a bit of a crossover with my previous Favourite Books from the First Half of 2025 list, but I think there are enough new additions to make this list worthwhile. I made sure to feature only the very best audiobooks on this list, and, in addition to the quality of the baseline novel, I also looked at audiobook production and narration. This includes whether the audiobook has outstanding narration or uses music and sound effects to enhance the plot. Keeping these criteria in mind, I came up with the following strong Top Ten List and associated Honourable Mentions, and all the audiobooks listed below were exceptional listens that come very highly recommended by this blog.

Honourable Mentions:

Warhammer 40,000: Fulgrim: The Perfect Son, written by Jude Reid and narrated by Andrew James Spooner

An excellent and intense Warhammer 40,000 novel perfectly brought to life by narrator Andrew James Spooner.

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Grave Danger, written by James Grippando and narrated by Jonathan Davis

James Grippando continues his fantastic Jack Swyteck legal thriller series, with the audiobook well presented by the always impressive Jonathan Davis

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Badlands, written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and narrated by Cynthia Farrell

Cynthia Farrell ensures this new dark thriller from the legendary team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child really shines with her outstanding narration.

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Warhammer 40,000: Leontus: Lord Solar, written by Rob Young and narrated by David Seddon

A short, but very sweet Warhammer 40,000 audiobook that really pops when read out.

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Top Ten List:

The Devils, written by Joe Abercrombie and narrated by Steven Pacey

Let’s start this list off with one of my top books and audiobooks of the year, The Devils by the master of grim dark fantasy fiction, Joe Abercrombie. An incredible and highly entertaining novel that sees a group of monsters attempt to place a street thief on the throne of Troy in a clever, alternate medieval Europe setting, The Devils was a particularly fun, bloody and compelling novel I couldn’t get enough of, especially on audiobook. Thanks to one of my favourite audiobook narrators, Steven Pacey, The Devils was so much fun to listen to as Pacey perfectly embodied the entire crazy cast of this book. Highly recommended, you are in for an epic time listening to The Devils.

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Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City, written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Toby Longworth

Unsurprisingly to anyone who knows me, I have a Warhammer 40,000 audiobook on this list with Interceptor City. The long-awaited sequel to Dan Abnett’s classic novel, Double Eagle, Interceptor City was a gritty and enthralling science fiction war story that saw fighter pilots battle it out amongst the massive ruins of a fallen Hive City. A powerful and action-packed novel, Interceptor City becomes even more epic when read out by long-time Warhammer narrator Toby Longworth, who expertly showcases the intense, claustrophobic aeronautic combat sequences. I honestly could have listened to another 20 hours of Interceptor City, and there is no better way to enjoy this epic read.

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Burn to Shine, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

The dream team of Jonathan Maberry and Ray Porter continues to produce incredible audiobooks, this time with the gripping thriller Burn to Shine. The fourth book in Maberry’s Rogue Team International series (Rage, Relentless and Cave 13), Burn to Shine was another exciting read that pitted the protagonists against high-tech and supernatural threats from their past. Maberry writes an excellent story for this book, and Ray Porter once again effortlessly brings the complex characters and dark tone to life with his narration. A deeply impressive listen from two amazing creatives.

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Sunrise on the Reaping, written by Suzanne Collins and narrated by Jefferson White

One of the more impressive audiobooks I listened to in 2025 was the new Hunger Games novel, Sunrise on the Reaping. Suzanne Collins cleverly revisited her iconic world with a fantastic prequel novel focused around one of her best characters Haymitch Abernathy. This amazing book really hit the readers hard, and I found myself enjoying it even more thanks to the impressive audiobook narration of actor Jefferson White. White proved to be a perfect narrator for a young Haymitch, and I got deeply engrossed in this audiobook thanks to his fantastic voice work. An exceptional audiobook guaranteed to break your heart.

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Midnight Black, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder

The latest Gray Man audiobook from Mark Greaney proved to be an exceptional piece of entertainment for a long road trip, and I really got engrossed in this gripping thriller while driving around the United States. Once again narrated by Jay Snyder, Midnight Black’s compelling tale of desperation and imprisonment proved to be particularly addictive and constantly exciting, and I couldn’t stop listening to this book at times as I waited to see how everything came together. An impressive new audiobook entry in one of my favourite spy thriller series.

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Four Ruined Realms, written by Mai Corland and narrated by various

One of the first audiobooks of 2025 I listened to this year was the awesome fantasy novel, Four Ruined Realms. The sequel to Mai Corland’s 2024 novel, Five Broken Blades, Four Ruined Realms had a great story that sent the author’s lethal protagonists to an enemy nation to complete a desperate heist mission, with everything and everyone they love on the line. Not only was this a great fantasy story, but the Four Ruined Realms audiobook once again came across as an incredible listen thanks to it’s six outstanding narrators. Jaine Ye, Sophie Oda, Greg Chun, Zion Jang, Roger Yeh and Donald Chang each excelled at narrating the perspective chapters of one of the book’s protagonists, and I like their unique take on each of the characters. Thanks to these six talented narrators, Four Ruined Realms was a real joy to listen to, and this proved to be a great second entry in the Broken Blades series. I’m planning to listen to the recently released third and final book in the trilogy, Three Shattered Souls, on audiobook soon and it’s going to be an outstanding listen, even with one of the narrators stepping away after the tragic ending to Four Ruined Realms.

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Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear, written by Alexander Freed and narrated by January Lavoy

This year Alexander Freed presented the start of a cool new Star Wars trilogy that aimed to show the early days of Emperor Palpatine’s rule and the steps that would lead some key figures to rebellion. The first book in this trilogy, The Mask of Fear, was a compelling and complex read that examined politics and lies in the Star Wars universe. Thanks to the narration of January Lavoy, as well as the cool music and sound effects Star Wars audiobooks are known for, The Mask of Fear proved to a particularly impactful listen, and there is really no better way to enjoy this novel.

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Never Flinch, written by Stephen King and narrated by Jessie Mueller

Stephen King continues to impress in 2025 with his new and particularly powerful thriller, Never Flinch. Bringing back one of his more unique protagonists, Holly Gibney, Never Flinch was a dark and captivating novel of obsession, addiction and murder, that frankly was impossible to stop listening to. Narrator Jessie Mueller was particularly impressive, and I love her outstanding take on the story, as well as her excellent character voices. Easily one of the best books of 2025 that really comes to life on audiobook.

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Open Season, written by Jonathan Kellerman and narrated by John Rubinstein

Another great murder mystery I was lucky enough to enjoy on audiobook this year was Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman. The 40^th book in Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series, Open Season was an outstanding and powerful novel that saw the team of a skilled psychologist and a veteran detective hunt a dangerous killer with a sinister motive. I really enjoyed the awesome audiobook of Open Season, which I powered through on a plane ride, and frankly I couldn’t stop listening to this book at times. Long-time Alex Delaware narrator John Rubinstein was once again amazing in Open Season, and I love his fantastic take on all the characters, including the main detective. Thrilling, exciting and very clever, Open Season was a great audiobook that comes highly recommended.

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Days of Shattered Faith, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by David Thorpe

The final audiobook I want to highlight on this list is Days of Shattered Faith, which I enjoyed early in the year. The third book in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Tyrant Philosopher series, Days of Shattered Faith continued to explore the author’s unique fantasy world where a dangerous empire of perfection-seeking fanatics conquers everything through various despicable, and often repurposed, means. This latest book was an incredible novel of diplomacy, clashing cultures and subtle wars, and I loved the varied storylines explored within. Narrator David Thorpe does an excellent job bringing this varied cast to life, while also capturing Tchaikovsky’s unique tone, and the result was a truly awesome listen that I deeply enjoyed. A wonderful new audiobook entry in one of Tchaikovsky’s best series.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest list. As you can see, there have been some very good audiobooks out in the first half of 2025. It will be interesting to see which books make the cut later in the year, especially as I currently have several major 2025 audiobooks currently sitting on my phone, waiting to be listened to. While I get to that, make sure to let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2025 so far are in the comments below.

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman

On June 1, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Murder Mystery2 Comments

Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio (6 February 2025)

Series: Alex Delaware – Book 40

Length: 9 hours and 10 minutes

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Still going strong after 40 Alex Delaware crime fiction novels, the always dependable Jonathan Kellerman presents another clever and captivating read with Open Season, an intense novel that proves very hard to put down.

Jonathan Kellerman is an excellent veteran author, whose massive body of work has been impressing crime fiction readers for decades. While he has a couple of big series, Kellerman is best known for his long-running Alex Delaware series, which follows titular protagonist Alex Delaware, a child psychologist, and his best friend, LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis as they investigate unusual or deranged murders around Los Angeles. This is a really great series, and ever since I came across it, I’ve made a major effort to read each new entry, especially as they also provide some great mysteries and complex police investigation narratives. Books like (The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead, Unnatural History and The Ghost Orchid), have all been extremely amazing, and I eagerly await my new Alex Delaware hit at the start of each year. The latest entry in the series, Open Season, is the 40^th Alex Delaware novel, with Kellerman still going strong this far into the series.

Los Angeles is filled with all manner of dreamers and aspiring stars, but when one of them meets a tragic end, it falls to psychologist Alex Delaware and veteran homicide detective Milo Sturgis to find them justice. Called in to investigate the dumping of an aspiring actress’s drugged body near a hospital emergency room, Alex and Milo soon set their sights on a known abuser as a likely culprit. However, their hunt is prematurely ended when their suspect is found murdered, shot by a sniper.

Forced to switch to a new investigation, the two friends and their team are surprised to discover that the execution of the sexual predator is connected to two other unsolved homicides, with both additional victims shot from a distance using the same rifle. Determined to figure out how the cases are linked, the team uncover a web of seemingly unconnected innocent victims, each of whom appeared to have been killed for very different reasons.

With additional bodies starting to pile up around the city, Alex and Milo find themselves in a race to solve the case before more victims can be cut down. But are they facing a dangerous spree killer with no rhyme or reason to their actions, or a darker figure with their own complex rationales for murder? To solve the case and stop the shooter, these two friends will need to use all their combined skills to decipher their strange motivation before even more people wind up dead.

Jonathan Kellerman continues to deeply impress with this new addictive and captivating crime fiction novel that I couldn’t get another off. Featuring another brilliant and unique case, Open Season was an exceptional 40^th entry in the Alex Delaware series that takes the reader down some dark and twisty paths. This was a truly excellent read that I powered through in a very short amount of time.

Open Season was a particularly strong murder mystery from Kellerman, and I loved the compelling, multi-layered narrative that emerged. Once again bringing together his two loveable main characters, Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis, the two initially begin the book by investigating the murder of a young aspiring actress, drugged and dumped near a hospital. Starting off with the typical look at the victim and anyone who knew her, the detectives are quick to narrow in on a suspect, only for the story to take an interesting turn when their potential killer ends up dead. From there the story becomes a lot more complex, as the protagonists and a larger team begin to investigate the shooting of the first suspect, as well as several connected crimes. This allows for a larger story with a ton of distinctive potential witnesses and suspects, and the protagonists investigate in several different directions, adding a lot of different pieces to the puzzle.

Thanks to a series of varied clues, compelling research and additional discovered killings, the protagonists eventual narrow down on a potential suspect with interesting connections to each of the victims. Without giving too much away, I felt that the overall solution for Open Season’s investigation was very clever, and it nicely tied into each of the victims/cases that make up the larger mystery. The motivations for the killer were very unique and memorable, so it proved quite fascinating to see how the protagonists identified the antagonist and led to a great conclusion to the overall story. I particularly enjoyed the final confrontation that the protagonists had with the killer towards the end of the book, and it wrapped the story up perfectly. An overall excellent murder mystery narrative that will have you hooked all the way to the end.

I deeply enjoy Kellerman’s style for the Alex Delaware books and he really knows how to pull together a fascinating and intense police investigation narrative. The author prefers a slow and methodical style of investigation as the protagonists pull together various clues and connections and work them into their various theories, which always adds a great touch of realism to proceedings. There is a particular reliance on diving into the personal histories of the victims and suspects that Kellerman enjoys, which works to drag the reader further into the plot as they become even more invested in the investigations. I felt that Kellerman’s typical style worked particularly well in Open Season, and I loved the complex investigation that emerged. The multiple separate murders and the large array of connected people associated with each case allowed for a particularly elaborate story, and Kellerman carefully allowed his protagonists to explore these different elements allowing for compelling drive to the big conclusion around who was responsible. I felt that Kellerman did an excellent job layering the more important clues around the case throughout the entire story, and it was very interesting to see what discussions or personal details came into play later. I really got invested in Open Season’s complex case as a result, and this proved to be a particularly clever and well written mystery that deeply enhanced Kellerman’s already excellent story.

In addition to the very well-written story, Kellerman features some interesting characters and interactions in Open Season that help to create a unique feel that fans of the Alex Delaware series will be very familiar with. Much of this lies with the two main characters, Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis, who have an established and comfortable way of speaking with each other. These two characters, both of whom are quirky in their own ways, are an excellent centre for the story, and I love how well the play off each other. While their dialogue can be a little unique and occasionally flippant, Kellerman has spent a lot of time developing their patter, and you grow to appreciate the way these two characters work together. In addition to their usual discussions, Open Season also had some more personal interactions between the two, especially when Alex is forced to keep some information from the team to protect the confidence of a medical professional. I also liked how this was one of the Alex Delaware novels where the protagonist got to use his expertise as a psychologist to try to get to the root of the various suspects potential motivations. This psychological work comes into play nicely, especially once they identify who the killer is, and it helped to give Open Season more of a distinctive edge away from other crime fiction reads.

While most of Open Season’s focus is on Alex and Milo, Kellerman also introduces an array of interesting supporting characters, each of whom are connected to the case in some specific way. I really enjoyed the unique collection of characters that emerged, and there are some interesting storylines and connections that emerge thanks to the protagonists constant digging into the past. The characters that get the most attention are some of the victims of the case, whose lives are explored in detail by the detectives. Despite not interacting with the protagonists or readers while alive, you get to know all the victims thanks to interviews with their friends and families. These many detailed interviews not only provide key information about who the victims are and potential motivations for their murders, but they also provide compelling and emotional testimony from those that loved them, which ensures that the reader becomes very invested in finding out who killed them. You also meet a compelling group of people connected to the victims, who serve as witnesses, sources of information or suspects (sometimes all at once) in the case. Due to the nature of Open Season’s story, you meet quite a few supporting characters, often for only a scene or two. Kellerman makes these appearances count, though, and I liked some of the unique interactions that occurred, even if some of these characters were a little weird or had an unrealistic way of communicating. The eventually revealed killer was particularly outrageous when eventually revealed, which I personally thought was very entertaining, although I could see some readers finding him to be too over-the-top. Still, all these characters added something to the plot, and I enjoyed the effective way in which Kellerman introduced and utilised them throughout the book.

While I usually try to get physical copies of the Alex Delaware novels, for Open Season I ended up listening to the audiobook version, which I felt was an excellent way to enjoy this amazing book. I personally find that the audiobook format does wonders for helping readers appreciate detailed and multilayered crime fiction narratives and Open Season was a great example of this, as I soon got drawn into every level of the author’s compelling mystery. Part of the reason this worked so well was narrator John Rubinstein, who has lent his voice to a large chunk of the Alex Delaware series. Rubinstein has a fun voice that lends itself to the occasionally zanier style of the Alex Delaware books and really brings the author’s complex narratives to life. I especially enjoy how Rubinstein perfectly captures the characters featured in Open Season, including the main protagonists, Alex and Milo. A great example of this is the very distinctive voice that Rubinstein utilises for Milo, which really captures the man’s complex and entertaining nature, and frankly I don’t know any other way how this character could be voiced. The narrator also successfully captures the distinctive patter that the two main protagonists have between each other, and the way conversation flows between them in the audiobook is a ton of fun. The various other characters featured with Open Season are also well represented, and I loved the colourful array of voices and accents that Rubinstein utilises for the supporting cast and various witnesses that protagonists encounter. While a few of these voices are a little over-the-top, I personally liked them, and I felt it fit the long-running and distinctive series tone extremely well. This exceptional narration allowed me to absolutely power through Open Season’s roughly nine-hour long run time, and I had such a blast picking up every single clue or compelling character interaction in this format. As such, I would strongly recommend the audiobook version of Open Season to anyone interested in checking this mystery out, and I can personally guarantee it makes for great entertainment on a long trip.

Even after all these years, Jonathan Kellerman still shines as one of the masters of the crime fiction genre. The 40^th Alex Delaware novel, Open Season, was an outstanding addition to the series, and I love the compelling and awesome narrative that emerged. Slick, addictive and featuring some interesting twists, Open Season was a truly impressive read, and I am still having so much fun with Jonathan Kellerman’s incredible books.

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Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks from the First Half of 2021

On July 27, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List13 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week is Books I’d Want With Me While Stranded on a Deserted Island, but I am going to do something a little different and instead look at my favourite audiobooks from the first half of 2021. This is a continuation of my Top Ten list from a few weeks ago that featured my favourite overall novels from the first half of 2021.

People familiar with my blog will know that I have a great deal of love for the audiobook format, and it is one of the main ways that I tend to check out books. Each year I enjoy a great number of different audiobooks and use the format to check out recent releases and older novels. I have been enjoying audiobooks for years, and it is amazing the various ways in which listening to a book can enhance your enjoyment. A great narrator can really bring you into the story, and I find that listening to a book enhances the amount of detail that you can take in. In addition, other features, such as great voices, music and sound effects can really make an audiobook something special, and there some great examples of that out there. This year alone I have listened to several outstanding audiobooks, includes some of my favourite books from early 2021. Because I love this format so much, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of the year.

To pull this list off I had a look at all the 2021 releases that I listened to on audiobook to figure out my favourites. It turns out that I have already gone through quite a few this year so there was a very large collection of potential additions to this list. I was eventually able to whittle it down to the ten audiobooks I consider to be the best, as well as a generous honourable mention section. There is a bit of a crossover with my previous Favourite Books from the First Half of 2021 list, but I think there are enough new additions to make this list worthwhile. I did prioritise audiobook production and narration over story in a few places, as outstanding narration or use of music and sound effects can enhance the plot. That is why so many Star Wars novels made this list, because they are awesome productions, which are really worth checking out. I am pretty happy with how the overall list turned out and I think that the below entries really highlight what my favourite audiobooks are.

Honourable Mentions:

The Coward, written by Stephen Aryan and narrated by Matt Wycliffe

Serpentine, written by Jonathan Kellerman and narrated by John Rubinstein

Prodigal Son, written by Gregg Hurwitz and narrated by Scott Brick

The Girl and the Mountain, written by Mark Lawrence and narrated by Helen Duff

Top Ten List (No Particular Order):

The Two-Faced Queen, written by Nick Martell and narrated by Joe Jameson

One of my favourite books of the year, The Two-Faced Queen, is easily one of the best audiobooks as well. There were actually two separate audiobook versions of this book, and I chose to go with the Joe Jameson version, since he previously narrated Martell’s debut novel, The Kingdom of Liars. I am a big fan of Jameson, especially after his work on books such as King of Assassins by R. J. Barker, and he did another amazing job on this book. The Two-Faced Queen audiobook is an excellent and addictive listen, and I would wholeheartedly recommend this format to anyone wanting to enjoy this awesome five-star novel.

Star Wars: Victory’s Price, written by Alexander Freed and narrated by January LaVoy

Earlier this year, impressive author Alexander Freed finished off his Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron series with Victory’s Price, and in the process created one of the best books of 2021. This audiobook massively enhances the already incredible and moving narrative within this exceptional novel, utilising outstanding voice work from January LaVoy, as well as the iconic Star Wars score and sound effects. Easily one of best audiobooks of the year.

Relentless, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder

One of the leading authors of spy thrillers, Mark Greaney, produced another intense and exciting novel this year with Relentless. Thanks to some excellent voice work from Jay Snyder, the Relentless audiobook was pretty damn impressive, and you are in for a real treat with this exhilarating novel.

Star Wars: Light of the Jedi, written by Charles Soule and narrated by Marc Thompson

Another outstanding Star Wars audiobook was Light of the Jedi, the introductory novel in the new High Republic range. Just like Victory’s Price, Light of the Jedi makes full use of the Star Wars music and effects to produce a fantastic listen. However, Light of the Jedi also features the incredible voice work of Marc Thompson, one of the best narrators utilised by the Star Wars franchise. Thompson produces a raft of great voices to highlight the new characters featured within this novel and it was really fun to hear him tell this story. Thompson is lending his vocal talents to several other outstanding Star Wars audiobooks this year, including the latest High Republic novel, The Rising Storm, which is another great audiobook to check out.

The Shadow of the Gods, written by John Gwynne and narrated by Colin Mace

After hearing some incredible things about the latest John Gwynne novel, I ended up checking out The Shadow of the Gods on audiobook. Not only was this book one of the absolute best fantasy releases of 2021 but the audiobook format was pretty damn exceptional. Colin Mace’s voice really fit the dark fantasy setting and he really dives into the complex characters to highlight their deeper feelings and hidden rages. An impressive and captivating listen.

Later, written by Stephen King and narrated by Seth Numrich

I was deeply impressed earlier this year when I checked out the audiobook format of the latest Stephen King novel, Later. Outstanding new narrator Seth Numrich really dives into this excellent novel, and I had a wonderful and freaky time getting through this fantastic audiobook.

The Bone Maker, written by Sarah Beth Durst and narrated by Soneela Nankani

I had an absolute blast listening to the latest great fantasy novel from Sarah Beth Durst, The Bone Maker, especially as narrator Soneela Nankani does a great job bringing the novel’s damaged protagonists to life.

Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: The Greater Good, written by Timothy Zahn and narrated by Marc Thompson

The final Star Wars audiobook on this list is the second Thrawn Ascendancy entry, The Greater Good. Thompson once again lends his incredible voice to this great book, bringing the unique characters to life. However, his best work is reserved for main character Grand Admiral Thrawn, as Thompson perfectly replicates the character’s voice from the Star Wars Rebels animated series. This makes for a complex and powerful audiobook, and I loved every second I spent listening to it.

Colonyside, written by Michael Mammay and narrated by R. C. Bray

One of the fastest rising science fiction authors, Michael Mammay, continued to impress earlier this year with Colonyside, the third entry in the Planetside series, which was another awesome read. You really need to listen to this novel’s audiobook format, as narrator R. C. Bray brings a certain necessary gruffness and fun to the central character. An amazing book to listen to!

The Mask of Mirrors, written by M. A. Carrick and narrated by Nikki Massoud

The final entry on this list is the great fantasy novel, The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick. The Mask of Mirrors is a particularly fun and intriguing read, and I found myself really drawn to its audiobook format. This is mainly because of narrator Nikki Massoud, who strategically utilises a fantastic range of voices and accents to turn this amazing book into an incredible listening experience.

That is the end of my latest list. As you can see, I have a pretty typical Unseen Library Top Ten List (I’ve got to fit in as many Star Wars novels as possible), but I really do think this represents all of my absolute favourite audiobooks from the first part of 2021. All of the above audiobooks come highly recommended, and in my opinion, the audiobook format really enhances all of these great reads. Let me know what your favourite 2021 audiobooks are in the comments below, and I look forward to seeing which of the above make my Top Audiobooks of 2021 list later this year.

Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman

On April 21, 2021February 27, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, LGBT+, Murder Mystery20 Comments

Serpentine Cover

Publisher: Random House Audio (Audiobook – 2 February 2021)

Series: Alex Delaware – Book 36

Length: 12 hours and 10 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Amazon Book Depository

One of the leading stars of the murder mystery genre, Jonathan Kellerman, returns with the latest entry in his long-running Alex Delaware series, Serpentine.

For years LAPD detective Lieutenant Milo Sturgis has tended to do things his own way in the department. Thanks to his impressive solve rate and his unique and successful partnership with his best friend, psychologist Alex Delaware, Milo has been able to crack some of the toughest murder cases that the department has come up across while managing to avoid the lows of office politics. However, not even Milo is able to withstand pressure from the very top of the LAPD, so when an extremely wealthy businesswoman wants help from the department’s best, Milo is forced to work an impossible case.

The businesswoman, young entrepreneur Eleanor Barker, wants closure over the death of her mother, a mysterious woman who was found dead decades ago in a torched Cadillac with a bullet in her head. Despite their reservations over the way the case was assigned to them, Milo is determined to do the best job possible, and with Alex’s help he begins his investigation. However, with no evidence, no case file, no witnesses and no real idea about their victim’s past or origins, their chances of success seem slim.

Forced to look for answers in some unusual places, Milo and Alex are slowly able to pull together a picture of the events surrounding the death of Eleanor’s mother. However, the more they dig, the more unusual coincidences begin to arise as what they discover deviates massively from the established facts. It soon becomes apparent that there is far more to this case than was initially believed and that someone out there is determined to stop any investigation into this brutal murder. Can Milo and Alex solve their most difficult case yet, or will a cunning killer continue to remain free?

Well, that was a pretty cool murder mystery! Serpentine is the 36^th entry in Jonathan Kellerman’s amazing Alex Delaware series, which has been running since 1985. I am a relative newcomer to Kellerman’s work, having only stumbled onto series when I read his 34^th book, The Wedding Guest, back in 2019. I had an excellent time reading The Wedding Guest and the loved the authors distinctive writing style and ability to weave together a great mystery. I enjoyed it so much I ended up checking out Kellerman’s next book, the 2020 release The Museum of Desire, which contained an impressive murder case and ended up being another amazing read. As a result, I have been very keen to check out Kellerman’s latest book for a while now and I have to say that I was very pleased with how awesome Serpentine turned out to be.

I ended up absolutely powering through this latest Alex Delaware novel, especially once I got hooked on its exceptional and impressive murder mystery narrative. Kellerman came up with an amazing narrative for this novel that proved to be particularly captivating right off the bat as his two established protagonists become embroiled in a seemingly impossible-to-solve case. Forced to dig around in the past, the protagonists slowly determine the events surrounding the old murder via odd bits of evidence and a range of interesting witnesses. While the investigative process is quite fun to see, Kellerman has also thrown a ton of fantastic twists into the story, ensuring that the reader has no idea how the mystery is going to unfold. I love some of the unique directions that the author took this compelling case and I was impressed with some of the clever reveals that he chucked in, especially as they were set up beautifully and added some fantastic surprises to the plot. While I did think that the book concluded rather rapidly and some storylines could have been wrapped up a little better, this was still an exceptional narrative which I deeply enjoyed.

Easily my favourite thing about the Alex Delaware novels is the great way that the author portrays the ongoing investigation. Kellerman always ensures that his investigations extremely realistic and as a result his protagonists always engage in a methodical examination of the sources, slowly gaining the information they need and building up connections and discovering any inconsistencies. A lot of their evidence is obtained through discussions with potential witnesses, colleagues and experts, and there may be multiple conversations with various persons of interest to find out different nuggets of information. This then results in the main characters throwing out theories about what potentially happened and basing their future investigative directions on the most promising clues. This manner of investigation proves to be very different to other crime fiction novels I have read, and I really enjoy this more realistic portrayal of how police could solve a difficult case, especially as the author works in time delays for evidence analysis, unreliable witnesses and colleagues, and lack of resources. I particularly enjoyed the investigation featured within Serpentine as it forces the protagonists to solve a murder that occurred over 30 years previously. As a result, the characters lack any sort of evidence, useful witnesses, or previous investigations to help them find the killer, and they are forced to utilise more creative methods to find information or track down anyone who has the slightest idea of who the victim was or what happened to them. This extremely cold case was a fantastic part of Serpentine’s plot and it proved to be deeply fascinating to see how he envisioned detectives solving this sort of investigation. I loved this realistic and methodical portrayal of a murder investigation and it really made Serpentine stand out as a fantastic crime fiction novel.

I also must highlight the outstanding two lead characters who form the heart of Serpentine, and indeed the entire series, titular protagonist Alex Delaware and LAPD detective Milo Sturgis. Alex and Milo are a fantastic pair of crime-fighting protagonists who have taken on some extremely tricky murders during their partnership. Both characters bring a lot to the novel. Alex is the more serious of the two. As a clinical child psychologist with a head for mysteries, Alex can provide some intriguing insights into the minds of the victims, witnesses, and potential suspects, which provide new insight into their cases. Milo on the other hand is the food-loving, cynical veteran cop who works the hard grind of a LAPD detective. While I enjoy both characters, Milo is easily my favourite due to his constant wise cracks, the author’s tasteful portrayal of the character as a homosexual LAPD lieutenant, and his somewhat maverick cop persona. Alex is also quite fun, especially as his psychological insights have a basis in the author’s own training as a psychologist, and I liked his constant clever quips about the situations they encounter. The real joy of these two characters, however, is the way they work together. These two make an amazing team, especially as they have become close best friends who are able to work together perfectly in sync. I loved the way these two were able to work together to solve crimes, and their innate teamwork and friendship is a fantastic centre of the book’s story. I also enjoyed the way the two characters play off each other throughout the story, as their personalities and unique sense of humour really gel together well and produce a lot of fun jokes and moments. Overall, I had an amazing time following Alex and Milo through another excellent book, and I cannot wait to see what crazy case they encounter next time.

To check out Serpentine I grabbed a copy of its audiobook format, which was narrated by John Rubinstein. This audiobook, which has a run time of just over 12 hours, ended up being an amazing way to enjoy this fantastic book and I powered through it in no time at all, especially once I got caught up in the outstanding mystery. Rubinstein, whose has previously lent his voice to a great collection of crime fiction novels, including previous Alex Delaware audiobooks, did an outstanding job narrating this novel, and I felt that he moved the story along at a fast and enjoyable pace which really captured the audience’s attention. I also rather enjoyed the various voices that he utilised throughout Serpentine, as each character was given their own unique voice, which I felt fit their respective personality perfectly. I really loved the voice that Rubinstein uses for Milo in particular, as it just screams veteran cop, and it really helped enhance how much I enjoyed this already awesome character. As a result, I would strongly recommended Serpentine’s audiobook to anyone interested in checking out this book and listeners are in for a good time with this format.

Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman is another impressive and clever addition to the great Alex Delaware series. This latest book features a complex and captivating murder mystery investigation which forces Kellerman’s fantastic and lovable protagonists to dive back into the past and solve an intriguing cold case. Full of several outstanding twists around Kellerman’s latest compelling case, Serpentine has an incredible story and readers are going to have an amazing time unwinding this great mystery. I deeply enjoyed this fantastic novel, and this might be the best Alex Delaware novel I have read so far. Highly recommended.

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The Wedding Guest by Jonathan Kellerman

On March 3, 2019February 27, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, LGBT+, Murder Mystery24 Comments

The Wedding Guest Cover.jpg

Publisher: Random House Audio (Audiobook Format – 5 February 2019)

Series: Alex Delaware – Book 34

Length: 12 hours 20 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman returns with the 34^th book in his long-running Alex Delaware crime series, The Wedding Guest, a clever and captivating murder mystery.

It is the couple’s big day, an elaborate wedding ending with a ‘Saints and Sinners’ themed reception in a former Los Angles strip club. The only thing that could upstage the happy couple is the discovery of a well-dressed murder victim hidden in one of the club’s bathrooms. None of the guests claim to know who the victim is, and she appears to have crashed the wedding without anyone noticing.

Psychologist Alex Delaware is called onto the case by his friend Detective Milo Sturgis. With no obvious suspects at the wedding, Alex and Milo not only have to find out who the murderer is but also the identity of the victim. As they slowly build up a picture of the events that led up to the murder, the investigators soon discover that this not the first time that the murderer has struck, and his is still at large in the city.

Kellerman is an extremely prolific and skilled crime fiction author, who has been writing books for over 30 years. His first book, When the Bough Breaks, was released in 1985 and was the first book in his main body of work, the Alex Delaware series. In addition to huge number of books in his main series, Kellerman has also written three shorter series: the Petra Connor series, the Jacob Lev series and the Clay Edison series. The latter two series he wrote with his son, Jesse Kellerman. In addition, he has also written several standalone novels, including two with his wife, Faye Kellerman, and several nonfiction books reflecting his career as an actual clinical psychologist.

As mentioned above, this is the 34^th book in the Alex Delaware series, and I was a bit uncertain how easy it would be to come into this series this far in, having not previously read any of Kellerman’s books before. Luckily, I found that The Wedding Guest was extremely accessible to new readers to the series as there were only minimal throwaway references to the previous books or cases that the main characters were involved in. The author instead dives straight into the mystery and builds up his story from scratch. The focus is on the main case, with only a brief look at the protagonist’s personal life, and as a result there is very little need to dive back into the series’ previous investigations. I ended up really enjoying The Wedding Guest and thought it was an excellent piece of crime fiction.

The standout part of this book has to be the central investigation into the murder of the unexpected guest at the wedding. The overall case is compelling, and I found myself getting pretty hooked on the story and trying to work out who the killer is, especially as the case expands further out. Kellerman has a very interesting murder mystery writing style. Rather than creating a fast-paced mystery that has the investigators barrelling from one massive clue to the next, Kellerman keeps the investigation within The Wedding Guest at a much slower and more realistic pace. The investigators are forced to wait for test results and for technicians and coroners to get back to the office, and most of their investigation involves meeting and questioning people of interest. The whole process is a lot more methodical that other crime fiction books I have read; it has a much more realistic investigative timeline. The author has a very detailed orientating writing style, recording a large amount of details about the suspects, their possessions and the locations they are found in, so much so that you expect any of these details to become relevant at a later point in the text. I loved how realistic the investigation came across, from the timelines and issues that real-life detectives would experience, to the impact of chance or coincidence on solving a case and the use of modern-day technology, such as social media or internet searches, to obtain information on suspects. The case as a whole was deeply captivating, and my curiosity about who had committed the crime kept me deeply enthralled within The Wedding Guest.

This book is very character based, as the story focuses deeply on the lives of a huge range of secondary characters, most of whom are suspects, witnesses or victims of the crimes being convicted. Through his protagonists, Kellerman dives into the lives of these characters, finding out surprising details and issues that may or may not have some impact on the case. As a result, the reader is quite exposed to these secondary characters, in some way more so than some of the protagonists investigating the case. Many of the characters who are suspects are fairly duplicitous or unlikeable in some way or another, making it rather easy for the readers to dislike them and see them as reasonable suspects for the murder. In contrast to these interesting but deceitful characters are the main protagonists, Alex and Milo. I loved the fun friendship between these two characters. Who would have thought that a psychologist and a homosexual police detective would make for such an entertaining and enjoyable tandem?

In addition to the fantastic mystery and intriguing characters, this book contains a number of other great story elements for the reader to enjoy. This includes the fantastic and detailed descriptions of the city of Los Angles. Kellerman, a near life-long resident of the city of Los Angles, does an outstanding job of portraying the various components of city, and there is obvious affection for its many nuances and its inhabitants’ ways of life. I also liked the psychological inclusions with The Wedding Guest. The main character, Alex Delaware, is a child psychologist who assists with the police investigations and provides analyses of the suspects and the murderer. While the psychological elements within The Wedding Guest are somewhat less prominent than in some of the other books in the series, such as the first book, When the Bough Breaks, it is still deeply fascinating, and it was intriguing to see things such as the character’s analysis of what kind of person the killer would be.

While did receive a physical copy of this book, I ended up choosing to listen to the audiobook format of The Wedding Guest, narrated by John Rubinstein. This was an excellent way to the listen to this book, and at 12 hours and 20 minutes, it did not take me long to get through it. Rubinstein does an incredible job of narrating this awesome story, and I felt that his fantastic voice really added a lot to this book. The Wedding Guest is told from the point of view of the main character, Alex Delaware, and Rubinstein does a good base narration for everything the character sees and says. I also really liked the other voices that Rubinstein does throughout this book, and he is able to impart some real personality into most of the other characters. I especially loved the narration that he does for Milo, as he gives this character an exceptional cop voice that was really fun to listen to. Overall, I felt that the audiobook version of this book was a great way to enjoy The Wedding Guest and I would strongly recommend this format.

The Wedding Guest was an excellent piece of crime fiction, containing a deeply compelling mystery that really drags the reader in and holds their attention for the entire book. I quite enjoyed Kellerman’s use of characters and felt that it enhanced the mystery elements to create a wonderful overall story. Easily accessible for those who have not read any of the previous books in the Alex Delaware series, The Wedding Guest is well worth checking out in both its paperback and audiobook formats.

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