I am obsessed with audiobooks. I don’t mean that I simply enjoy them and that they’ve become a regular part of my already voracious reading routine. I mean that I have audiobooks playing constantly throughout my day, that I’ve developed the habit of long walks wearing my headset, and that I volunteer to drive far distances so I can extend my listening times. In particular, what really keeps me in my car, long after I’ve reached my destination, are stories of all types (especially historical) that I’d call “page-turners,” even though, of course, only metaphorical pages turn with audiobooks. Here are five of the many stories that have kept me listening, sometimes for too long. —Marie Benedict, author of The Queens of Crime
The brand-new Audible Original adaptation of the first, iconic novel by one of the Queens of Crime is narrated by a stellar cast. Think Peter Dinklage, Harriet Walter, Phil Dunster, and Rob Delaney, among others.
In this delightful play on the classic mystery, four wildly different, equally sharp “pensioners” in a luxury senior living facility solve murders. Terrifically performed by Lesley Manville first and in later books in the series, Fiona Shaw.
This clever, tense, complicated story, in part about a 19th century English trial in which a butcher fraudulently claimed a title and estate, unpacks the line between fact and fiction. Zadie Smith herself fantastically narrates the story, an impressive feat I could never try.
This suspenseful, atmospheric story of three young anthropologists in 1930s New Guinea—loosely based on Margaret Mead's life—is haunting. Their discoveries, romances, and tragedies linger long after the final word is read aloud.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my own Audible Original story. Not only is it—I hope—a compelling tale of historical suspense about a young female spy in the Revolutionary War who may have shaped American history, but it is also masterfully narrated.
Marie Benedict is a lawyer and author of 13 bestselling books. She focuses on historical fiction featuring complex and amazing women.
