Matthew Lloyd Davies has narrated 124 audiobooks on Listento.it by 79 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.4★ across 378 ratings. The most-rated is Five Bloody Hearts.
Blue Christmas
Summary
When miserly millionaire Barnaby Galen is found dead in his dilapidated mansion, two corpses are on the scene - the murder victim and the murder weapon. Staring into the skeleton face of a horror prop called Granny, Galen dies of fright, leaving only enemies and suspects behind. With echoes of Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Blue Christmas is a witty, heartfelt romantic mystery that will make fans of Emma Jameson's best-selling series want to stand up and cheer. The Lord & Lady Hetheridge Mystery Series (ongoing) Ice Blue Blue Murder Something Blue Black & Blue Blue Blooded Blue Christmas
©2020 Stephanie Abbott (P)2020 Stephanie Abbott
You Only Live Once
Summary
The earth has been invaded by unfathomable terrors from another dimension and international governments are doing their best to pretend nothing is happening. But you can’t keep an alien invasion hidden forever. A Hollywood production company is filming in the city: A spy thriller blockbuster that will introduce the Venislarn monsters to the viewing public. It’s a dream come true for the marketing team. Rod Campbell - former SAS soldier and now the first line of defence against the Venislarn horde - is less than keen. He’s meant to be on the movie set as an advisor but he’s already got his hands full. Gods are demanding human sacrifices, renegade Venislarn are seeking asylum on earth and there’s a magical teapot that says the city is facing imminent destruction. It’s going to be a tough week and Rod might not live to see the end of it.
©2019 Heide Goody & Iain Grant (P)2020 Heide Goody & Iain Grant
Marriage Can Be Murder
Summary
Murder in Haunted Cornwall On the eve of World War II, Dr. Benjamin Bones is at war with himself. While most young men are being sent away to fight the Germans, Ben is chosen to serve on English soil. Ordered to move to wild, beautiful Cornwall, he must trade his posh London office and stylish city life for the tiny village of Birdswing, which has a population of 1,221 souls. But leaving his home and shelving his career ambitions aren't the only sacrifices he faces. His unfaithful wife, Penny, is accompanying him to Cornwall in a last-ditch effort to save their marriage. But moments after their arrival, Penny is run down in the street, and Ben is almost fatally injured. And while the villagers assume Penny's death to be an accident, Ben quickly deduces it was murder. As he convalesces in Fenton House, which the locals call haunted, Ben meets Birdswing's eccentric inhabitants. Mr. Gaston, the volunteer air warden who's obsessed with defending his remote village against Nazi spies; Mrs. Cobblepot, a thoroughly practical housekeeper who believes in fairies; and Lady Juliet Linton, a prickly, headstrong aristocrat who won't take no for an answer. While adapting to life during Britain's "War at Home," a time of ration books, victory gardens, bomb shelters, and the Blackout, Ben sets about solving the mystery of Penny's murder - with a little help from Lady Juliet and the Fenton House ghost. Marriage Can Be Murder is the new cozy mystery series from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Emma Jameson.
©2014 Stephanie Abbott (P)2015 Stephanie Abbott
Pigeonwings
Summary
As punishment for his part in an attempted coup in heaven, the archangel Michael is banished to Earth. The holiest of the angelic host has to learn to live as a mortal - not an easy job when you’ve got Satan as a next-door neighbor. Michael soon finds that being a good person involves more than helping out at Sunday school and attending church coffee mornings. He has to find his purpose in life, deal with earthly temptations, and solve a mystery involving some unusual monks and a jar of very dangerous jam. Heide Goody and Iain Grant have come up with this wild comedy that features spear-wielding cub scouts, accidental transvestites, King Arthur, a super-intelligent sheepdog, hallucinogenic snacks, evil peacocks, old ladies with biscuits, naked paintball, stolen tractors, clairvoyant computers, the Women’s Institute, and way too much alcohol.
©2013 Heide Goody and Iain Grant (P)2019 Heide Goody, Iain Grant
Moralia Volume 1
Summary
Though best known now for his collection of lively and vivid Parallel Lives from ancient Greece and Rome, Plutarch (c46 CD-120 CE) was, for centuries, more respected for his Moralia, a remarkable and wide-ranging collection of essays and speeches. No fewer than 78 in total, they range over a broad list of topics in which Plutarch observes, dispenses wisdom, admonishes, entertains and informs: covering social issues and politics, manners and religion - in short, life in general. In this collection, volume 1 of the Ukemi series, are 26 Ethical Essays, a fascinating compilation, again wide-ranging: 'On Education of Children', 'On Love to One’s Offspring', 'On Virtue and Vice', 'On Abundance of Friends', 'On Contentedness of Mind' and many more. It also includes the moving 'Consolatory Letter to His Wife'. Some of Plutarch’s views reflect the environment of a highly educated Greek living in the milieu of the first-century Roman Empire - his comments on conjugal precepts may raise eyebrows when viewed through a 21st-century prism. But much of what he proposes and concludes is as relevant today as in his own time, and in the time of Montaigne (1533-1592) (who regarded the Moralia very highly), and in succeeding centuries. Matthew Lloyd Davies presents Plutarch sympathetically, making these essays eminently absorbing. Selection and translation by Richard Shilleto.
Public Domain (P)2018 Ukemi Productions Ltd
Black & Blue
Summary
Modern art dealer Granville Hardwick has a way with people - a way of making them wish he were dead. His London gallery is filled with works of questionable merit, his dating pool consists of other men's wives, and his home is the eyesore of a fine old neighborhood. The neighborhood of Scotland Yard's Chief Superintendent Tony Hetheridge, as a matter of fact. So when Hardwick turns up dead, bashed on the head by a rather tasteless reproduction, it's Hetheridge and his new bride, Kate, who embark on solving the case. When he married Kate, Tony expected things to be different. But with Kate's ne'er-do-well relatives making trouble on the home front, and his own enemies attacking from within Scotland Yard, the case of the dead art dealer and three unfaithful wives might do more than change Mayfair. It might change Lord and Lady Hetheridge forever.
©2015 Stephanie Abbott (P)2016 Stephanie Abbott
Superbugs
Summary
Antibiotics are powerful drugs that can prevent and treat infections, but they are becoming less effective as a result of drug resistance. Resistance develops because the bacteria that antibiotics target can evolve ways to defend themselves against these drugs. When antibiotics fail, there is very little else to prevent an infection from spreading. Unnecessary use of antibiotics in both humans and animals accelerates the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria, with potentially catastrophic personal and global consequences. Our best defenses against infectious disease could cease to work, surgical procedures would become deadly, and we might return to a world where even small cuts are life-threatening. The problem of drug resistance already kills more than one million people across the world every year and has huge economic costs. Without action, this problem will become significantly worse. Following from their work on the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, William Hall, Anthony McDonnell, and Jim O'Neill outline the major systematic failures that have led to this growing crisis. They also provide a set of solutions to tackle these global issues that governments, industry, and public health specialists can adopt.
©2018 The President and Fellows of Harvard College (P)2018 Tantor
Whisked Away
Summary
At 27 years old, Emma Banks has big plans for her life. After graduating from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, she's ready to take her place as head chef at one of her family's resort restaurants. Her first assignment is to serve Pierce Davenport, an infuriatingly arrogant writer with a palate that's about as adventurous as a plain boiled potato. Pierce Davenport is living every author's dream - his critically-acclaimed Clash of Crowns books have been turned into one of the world's most-watched television series. The only problem is, he has no idea how to end the epic fantasy tale. After two long years, his fans are turning on him, his publisher is panicking, and the network executives have announced they're hiring a team of scriptwriters to finish (aka ruin) his legacy for him. In dire need of solitude, he escapes to the Island of Eden for two distraction - free months so he can pull off the impossible - write an entire novel from start to finish. All he wants is peace and quiet, but when disaster strikes, he's forced to rely on irritating-but-beautiful Emma to deliver more than just three meals a day. Contains mature themes.
©2019 Gretz Corp. (P)2019 Tantor
Deepest South of All
Summary
Best-selling travel writer Richard Grant offers an entertaining and profound look at a city like no other. Natchez, Mississippi, once had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in America, and its wealth was built on slavery and cotton. Today it has the greatest concentration of antebellum mansions in the South and a culture full of unexpected contradictions. Prominent White families dress up in hoopskirts and Confederate uniforms for ritual celebrations of the Old South, yet Natchez is also progressive enough to elect a gay Black man for mayor with 91 percent of the vote. Much as John Berendt did for Savannah in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and the hit podcast S-Town did for Woodstock, Alabama, so Richard Grant does for Natchez in The Deepest South of All. With humor and insight, he depicts a strange, eccentric town with an unforgettable cast of characters. There’s Buzz Harper, a six-foot-five gay antique dealer famous for swanning around in a mink coat with a uniformed manservant and a very short German bodybuilder. There’s Ginger Hyland, “The Lioness”, who owns 500 antique eyewash cups and decorates 168 Christmas trees with her jewelry collection. And there’s Nellie Jackson, a Cadillac-driving brothel madam who became an FBI informant about the KKK before being burned alive by one of her customers. Interwoven through these stories is the more somber and largely forgotten account of Abd al Rahman Ibrahima, a West African prince who was enslaved in Natchez and became a cause célèbre in the 1820s, eventually gaining his freedom and returning to Africa. Part history and part travelogue, The Deepest South of All offers a gripping portrait of a complex American place, as it struggles to break free from the past and confront the legacy of slavery.
©2020 Richard Grant. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.
Hellzapoppin'
Summary
Life at St Cadfan’s is never dull. There’s the cellar full of unexplained corpses. There’s the struggle to find food when the island is placed under quarantine. And there’s that peculiar staircase in the cellar.... Being a demon in Hell has its own problems. There’s the increasingly impossible torture quotas to meet. There’s the entire horde of Hell waiting for you to slip up and make a mistake. And there’s that weird staircase in the service tunnels.... Brother Stephen of St Cadfan’s and Rutpsud of the Sixth Circle, natural enemies and the most unnatural of friends, join forces to solve a murder mystery, save a rare species from extinction and stop Hell itself exploding. The fourth novel in the Clovenhoof series, Hellzapoppin’ is an astonishing comedy featuring suicidal sea birds, deadly plagues, exploding barbecues, dancing rats, magical wardrobes, King Arthur’s American descendants, mole-hunting monks, demonic possession, and way too much seaweed beer.
©2014 Heide Goody, Iain Grant (P)2020 Heide Goody, Iain Grant
Nobody Knows What They're Doing
Summary
Everything no one will tell you about being an artist Nobody Knows What They're Doing is an honest guide to the creative life for artists of all kinds. Lee Crutchley, author of How to Be Happy (Or At Least Less Sad), skips the platitudes, positive affirmations, and guarantees of success; he'll never ever tell you to just "Do What You Love". Instead, Crutchley discusses the things nobody else is talking about - that, frankly, your work sucks (but that's ok because everyone else's does, too), that making bad art is worth it, and so much more. In a world desperate for a glimpse of authenticity, Nobody Knows What They're Doing is a breath of fresh air that reveals the truths hiding between the lines of Instagram-friendly aphorisms and behind the words of the most inspirational TED talks. An honest look at the reality of creativity and the joy and difficulty of crafting good (and bad) art, this book is a must-listen for every exhausted creative, every starry-eyed dreamer, and every artist who is trying to make their way in the world - and keep a roof over their head while they do it.
©2021 Lee Crutchley (P)2021 Tantor
Dr. Bones and the Christmas Wish
Summary
A bit of Christmas magic in Cornwall A few days before Christmas 1939, Dr. Benjamin Bones is in a "Bah, humbug" sort of mood. It's the coldest winter on record, his country is at war, and his love life has run aground. But magic as well as mysteries abound in Cornwall. When Ben makes a bargain with an elfin little man, it leads him to an old woman who longs to make amends - and a chance for Ben to show that certain someone how much he cares. Listeners who enjoyed the Dr. Benjamin Bones Mysteries, Marriage Can Be Murder and Divorce Can Be Deadly, will adore this holiday tale of love lost and love found featuring Dr. Bones and Lady Juliet.
©2016 Stephanie Abbott (P)2017 Stephanie Abbott
Godsquad
Summary
The team: Joan of Arc, the armor-plated teen saint of Orleans. Francis of Assisi, friend to all the animals whether they like it or not. St Christopher, the patron saint of travel who by papal decree has never existed - no matter how much he argues otherwise. The mission: An impossible prayer has been received by heaven, and it’s a prayer that only Mary, mother of God, can answer. Unfortunately, Mary hasn’t been seen in decades and is off wandering the Earth somewhere. This elite team of heavenly saints are sent down to Earth to find Mary before Armageddon is unleashed on an unsuspecting world.
©2014 Heide Goody, Iain Grant (P)2019 Heide Goody, Iain Grant
Murder at the Opera
Summary
When a nobleman's mistress is gunned down on the steps of the Covent Garden opera house, brilliant adventurer Atlas Catesby discovers a sinister family connection that compels him to investigate. London, 1815. Amateur sleuth Atlas Catesby is about to discover the dark side of the bright lights. His long-awaited night at the opera with Lady Lilliana ends abruptly when a notorious courtesan is shot to death in Covent Garden. The infamous victim was the mistress of the powerful Marquess of Vessey. Atlas believes that the marquess - his former brother in law - is responsible for the long-ago death of Atlas' sister, Phoebe. Atlas seizes the opportunity to potentially avenge his sister's death. But his inquiry is complicated when Phoebe's grown son implores Atlas to help prove Vessey's innocence. Plunging into the cutthroat backstage life of the theater community, the adventurer and the noblewoman soon discover that ruthless professional rivalries can escalate into violence, setting the stage for death in Murder at the Opera, D. M. Quincy's third riveting Atlas Catesby mystery set in Regency England.
©2019 Dora Mekouar (P)2019 Tantor
The Dragon's Heart
Summary
Lorna MacKenzie lost her mate nearly 30 years ago. Dedicating her life to her children, she brushed off the thought of ever finding love again. After all, Jamie MacKenzie had been her true mate. Who could ever replace him? Ross Anderson came to Lochguard to be near his daughter and fight his cancer. Over the last six months, he's become close to one particular dragonwoman. However, he doesn't want to pursue her as a dying man. But now that his cancer is gone, Ross is determined to win Lorna's heart. As the pair fight their growing attraction to one another, the only question is - will Lorna open up to Ross, or forever hold on to the memory of her first love?
©2016 Jessie Donovan (P)2017 Mythical Lake Press, LLC
Classical Mythology A to Z
Summary
An encyclopedic A-to-Z guide, this beautifully illustrated volume offers hundreds of rich, fascinating definitions of 700 major and minor characters, creatures, and places of classical mythology. Classical Mythology A-to-Z is a comprehensive and engrossing guide to Greek and Roman mythology. Written by Annette Giesecke, PhD, Professor of Classics and Chair of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies at the University of Delaware, this brilliant reference offers clear explanations of every character and locale, and captures the essence of these timeless tales. From the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus and the heroes of the Trojan War to the nymphs, monsters, and other mythical creatures that populate these ancient stories, Giesecke recounts, with clarity and energy, the details of more than 700 characters and places. Each definition includes cross-references to related characters, locations, and myths, as well their equivalent in Roman mythology and cult. In addition to being an important standalone work, Classical Mythology A-to-Z is also written, designed, and illustrated to serve as an essential companion to the bestselling illustrated 75th anniversary edition of Mythology by Edith Hamilton, including 10 full-color plates and 2-color illustrations throughout by artist Jim Tierney. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2020 Annette Giesecke and Jim Tierney (P)2020 Black Dog & Leventhal
The Plague Stones
Summary
From the critically acclaimed author of Hekla’s Children comes a dark and haunting tale of our world and the next. Fleeing from a traumatic break-in, Londoners Paul and Tricia Feenan sell up to escape to the isolated Holiwell village where Tricia has inherited a property. Scattered throughout the settlement are centuries-old stones used during the Great Plague as boundary markers. No plague-sufferer was permitted to pass them and enter the village. The plague diminished, and the village survived unscathed, but since then each year the village trustees have insisted on an ancient ceremony to renew the village boundaries, until a misguided act by the Feenans’ son then reminds the village that there is a reason traditions have been rigidly stuck to, and that all acts of betrayal, even those committed centuries ago, have consequences....
©2019 James Brogden (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing
The Hippo at the End of the Hall
Summary
When Ben receives a mysterious invitation to an odd museum, he’s swept into a peculiar world of forgotten secrets and wild magic.
The invitation to the Gee Museum was delivered by bees. It wasn’t addressed to anyone, but Ben knows that it was meant for him. Why else would the images on the postcard have stirred up memories of his father, who was lost at sea long ago? Ben makes his way to the old dilapidated building to find a host of curious talking animals awaiting his arrival. They are certain he is the only one who can save the museum. But Ben and the animals in the Gee collection will have to outwit a devious rival museum owner and a greedy land developer. With a bit of luck, some strange magic, and a little help from his mom, Ben might succeed in ensuring the future of the museum - and finding the answers about his father that he’s been searching for his whole life. Helen Cooper’s first novel brims with mystery and hope.
©2017 Helen Cooper, original book published by Candlewick Press (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Scandinavia
Summary
Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, award-winning historian Ewan Butler writes, struggled through unions and separations with both outsiders and each other, developing their own personalities and languages yet retaining their ancient connections.
©2016 American Heritage (P)2017 HighBridge, a Division of Recorded Books
Oddjobs
Summary
It's the end of the world as we know it, but someone still needs to do the paperwork. Incomprehensible horrors from beyond are going to devour our world, but that’s no excuse to get all emotional about it. Morag Murray works for the secret government organization responsible for making sure the apocalypse goes as smoothly and as quietly as possible. In her first week on the job, Morag has to hunt down a man-eating starfish, solve a supernatural murder, and, if she's got time, prevent her own inevitable death. Oddjobs is a sideswipe at the world of work and a fantastical adventure featuring amphibian wannabe gangstas, mad old cat ladies, ancient gods, apocalyptic scrabble, fish porn, telepathic curry, and, possibly, the end of the world before the weekend.
©2016 Heide Goody and Iain Grant (P)2018 Heide Goody and Iain Grant