Audiobooks narrated by John Lee

A suspicious death and a large inheritance without anyone to receive it Eric Ward is forced to retire from the police when he discovers he suffers from glaucoma. But he qualifies as a lawyer and sets up his practice on the Quayside in Newcastle, where he deals with the seamier side of the law. Ward thinks there is something odd about Arthur Egan’s life and death, but the former police inspector is trained to be suspicious. Egan left a large sum, but Ward makes no progress tracing the dead man’s offspring. A photograph of an unknown tombstone is his only clue. He discovers Egan served a term for manslaughter and that the evidence against him may have been planted. Why had he accepted his fate so meekly? Despite warnings that he is wasting the firm’s time, Ward persists in his investigations. And by the time he realizes why, he finds his life and career are both at risk. This fast-paced mystery will have you enthralled from the start. Set in England in the late 1970s, this is the first book to feature Eric Ward.

Roy Lewis (Author), John Lee (Narrator)

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Seven Keys to Baldpate

The famous author William Magee is in need of a place free from interruptions to write his next book, and so he heads to a summer mountain resort in the dead of winter in New York City. The Baldpate Inn happens to be closed for the season … but it is certainly not deserted. Magee was given a key to the Baldpate Inn so he might write in solitude, but he soon discovers that he is not the only person with a key. In fact, he is only one of seven! And the other guests, including a young woman who catches Magee’s eye, are all there on a mission to find a mysterious package with a large sum of money. So, instead of the peace and quietude he sought, Magee is dropped smack dab in the middle of a dangerous battle of wits. Before the week is out, there will be gunfire, bribery, fights in the snow … and hidden truths will be revealed. Featuring a range of clever characters and witty repartee, Seven Keys to Baldpate is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. George M. Cohan adapted Earl Derr Biggers’s Seven Keys to Baldpate for the theater in 1913, and Skyboat Media is pleased to present a dramatized reading of Cohan’s play in this original audiobook compilation. In George M. Cohan’s theatrical adaptation, novelist Billy Magee makes a bet with a wealthy friend that he can write a ten-thousand-word story within twenty-four hours. Just as in the novel, he retires to the Baldpate Inn in the dead of winter and locks himself in, believing he possesses the only key. But there appear to be seven keys to Baldpate, as he is besieged by visitors and drawn into their hijinks, including a plot to steal a large sum of money from the hotel safe. But the arrival of these guests is hardly a coincidence … and they may have a secret agenda of their own.

Earl Derr Biggers, George M. Cohan (Author), A Full Cast, Gabrielle De Cuir, Joe Barrett, John Lee, John Rubinstein, Justine Eyre, Stefan Rudnicki (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Diamond Murder

A thriving law practice and a happy marriage are almost enough to convince solicitor Eric Ward he has overcome his painful past and started a new life. All it takes is the wrong client for it all to unravel. An investigative journalist beaten to a pulp. A crooked Newcastle businessman living the high life in France. A woman from a half-forgotten past. Former police officer-turned-solicitor Eric Ward represents Eddie Stevens, an investigative reporter on the trail of a hot story. Badly beaten by a local roughneck, Stevens discovers he is on a bigger trail when finds a dead body of an unknown man. Ward’s investigation leads him to Lansley, a shady Newcastle entrepreneur with criminal ties living in Marseilles. Then a woman from Ward’s own half-forgotten past turns up, looking to him to be her savior. A gruesome revelation in the first case just might be the solution to the second. Ward quickly discovers excavating the past can be a dangerous business.

Roy Lewis (Author), John Lee (Narrator)

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Dr. B.

The former director of the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm makes his literary debut with this dramatic and riveting novel of book publishing, émigrés, spies, and diplomats in World War II Sweden based on his grandfather’s life In 1933, after Hitler and the Nazi Party consolidated power in Germany, Immanuel Birnbaum, a German Jewish journalist based in Warsaw, is forbidden from writing for newspapers in his homeland. Living as a refugee in Stockholm, Immanuel continues to write, contributing articles to a liberal Swiss newspaper in Basel under the name Dr. B. He also begins working as an editor for the legendary German publisher S. Fischer Verlag. Gottfried Bermann Fischer had established an office in Stockholm to evade German censorship, publishing celebrated German writers such as Thomas Mann and Stefan Zweig. Immanuel also becomes entangled with British intelligence agents who produce and distribute anti-Nazi propaganda in Stockholm. On orders from Winston Churchill, the Allied spies plan several acts of sabotage. But when the Swedish postal service picks up a letter written in invisible ink, the plotters are exposed. The letter, long a mystery in military history accounts, was in fact written by Dr. B. But why would a Jew living in exile and targeted for death by the Nazis have wanted to tip them off?

Daniel Birnbaum (Author), John Lee (Narrator)

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Alone With a Killer

Detective Mike Nash thought that moving back to Yorkshire from London would give him a quieter life. Little did he know . . . Alone in a cottage. A storm coming in. A serial killer on the loose. Alone in an isolated Yorkshire cottage, Vanda Dawson waits for her sister Jo to come keep her company. Her husband Brian is away on holiday. Outside, as storms lash the country, Jo struggles to reach the house. But she finds it deserted and in darkness. Where has Vanda gone? With Mike Nash on leave, Detective Sergeant Clara Mironova leads the investigation. The missing woman's husband is also unaccounted for. Is he responsible, or has she been abducted by the sadistic serial killer nicknamed The Cremator? A serial killer who tortures and burns his victims alive. Before Nash's return, a security van disappears along with its two-man crew. Further violent crimes are reported and it becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems and no one is quite what they appear to be.

Bill Kitson (Author), John Lee (Narrator)

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A Rumor of Kings

Greymond, the Scattered Kingdom has been without a king for hundreds of years, a place ruled by squabbling barons and dukes. Occasionally, rumors arise: a king of the old blood has returned to claim his throne. These days, such claims are met with groans and eye-rolls. But scheming powers are plotting, machinations that have been in the works for years, and this time . . . Enter Merrik Niles. A thief hired by dangerous people to steal a map, he instead keeps it for himself, hoping to follow it to some mysterious prize. The treasure turns out to be an ancient artifact connected to Greymond's last king, and when Merrik touches it, he triggers long-dormant magic. Now, three ghosts have taken up permanent residence in his mind: A cunning, smart-mouthed jester. A master swordsman. And a powerful wizard. At first, Merrik believes he's going mad, but at times, these ghosts lend him their powers . . . for good or for bad. Merrik is swept along in a scheme to put a fair-haired pretender on the throne of Greymond, making him the target of powerful enemies across the Scattered Kingdom who prefer the realm as it is. All the while, a new army rises across the mountains . . . and they're coming.

Victor Gischler (Author), John Lee (Narrator)

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Aberzombie & Lich: A LitRPG / GameLit Adventure

A zombie crime boss. Powerful black magic. Demon assassins. Otherwise known as Tuesday. Meet Steve Firestone, late-night radio host and paladin. Since he joined the Arkane Academy for the Gifted and Strange, he's learned our world is full of supernatural monsters ripped from the pages of Dungeons & Dragons-and most of them want to eat or kill us. That's where Steve and his new friends come in. That is, if Steve can learn to channel the divine power of his mysterious patron. Depending on whom he talks to, it's either a Cthulhu-like space-squid or a fallen paladin residing somewhere in Hell. Neither seems like an ideal source. But it's not like he can conjure a god out of his backside, and beggars can't be choosers. Especially now that a zombie crime boss is wreaking havoc across England, gathering together the parts of an ancient journal that promises the rebirth of a dark sorcerer known as the 'Deathbringer.' If Steve's to stop this resurrection and the inevitable fallout, he'll have to fix his issue with his patron and get to the bottom of a curse that has affected his family line before he too is consumed by it.

A.C. Hadfield (Author), John Lee (Narrator)

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The Lock and Key Library: Classic Mystery and Detective Stories: Modern English

Assembled and edited by Julian Hawthorne and first published in 1909, the Modern English volume of The Lock and Key Library features sixteen classic mystery and detective stories by such luminaries as Rudyard Kipling, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Wilkie Collins. Detective stories existed for centuries before the concept of the detective itself—amateur or professional— was fully formulated, and tales of mystery and intrigue have been thrilling readers since ancient times. The Lock and Key Library is the classic overview of the history of the mystery genre, at once a rousing listen for fans of the unsolved and unknown as well as an essential literary resource for those seeking to understand the roots of modern pulp fiction. The Modern English volume of The Lock and Key Library features sixteen stories that explore the genre, from Rudyard Kipling’s supernatural mysteries in India to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved and classic tales of detection (including the introduction of Irene Adler into the Sherlock Holmes canon). Other special additions include the reality-bending “The Dream Woman: A Mystery in Four Narratives” by Wilkie Collins, whom T. S. Eliot called “a master of plot and situation”; and Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Pavilion on the Links,” which was regarded by Doyle as “the high-water mark of [Stevenson’s] genius” and “the first short story in the world.” And the mystery goes beyond the ordinary in this comprehensive collection: the last five stories are all written by anonymous writers, giving the listener an extra shroud of secrecy to peek behind. This volume of The Lock and Key Library is sure to delight and enthrall armchair detectives and fans of classic mysteries alike. Full contents: “My Own True Ghost Story” by Rudyard Kipling—read by Stefan Rudnicki “The Sending of Dana Da” by Rudyard Kipling—read by Stefan Rudnicki “In the House of Suddhoo” by Rudyard Kipling—read by Stefan Rudnicki “His Wedded Wife” by Rudyard Kipling—read by Stefan Rudnicki “A Case of Identity” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—read by John Rubinstein “A Scandal in Bohemia” by Sir Arthur Conan Conan Doyle—read by John Rubinstein “The Red-Headed League” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—read by John Rubinstein “The Baron’s Quarry” by Egerton Castle—read by Paul Boehmer “The Fowl in the Pot” by Stanley J. Weyman—read by John Rubinstein “The Pavilion on the Links” by Robert Louis Stevenson—read by Stefan Rudnicki “The Dream Woman: A Mystery in Four Narratives” by Wilkie Collins—read by Paul Boehmer, Stefan Rudnicki—and John Rubinstein “The Lost Duchess” by Anonymous—read by John Lee “The Minor Canon” by Anonymous—read by Stefan Rudnicki “The Pipe” by Anonymous—read by John Rubinstein “The Puzzle” by Anonymous—read by John Rubinstein “The Great Valdez Sapphire” by Anonymous—read by Stefan Rudnicki

Egerton Castle, Julian Hawthorne, Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Stanley John Weyman, Wilkie Collins (Author), John Lee, John Rubinstein, Paul Boehmer, Stefan Rudnicki (Narrator)

Audiobook

Captain Grey's Gambit

A taut historical thriller for fans of The Queen's Gambit and James Bond. December 1803: A French invasion fleet is poised to cross the Channel and storm the beaches of southern England. A member of Napoleon's inner circle-disaffected by Napoleon's creeping tyranny-contacts the British naval intelligence service in hopes of defecting to London. His escape plan calls for a rendezvous at an international chess tournament in Frankfurt-a rare opportunity for him to travel outside France. Naval intelligence sends its top man-and best chess player-Captain Thomas Grey, to orchestrate the Frenchman's escape to England. But Grey's mission changes dramatically when the defector demands that his pro-Napoleon daughter come with him-expecting Grey to act not just as escort but kidnapper. The second novel in J. H Gelernter's already lauded Captain Grey series, Captain Grey's Gambit continues a story that is 'smart, fast, twisty, and dangerous' (Lee Child) in a 'richly imagined early nineteenth-century world' (Richard Snow).

J. H. Gelernter (Author), John Lee (Narrator)

Audiobook

Slash Killer

A KILLER WHO SLASHES WOMEN'S THROATS. A FORESTER TRYING TO PUT HIS PAST BEHIND HIM. Andrew Myers was wrongly convicted of killing his wife by slashing her throat. Finally freed, but not exonerated, he just wants a quiet life far from where the tragedy happened. He goes to work as a forester on an isolated estate in Yorkshire. BUT THEN A KILLER WITH THE SAME TRADEMARK STARTS CLAIMING NEW VICTIMS, AND IN THE SAME AREA WHERE ANDREW HAS MOVED. Andrew has a terrible chainsaw accident while cutting trees. He manages to staunch the bleeding while he drives himself to hospital. His erratic control of his car attracts a policewoman, Lisa Andrews, to stop and help him. But she soon finds out there is more to him than just a hermit-like forester living in the woods. Is he a callous murderer? Is he now taking a terrible revenge on those who wronged him? Or, does the truth lie elsewhere? With resources decimated by a flu epidemic, Detective Mike Nash is forced to use unorthodox tactics to expose a web of corruption and deceit spanning the years. CAN MIKE NASH STOP A SERIAL KILLER OR HAS HE GOT THE MURDERER IN HIS SIGHTS ALREADY?

Bill Kitson (Author), John Lee (Narrator)

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Sea of Tranquility

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'So wise, so graceful, so rich' - Naomi Alderman, author of The Power 'Ingenious' - Guardian 'One of her finest novels' - New York Times 'Transcendent' - Wall Street Journal The award-winning author of Station Eleven returns with a story of time travel that precisely captures the reality of our current moment . . . In 1912, eighteen-year-old Edwin St. Andrew crosses the Atlantic, exiled from English polite society. In British Columbia, he enters the forest, spellbound by the beauty of the Canadian wilderness, and for a split second all is darkness, the notes of a violin echoing unnaturally through the air. The experience shocks him to his core. Two centuries later Olive Llewelyn, a famous writer, is traveling all over Earth, far away from her home in the second moon colony. Within the text of Olive’s bestselling novel lies a strange passage: a man plays his violin for change in the echoing corridor of an airship terminal as the trees of a forest rise around him. When Gaspery-Jacques Roberts, a detective in the black-skied Night City, is hired to investigate an anomaly in time, he uncovers a series of lives upended: the exiled son of an aristocrat driven to madness, a writer trapped far from home as a pandemic ravages Earth, and a childhood friend from the Night City who, like Gaspery himself, has glimpsed the chance to do something extraordinary that will disrupt the timeline of the universe. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel is a novel that investigates the idea of parallel worlds and possibilities, that plays with the very line along which time should run. Perceptive and poignant about art, and love, and what we must do to survive, it is incredibly compelling.

Emily St. John Mandel (Author), Arthur Morey, Dylan Moore, John Lee, Kirsten Potter (Narrator)

Audiobook

Pity the Ghoul

Bloodthirsty ghouls. A necromancer. A secret academy that uses Dungeon & Dragons as a training manual. What could possibly go wrong? After recently discovering he's a paladin and that the world of the supernatural is real, Steve Firestone, a divorced late-night radio host, has that first-day-at-school feeling. Only this is no Hogwarts. Being forty, out of shape, and with a mouth that gets him into trouble, Steve must find a way to meet his tutor's exhausting demands and learn to channel divine power to live up to his ancestry. That's if he wishes to stay at the academy and with his party of new friends, including Nymantha, the fearsome wizard to whose flame Steve is a moth. To complicate matters, when a citizen is found torn to pieces, their organs removed, and dozens of bodies stolen from a graveyard, it means only one thing: a necromancer is building an army of ghouls. But to what end? Why is it happening in Steve's backyard? And why is there a goblin stalking him? Steve and his party must embark on their first quest: find and stop the necromancer, because ain't nobody got time for an army of hungry ghouls treating the population like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

A.C. Hadfield (Author), John Lee (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by John Lee