Behind the Mic With Kirkus Reviews

Thrillers With Teeth

Host Jo Reed and contributor Leslie Fine kick off their discussion of rule-breaking new thrillers with Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino, performed by Cia Court, in which a competitive housing market becomes the breeding ground for obsession. They turn to The Sunshine Man by Emma Stonex, narrated by Edward Rowe and Meg Salter, a tense story of revenge that widens into an exploration of class, trauma, and the moments that define a life. Finally, they consider Girl Dinner by Olivie E. Blake, a sorority-set satire with sharp dialogue and darker implications, told through the alternating performances of Stephanie Nameth-Parker and Rita Amparita. Across all three titles, the conversation underscores how the right voices can amplify a thriller’s tension, humor, and emotional stakes. Audiobooks Discussed: Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino, read by Cia Court (Macmillan Audio) The Sunshine Man by Emma Stonex, read by Edward Rowe and Meg Salter (Penguin Audio) Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake, read by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and Rita Amparita (Macmillan Audio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Native Voices

Host Jo Reed and contributor Kendra Winchester open this episode with Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley, narrated by Isabella Star LaBlanc, a YA mystery that explores community and belonging through a performance rich in emotional nuance. The conversation turns to We Survive the Night, written and read by Julian Brave NoiseCat, a memoir that moves fluidly between family history, Indigenous storytelling, and themes of cultural survival. They close with The Devil Is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson, performed by Shane Ghostkeeper, whose steady, grounded narration helps orient listeners inside a surreal, character-driven story of rivalry and unreliable memory. The three titles underscore how Native authors use voice, history, and perspective to shape memorable listening experiences. Audiobooks Discussed: Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley, read by Isabella Star LaBlanc (Macmillan Audio). We Survived the Night, written and read by Julian Brave NoiseCat (Random House Audio). The Devil Is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson, read by Shane Ghostkeeper (HarperAudio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earphones Award Spotlight

Host Jo Reed and Laura Rossi dive into three Earphones Award–winning audiobooks: James Patterson’s Return of the Spider, Margaret Atwood’s Book of Lives, and Ryan Goldberg’s Bird City. They talk about Dion Graham and Fred Berman’s gripping dual performance in Patterson’s 34th Alex Cross thriller; Atwood’s reflective memoir in her own gravelly, unmistakable voice; and the charm of an unexpected New York City birding adventure to which Evan Sibley brings a naturalist’s clarity to the narration. Together, they explore how each audiobook offers a distinct listening experience—from high-stakes suspense to literary self-examination to close observation of the natural world. Audiobooks Discussed: Return of the Spider: An Alex Cross Thriller by James Patterson, read by Dion Graham and Fred Berman (Hachette Audio) Book of Lives, written and read by Margaret Atwood (Random House Audio) Bird City: Adventures in New York’s Urban Wilds by Ryan Goldberg, read by Evan Sibley (Hachette Audio)   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three Literary Heavyweights: Smith, Banville, and Pynchon

Host Jo Reed and contributor Alan Minskoff dive into three remarkable audiobooks: Zadie Smith’s Dead and Alive, John Banville’s Venetian Vespers, and Thomas Pynchon’s long-awaited Shadow Ticket. They explore Smith’s incisive essays, read by the author with clarity and authority; Venetian Vespers, with Luke Thompson navigating Banville’s long, sinuous sentences; and Pynchon’s noir caper, handled with virtuosic range by Edoardo Ballerini. It’s a conversation filled with sharp insights into writing, narration, and what makes these audiobooks such compelling listens.   Audiobooks Discussed:  Dead and Alive, written and read by Zadie Smith (Penguin Audio) Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon, read by Edoardo Ballerini (Penguin Audio) Venetian Vespers by John Banville, read by Luke Thompson (Random House Audio) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Backstories That Matter

This week, Michele Cobb joins host Jo Reed to dig into audiobooks built on backstory, beginning with Expert Witness, where Gabra Zackman delivers Anne Wolbert Burgess’ account of trauma, justice, and the evolution of expert testimony with clarity and restraint. Next, they turn to A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever, a joyful, detail-packed oral history of the 1984 film Spinal Tap—an ensemble cast production led by Rob Reiner, where seemingly spontaneous commentary makes the audiobook the definitive way to experience the story. The episode closes with We Did OK, Kid, a reflective memoir in which Kenneth Branagh’s elegant narration frames Anthony Hopkins’s vulnerable reflections on craft, ambition, and a life shaped by performance. Together these audiobooks show how lived experience—whether in the courtroom, on a film set, or across a lifetime in acting—gains depth and resonance when shaped by a narrator who knows when to be restrained, playful, or quietly vulnerable. Audiobooks Discussed: Expert Witness: The Weight of Our Testimony When Justice Hangs in the Balance by Ann Wolbert Burgess with Steven Matthew Constantine, read by Gabra Zackman A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap, written and read by Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer  We Did Ok, Kid: A Memoir by Sir Anthony Hopkins, read by Kenneth Branagh with the author Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices