Audiobooks

René Reads!

Some actors, while wonderful at their craft, are not necessarily the best readers. René, however, is a great reader! His vocal range is astonishing and his characterizations are marvelous. So next time you’re facing a road trip, some yard work, or just a quiet evening at home, plan to enjoy one of René’s excellent audiobooks!

(Core list originally compiled by E. Cristy Ruteshouser and Carolyn R. Fulton. Scroll farther down page for synopses and book reviews, provided by the publisher or individuals as noted.)

Verses for the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (December 31, 2018)
The City of Endless Night by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (January 16, 2018)
The Obsidian Chamber by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released October 18, 2016)
Crimson Shore by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released November 10, 2015)
Blue Labyrinth by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released November 11, 2014)
Blood Royal: A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris by Eric Jager (released February 25, 2014)
White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released November 12, 2013)
World War Z: Lost Files by Max Brooks (movie tie-in, unabridged edition) (released June 4, 2013)
Two Graves by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released December 11, 2012)
Extraction by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released October 16, 2012)
KJV Audio Bible, Pure Voice: New Testament (released October 16, 2012)
KJV Audio Bible, Pure Voice (released October 16, 2012)
Cold Vengeance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released August 2, 2011)
The Book of John: King James Version Audio Bible (released May 24, 2011)
“The Bull Dancers”, by Jay Lake, in METAtroplis: Cascadia (released November 16, 2010)
Fever Dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released May 11, 2010)
Cemetary Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released May 12, 2009)
Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released August 28, 2007)
Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released May 30, 2006)
Dance of Death by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released June 14, 2005)
Brimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released August 3, 2004)
Still Life With Crows by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released July 1, 2003)
200X: Tales of the Next Millennia by Rad Bradbury & Fredric Brown (released November 21, 2002)
The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (released June 1, 2002)
The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Vol. 2 (Star Trek: The Eugenics Wars) by Greg Cox (released April 1, 2002)
Frenchtown Summer by Robert Cormier (released August 1, 2000)
Isaac Asimov Countdown 2000 edited by Martin H. Greenberg (released December 1999)
(also called “Isaac Asimov’s All-Time Favorite Science Fiction Stories”)
Talismans of Shannara by Terry Brooks (released October 1998)
The Last Day by Glenn Kleier (released December 1, 1997)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby (released May 13, 1997)
Shadow Dawn by George Lucas and Chris Claremont (released December 1, 1996)
Mind Slash Matter by Edward Wellen (released October 1995)
Shadow Moon by George Lucas and Chris Claremont (released August 1, 1995)
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden (released July 1, 1995)
Batman Forever by Peter David (released June 6, 1995)
Last Defender of Camelot by Roger Zelazny (released June 1995 )
Unicorn Variation by Roger Zelazny (released June 1995)
The Fourth Procedure by Stanley Pottinger (released March 7, 1995)
Warped by K. W. Jeter (released March 1995)
The List of 7 by Mark Frost (released September 1994)
Fallen Heroes by Dafydd ab Hugh (released May 1994)
Slaves of Sleep and Masters of Sleep by L. Ron Hubbard (released November 1993)
Murder at the National Cathedral by Margaret Truman (released October 12, 1993)
Body and Soul by Frank Conroy (released September 14, 1993)Do you know of any audiobooks René has recorded that are not listed here? Please e-mail Marguerite and we’ll add the information to René’s Page.

Synopses

Crimson Shore by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Hachette Audio

A seemingly straightforward private case turns out to be much more complicated – and sinister – than Special Agent A. X. L. Pendergast ever could have anticipated. Pendergast, together with his ward, Constance Greene, travels to the quaint seaside village of Exmouth, Massachusetts, to investigate the theft of a priceless wine collection. But inside the wine cellar, they find something considerably more disturbing: a bricked-up niche that once held a crumbling skeleton.

Blue Labyrinth by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Hachette Audio

A long-buried family secret resurfaces when one of Aloysius Pendergast’s most implacable enemies shows up on his doorstep as a murdered corpse. The mystery has all the hallmarks of the perfect murder, save for an enigmatic clue: a piece of turquoise lodged in the stomach of the deceased. The gem leads Pendergast to an abandoned mine on the shore of California’s desolate Salton Sea, which in turn propels him on a journey of discovery deep into his family’s sinister past.

White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Hachette Audio

Special Agent Pendergast arrives at an exclusive Colorado ski resort to rescue his protégée, Corrie Swanson, from serious trouble with the law. His sudden appearance coincides with the first attack of a murderous arsonist who – with brutal precision – begins burning down multimillion-dollar mansions with the families locked inside. After springing Corrie from jail, Pendergast learns she made a discovery while examining the bones of several miners who were killed 150 years earlier by a rogue grizzly bear.

“Narrator René Auberjonois is perfection as he portrays the rip-roaring assortment of Preston and Child’s over-the-top characters…Auberjonois’s cool persona is ideal for the black-suited mystery-man Pendergast. As Corrie, he’s a hard-headed 20-something who won’t be bullied. A sadistic serial arsonist, a beleaguered sheriff, wizened miners, and ‘old money’ interests give Auberjonois plenty of opportunities to dazzle.” (AudioFile review)

Blood Royal: A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris by Eric Jager
from Hachette Audio (ASIN: B00IVMAMSY)

On a chilly November night in 1407, Louis of Orleans was murdered by a band of masked men. The crime stunned and paralyzed France since Louis had often ruled in place of his brother King Charles, who had gone mad. As panic seized Paris, an investigation began. In charge was the Provost of Paris, Guillaume de Tignonville, the city’s chief law enforcement officer – and one of history’s first detectives. As de Tignonville began to investigate, he realized that his hunt for the truth was much more dangerous than he ever could have imagined.

Two Graves by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Hachette Audio (ASIN: B00A2ZGSK4)

“There are some books I struggle to finish because the premise is so outlandish that my ‘yea right,’ radar goes off on every page and I can’t find the stories believable. With Preston and Child, however, they can write a book and have the most outlandish premise but I gobble up each page in anticipation of what comes next. I thoroughly enjoy their work. They provide great atmosphere, evil characters, wonderful heroes and a wee bit of stretchy plots, but I always smile when I see a new Pendergast novel.” (review from Amazon.com)

“René Auberjonois dramatically narrates this thriller, marrying the story with appropriate voices for its many characters, including Helen, Pendergast’s FBI colleagues, German and Mexican thugs, and more…. Auberjonois’s versatile performance matches the ambitious and well-paced plot. S.C.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award.” (review from AudioFile)

Extraction by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Hachette Audio (ASIN: B008LYMI0W)

In New Orleans’ French Quarter, the Tooth Fairy isn’t a benevolent sprite who slips money under your pillow at night…. He’s a mysterious old recluse who must be appeased with teeth – lest he extract retribution. When young Diogenes Pendergast loses a tooth, however, his skeptical older brother Aloysius is determined to put the legend to the test…with dire consequences.

KJV Audio Bible, Pure Voice: New Testament
from Audible.com

“The New Testament of the King James Version Bible in a pure voice audio format: each book of the New Testament is read one voice at a time. Clear and uncluttered, this Bible speaks plainly and makes it easier for you to enter into God’s Word.”

KJV Audio Bible, Pure Voice
from Audible.com

“The complete King James Version Bible in a pure voice audio format: each book of the Bible is read to you one voice at a time. Clear and uncluttered, this Bible speaks plainly, and making it easier for you to enter into God’s Word.”

Cold Vengeance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Hachette Audio
ASIN: B005FIPLAG

“Cold Vengeance is book two in the Helen Pendergast Trilogy, in which the special agent is hunting the reason for and the identity of his wife’s murderers. It begins just a few weeks after the events of Fever Dream. In brief, the novel is a deliciously drawn out cat and mouse game between Pendergast and the only opponent left standing in the last novel. As this pursuit unfolds, Pendergast comes to realize, ‘that he truly had not known his beloved wife. Like so many other fallible human beings, he had been blinded by love. He had not even begun to crack the ultimate mystery of her identity’.” (review from Amazon.com)

The Book of John: King James Version Audio Bible
from Audible.com

“The book of John from the poetic, classic King James Version of the Bible is digitally produced to bring the Bible’s stories to life.”

METAtropolis: Cascadia by Jay Lake and other authors
from Audible.com

“This provocative sequel to the Hugo and Audie Award nominated METAtropolis features interconnected stories by today’s top writers of speculative fiction – performed by a galaxy of Star Trek stars.

“As the mid-20th century approaches, the Pacific Northwest has been transformed – politically, economically, and ecologically – into the new reality of Cascadia. Conspiracies and secrets threaten the tenuous threads of society. The End of Days seems nearer than ever. And the legend of the mysterious Tygre Tygre looms large.” (from the publisher’s description on Audible.com)

Fever Dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Hachette Audio (ISBN: 978-1607881940)

“Preston and Child up the emotional ante considerably in their 10th thriller featuring brilliant and eccentric FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast…. For 12 years, Pendergast has believed that the death of his wife, Helen, in the jaws of a ferocious red-maned lion in Zambia was just a tragedy, but his chance examination of the gun she carried on the fateful day reveals that someone loaded it with blanks. Pendergast drags his longtime NYPD ally, Lt. Vincent D’Agosta, into a leave of absence that includes travel to Africa as well as the American South.”

“This book gets basic elements right and tells a compelling story set in the heart of American south…. Recurring characters are kept to a minimum and story is fast paced with thriller elements. Sherlockian style is quite visible here more than any other novels.” (reviews from Amazon.com)

Cemetary Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Hachette Audio (ISBN: 978-1600242656)

“René Auberjonois does a fine job of reading in this production of Cemetery Dance. He presents the text with passion and clarity using the right amount of interpretive skill to engage the listener. A fine actor, he is also a fine reader, a skill that not all actors have.” (review at Metapsychology.MentalHelp.net)

“His portrayal of Agent Pendergast breathes life into the fictional character, pulling him off the pages of the book and presenting him in living color.” (review at Coasters & Doorstops blog)

William Smithback, a New York Times reporter, and his wife Nora Kelly, a Museum of Natural History archaeologist, are brutally attacked in their apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Eyewitnesses claim, and the security camera confirms, that the assailant was their strange, sinister neighbor–a man who, by all reports, was already dead and buried weeks earlier. While Captain Laura Hayward leads the official investigation, Pendergast and Lieutenant Vincent D’Agosta undertake their own private–and decidedly unorthodox–quest for the truth. Their serpentine journey takes them to an enclave of Manhattan they never imagined could exist: a secretive, reclusive cult of Obeah and vodou which no outsiders have ever survived.
(publisher’s description posted on Amazon.com)

Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Hachette Audio (ISBN: 978-1594839412)

FBI Special Agent Pendergast is taking a break from work to take Constance on a whirlwind Grand Tour, hoping to give her closure and a sense of the world that she’s missed. They head to Tibet, where Pendergast intensively trained in martial arts and spiritual studies. At a remote monastery, they learn that a rare and dangerous artifact the monks have been guarding for generations has been mysteriously stolen. As a favor, Pendergast agrees to track and recover the relic. A twisting trail of bloodshed leads Pendergast and Constance to the maiden voyage of the Britannia, the world’s largest and most luxurious ocean liner—and to an Atlantic crossing fraught with terror. (publisher’s description posted on Amazon.com)

The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Time Warner AudioBooks (ISBN: 1594832277)

The New York Museum of Natural History receives their pilfered gem collection back…ground down to dust. Diogenes, the psychotic killer who stole them in Dance of Death, is throwing down the gauntlet to both the city and to his brother, FBI Agent Pendergast, who is currently incarcerated in a maximum security prison. To quell the PR nightmare of the gem fiasco, the museum decides to reopen the Tomb of Senef. An astounding Egyptian temple, it was a popular museum exhibit until the 1930s, when it was quietly closed. But when the tomb is unsealed in preparation for its gala reopening, the killings–and whispers of an ancient curse–begin again.

Bestsellers Preston and Child have come up with another gripping, action-packed page-turner in this concluding volume to a trilogy pitting their Holmesian hero, FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast, against his Mycroft-turned-Moriarty — his younger brother, Diogenes. Picking up shortly after the events of 2005’s Dance of Death, the book opens with the arrival of a package of fine dust at the Museum of Natural History; Diogenes has returned the diamonds he stole earlier. Meanwhile, Aloysius is in prison, having been framed for a number of murders. As his friends plot to spring him, his adversary lays the groundwork for a crowning criminal achievement. A mysterious benefactor funds the restoration of an ancient Egyptian tomb at the museum, but the work is beset by the mayhem Preston and Child’s readers have come to expect—gory murders and suggestions of the supernatural. This entry, tying up many loose ends from its predecessors, is less likely to work as well for first-time readers, but followers of Aloysius Pendergast’s previous exploits will find it a satisfying read with a tantalizing, ominous twist at the end. (publisher’s blurb and Publisher’s Weekly review on Amazon.com website)

Dance of Death by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Time Warner AudioBooks (ISBN: 1594830444)

Preston and Child revisit Special FBI Agent Aloysius Pendergast, last seen in 2004’s Brimstone, and others from past bestsellers (Relic; The Cabinet of Curiosities) in this intriguing thriller set in and around New York City and the halls of the Museum of Natural History. Born a misanthropic loner but driven insane by seeing his parents burned alive when he was a teen, Aloysius’s madman brother, Diogenes, has begun murdering Aloysius’s friends. Aloysius begs old friend Lt. Vincent D’Agosta to help him defeat his brother, and Vincent does his best while the brothers spar and others die. There are a number of subplots, one involving an ATM robber and flasher known as the Dangler and another focusing on the museum’s exhibition of sacred masks, but these fade away as the deadly duel between the brothers takes center stage. Think Sherlock Holmes locked in a death struggle with his smarter brother, Mycroft. Like Brimstone, this novel doesn’t end so much as simply pause while the authors work on the next installment. (Publisher’s Weekly review on Amazon.com website)

“This audiobook includes a special feature at the end of the story — an interview conducted by the authors with their character Agent Pendergast, played by René. The interview isn’t very long, but the authors pose some interesting questions and Pendergast’s replies are just what we’d expect if that gentleman was ever put on the spot by inquisitive journalists: intelligent, polite, cultured, but firm in deflecting questions he considers inappropriate. An entertaining addition to the audiobook.” (-Marguerite)

Brimstone by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Time Warner AudioBooks (ISBN: 1586216570)

Agent Pendergast returns in a new suspense thriller from New York Times bestselling authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Art critic Jeremy Grove is found dead, his face frozen in a mask of terror. His body temperature is grotesquely high; he is discovered in a room barricaded from the inside; the smell of brimstone is everywhere…and the unmistakable imprint of a claw is burned into the wall. As more bodies are discovered–their only connection the bizarre but identical manner of death–the world begins to wonder if the Devil has, in fact, come to collect his due. Teaming with Police Officer Vincent DAgosta (The Relic), Agent Pendergast is determined to solve this case that appears to defy everything except supernatural logic. Their investigation takes them from the luxury estates of Long Island to the crumbling, legend-shrouded castles of the Italian countryside, where Pendergast faces the most treacherous and dangerous adversary of his career.

” Preston and Child’s mystery/thrillers are not for the faint of heart or queasy of stomach. They dance back and forth across the genre boundary between “thriller” and “horror story” so often that I doubt I would want to watch a film version of any of their novels — too much graphic (verging on gratuitous) violence for my taste. Also, some of their secondary characters are stock figures with predictable personalities and too-obvious roles in the story. But don’t let such minor flaws scare you away from these books. Agent Pendergast is an intriguing character, a heroic loner with intelligence, physical courage, and a mysterious past. Best of all, René’s performance brings all of the characters to vivid life, and keeps you on the edge of your seat as you listen to the tale unfold.” (-Marguerite)

Still Life With Crows by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Time Warner AudioBooks (ISBN: 1586215043)
This latest Preston and Child thriller, even in abbreviated form, offers gore galore, mutilations, bizarre ritual murders, an obstreperous sheriff, a young woman in jeopardy, a town consumed by terror and a spooky local legend-in short, an abundance of traditional suspense novel ingredients. Compensating for this apparent lack of imagination is the thriller’s remarkable hero, Special Agent Pendergast, who’s on leave from the FBI. This somewhat ethereal, cerebral specialist in macabre murders is a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Mulder of The X-Files, but with his courtly Southern manner and combat expertise, he’s very much his own man.

Narrator Auberjonois, a familiar stage and screen presence, uses an appropriately silky accent and a playfully sarcastic tone for Pendergast. Auberjonois is equally successful with the other characters, especially the hard-headed but good-hearted Sheriff Dent Hazen, who emerges as a Wilfred Brimley minus the bluster; 18-year-old town rebel Corrie Swanson; and the killer, whose method of communication would challenge any vocal interpreter. Equally important, Auberjonois narrates the tale with the sort of mesmerizing intensity that can, and does, turn a fairly familiar yarn into a scary campfire chillfest.

The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
from Time Warner AudioBooks (ISBN: 158621280X)

In downtown Manhattan, a gruesome discovery has just been made-an underground charnel house containing the bones of dozens of murder victims. Research reveals that a serial killer was at work in New York’s notorious Five Points neighborhood in the 1880s, bent on prolonging his lifespan by any means. When a newspaper story on the old murders appears to ignite a new series of horrifyingly similar killings, panic overtakes New York City. Now, FBI agent Pendergast, journalist Bill Smithback, and archaeologist Nora Kelly join forces to protect themselves from a vicious killer…before they become the next victims.

The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Vol. 2 (Star Trek: The Eugenics Wars) by Greg Cox
from Simon & Schuster Audio (ISBN: 074352067X)

Many unanswered questions remain about the terrible Eugenics Wars that raged on Earth during the 1990s, an apocalyptic conflict that brought civilization to the brink of a new dark age. Centuries later, as Capt. James T. Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise are forced to defend a colony of genetically enhanced humans against Klingon aggression and sabotage, Kirk must probe deeper into the past — and into the glory days of one of the greatest adversaries he has ever faced.

Frenchtown Summer by Robert Cormier
from Listening Library (ISBN: 0807282561. Approx. 2 hours)

In the summer of his first paper route, as he walks the tenement canyons of his hometown, Eugene begins his journey of self-awareness. It is the summer of his first love, of expeditions with his boisterous cousins, of exciting encounters with friends and bitter ones with enemies. But it is most especially the summer of the airplane and the bond it creates between Eugene and the distant, enigmatic father he adores.

Isaac Asimov Countdown 2000 Collection, edited by Martin H. Greenberg
from Durkin-Hayes Publishing Ltd. (ISBN: 1552049671. Approx. 5 hours.)

Originally published as Isaac Asimov Presents:
Volume 1:
“Captive Market” by Philip K. Dick
“The Last of the Deliverers” by Poul Anderson
Volume 2:
“World of a Thousand Colors” by Robert Silverberg
“Imposter” by Philip K. Dick
Volume 3:
“Silent Brother” by Algis Budrys
“Ishmael in Love” by Robert Silverberg
Volume 4:
“The Victim from Space” by Robert Sheckley
“Honorable Enemies” by Poul Anderson

Talismans of Shannara by Terry Brooks
from Dove Audio (ASIN: 0787102466, 80 minutes)

The descendants of Shannara attempt to escape the traps set by Rimmer Dall, leader of the Shadowen, and Par looks for a way to use the Sword of Shannara.

The Last Day by Glenn Kleier
from Time Warner AudioBooks (ISBN: 1-570-42549-3, 360 minutes)

The time is New Year’s Eve, 1999. As midnight approaches, a moment of intense expectation for millions, cynical TV correspondent John Feldman prepares to report from Jerusalem that the new year has brought nothing of “cosmic significance.” But at one second before midnight something incredible happens- a geological event of staggering proportion, followed by reports of the “arrival” of a woman with miraculous powers. Sensing a good story, Feldman tracks down the woman, who by now has cast her spell over millions, and begins a relationship that will alternately fascinate, humble, and terrify him. As he pursues his leads, his investigation begins to center on a top-secret project and a scientific plan that seems to have gone awry. Filled with electrifying revelations and knife-edged suspense, The Last Day invites you to a New Year’s Eve you’ll never forget.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
from Random House Audiobooks (ASIN: 0679460845, 120 minutes)

In 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby was the vibrant 43-year-old editor-in-chief of French ‘Elle,’ but by the end of the year he was the victim of a rare kind of stroke to the brain stem. Bauby awoke from a 20-day coma to a body that had all but stopped working–only his left eye functioned. Miraculously, he was able to express himself by blinking to select letters as a special alphabet was slowly recited to him. He ‘dictated’ his thoughts a letter at a time, and, eventually, composed this extraordinary book. Bauby died two days after the French publication of his book. It stands as a lasting testament to life.

Shadow Dawn by George Lucas and Chris Claremont
from Random House Audiobooks (ISBN: 0553474111, 180 minutes)

The considerable vocal talents of Rene Auberjonois once again transport the listener in the sequel to Shadow Moon. The Princess Elora Dannon has spent three years studying and maturing; now she must join her allies as a new war wages in order to save her world from the evil Deceiver. A multitude of fantastic characters, including dragons and brownies, is given voice with grace and imagination by Auberjonois. Accents of Celtic music enhance the other-worldly atmosphere, as does the range of vocal effects: the gravelly menace of the Deceiver, the strength and innocence of the young Elora, and the majesty of the dragons.

Mind Slash Matter by Edward Wellen
from Durkin-Hayes Publishing Ltd. (ISBN: 0-88646-389-0, 180 minutes)

A brilliant screenwriter is tragically stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. In anticipation of this he has prepared an intricate computer program to look after him and direct his every move. As a result, he fools everyone into thinking he is still normal, including the police, who suspect him of several slasher murders. While the screenwriter wanders ever closer to disaster, the computer diligently investigates events as far back as WWII to find the real murderer. Humorous, touching, melancholy and shocking, this is a mystery with a truly unique twist.

“Mesmerizing. With this one, you’ll forget you’re listening to only one person reading.” (-Cristy)

“This is, as Cristy says, mesmerizing. This is the sort of book I can’t imagine reading (it’s one of those sparse, ‘macho’ tales), but it makes for an amazing listen!” (-Carolyn)

Shadow Moon by George Lucas and Chris Claremont
from Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing (ISBN: 0-553-47399-9, 180 minutes)

Thirteen years have passed since the battle of Knockmar, where a wayward band of heroes brought together by circumstance broke the hold of evil on the land. But their triumph was short-lived. Within a year the land was plunged into an unrelenting storm of war and chaos, lashed by ancient rivalries and unforgiving hatreds in the realms of both flesh and spirit. According to prophecy, there is only one hope for true and lasting peace: the Princess Elora Danan. But this girl, for whom brave souls fought and died, is little more than a spoiled brat, who makes miserable the lives of all around her. Seemingly, she is no match for the forces of unimaginable malevolence marshaling against her. Why has the fate of the Great Realms been placed in the hands of such a shallow and willful monster as Elora? To answer this and other haunting questions, an itinerant wanderer, Thorn, whose fate is strangely bound to Elora’s, must escape from the castle’s labyrinthine dungeon, and strike a devil’s bargain. He must perform a dangerous and forbidden rite of necromancy to resurrect a powerful warrior from her soulless sleep… and try to rescue a child. But even if he succeeds, they will be alone in a world of blood and horror; where shadows have declared war on the light, where old loyalties have been cast aside and trust is meaningless. The world is tumbling toward the abyss. Only one person can save it. And she couldn’t care less.

Mission Impossible by Peter Barsocchini
from Simon & Schuster Audio (120 minutes)
Thriller. Out of print (or perhaps never made available).

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
from Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing (ISBN: 0-553-47406-5, 160 minutes)

After Chester lands in the Times Square subway station, he makes himself comfortable in a nearby newsstand. There, he has the good fortune to make three new friends: Mario, a little boy whose parents run the failing newsstand, Tucker, a fast-talking Broadway mouse, and Tucker’s sidekick, Harry the Cat. The escapades of these four friends in bustling New York City makes for lively listening and humorous entertainment. And somehow, they manage to bring a taste of success to the nearly bankrupt newsstand.(Young Listener’s Collection.)

“This has got to be one of the nicest ‘listens’ I’ve ever had. Next rainy day, grab the kids, grab the cats, and snuggle up together to listen to this gentle, enchanting tale, brought to amazing and wonderful life by René. The time will fly, and I suspect you’ll hear an end to those cries of ‘I don’t have NUTHIN’ to DO!’ (Anyway, my cats seem to like it! :-D) A good ‘road tape’, too!” (- Carolyn)

Batman Forever by Peter David
from Time Warner AudioBooks (ISBN: 1-57042-273-7, 180 minutes)

In an amazing new adventure, Batman, Gotham’s Dark Knight, plunges into battle against two brilliant villains; Two-Face, disfigured by chance and fueled by vengeance, plans to destroy Batman; while the Riddler, a disillusioned genius, plots the destruction of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Batman is outnumbered… until he is joined by his daredevil partner, Robin, in a fight for the future of Gotham City. As Two-Face and The Riddler plot their twin schemes against Batman, the commitment is made, and the plan springs into action to destroy Batman… forever!

“Worth a listen, especially to hear René’s impression of Jim Carrey!” (- Cristy)

Last Defender of Camelot by Roger Zelazny
from Durkin-Hayes Publishing Ltd. (ASIN: 0886467373, 80 minutes)

One thousand years later and the tale of Sir Lancelot continues….

“This is a wonderful story. I’d never read Zelazny before, and found this story of Sir Lancelot in the 20th Century thoroughly riveting. I also loved the second, shorter tale included on the tape, ‘The Horses of Mir’.”
(- Carolyn)

Unicorn Variation by Roger Zelazny
from Durkin-Hayes Publishing Ltd. (ASIN: 0886467365, 80 minutes)

‘More beer,’ quoth the griffin. Man’s reign on Earth is almost over. Waiting in the wings are the creatures of myth and legend that our reality has denied existence for too long. The boisterous griffin, the thoughtful sasquatch, and most dangerous of all, the charming, but devious, unicorn….

The Fourth Procedure by Stanley Pottinger
from Random House Audiobooks (ISBN: 0-679-44299-5, 240 minutes)

The first procedure: the patient is perfect. The theory is borne out. But something goes horribly wrong…. The second procedure: the police are alerted. A pattern is emerging. Time is running out…. The third procedure: complications terminate it. The risks are mounting. There’s only one alternative…. The fourth procedure: when it happens, it will make medical history. And then no man will be safe….

Warped (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) by K. W. Jeter
from Simon & Schuster Audio (ISBN: 0-671-52120-9, 120 minutes)

Political tensions on Bajor are once again on the rise, and the various factions may soon come to open conflict. In addition, a series of murders on the station have shaken everyone on board. While Security Chief Odo investigates the murders, Commander Sisko finds himself butting up against a political faction that plans to take over Bajor and force the Federation to leave Deep Space Nine . Odo soon traces the murders to a bizarre and dangerous new form of holosuite technology. As the situation deteriorates on Bajor, Sisko learns that the political conflict and the new holosuites are connected. They are both the work of a single dangerous man with a plan that threatens the very fabric of reality. But the plot is darker than anything Sisko has faced before, and to defeat it, he must enter the heart of a twisted, evil world that threatens to overtake the station – and his own son.

The List of 7 by Mark Frost
from Dove Audio (ISBN: 0-7871-0238-5, 180 minutes)

The game is set afoot when an anonymous note from a lady in distress sets Arthur Conan Doyle – rising young surgeon and part-time demystifier of the occult – on the trail of a dangerous group of elite Satanists known as the Dark Brotherhood. Joining Doyle on his perilous quest is one Jack Sparks, special agent to Queen Victoria and a man of great daring and bravado, but one who is also shrouded as much in mystery and sinister potential as the Brotherhood they face, a mystery Doyle must unravel as great personal risk. Mark Frost presents ingenious explanations for the creation of some of fiction’s most famous characters, while filling his story with epic heroes, horrific villains, death-defying stunts, and incredible escapades – including a final shocker guaranteed to leave you speechless.

“Wonderful! René does many marvelous accents in this one.” (-Cristy)

Fallen Heroes (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) by Dafydd ab Hugh
from Simon & Schuster Audio (ISBN: 0-671-89182-0, 120 minutes)

When a troop of alien warriors demands the return of an imprisoned comrade – a prisoner no one on Deep Space Nine knows anything about – Commander Benjamin Sisko has a deadly fight on his hands. Under sudden attack from the heavily armed warriors, Sisko and his crew struggle desperately to repel the invaders and save the lives of everyone on board. Meanwhile, a strange device from the Gamma Quadrant has shifted Ferengi barkeeper Quark and Security Chief Odo three days into the future to a silent Deep Space Nine littered with the bodies of their fallen crewmates. To save the station they must discover what caused the invasion to take place – and find a pathway back through time itself.

“Riveting! In my opinion, the best of the Deep Space Nine novels. And René does a wonderful Quark impression!” (-Cristy)

Slaves of Sleep & The Masters of Sleep by L. Ron Hubbard
from Bridge Audio (ISBN: 0-88404-656-7, 360 minutes)

Jan Palmer, the unwilling president of a Seattle steamship company, secretly yearns to break free of his corporate responsibilities. However, his fortunes take an abrupt change when Professor Frobish, a meddling academic, breaks the seal on an old Arabian copper jar Jan has inherited and releases a terrifying Djinn, Zongri. The Djinn promptly slays Frobish with one slash of his scimitar and curses Jan with “Eternal Wakefulness” before vanishing. When the police arrive, it is Jan who is found by the blood-stained corpse and arrested for murder. This is just the beginning of Jan’s troubles. On Earth, he is locked in a prison cell awaiting trial. But every time he falls asleep, the curse strikes and he turns into Tiger, a swashbuckling rogue living in the strange world of the Djinn, where humans rank below slaves and the evil Zongri roams unfettered. And Jan Palmer, wrestling with his two lives, not daring to sleep for fear of the consequences, faces danger and death at every turn.

“Hilarious! And René does some fantastic voices in this one.” (-Cristy)

Murder at the National Cathedral by Margaret Truman
from Random House Audiobooks (ASIN: 0679429565, 180 minutes)

Murder didn’t stop Georgetown law professor Mac Smith (Murder at the Kennedy Center) and Annabel Reed from falling in love or from getting married at the National Cathedral. But the brutal murder of a friend forces the couple from their newlywed bliss into an unholy web of intrigue and danger. Truman brings her “insider” savvy to another intriguing Washington locale in this suspense-charged “Capital Crime” caper.

Body and Soul by Frank Conroy
from Random House Audiobooks (ISBN: 0-679-43101-2, 180 minutes)

Here is the story of a young man whose life is transformed by a gift. As a boy, Claude Rawlings is poor and lonely, and he faces the terrible task of growing up on the margins of life, destined to be a spectator of that great world always hurrying out of reach. But there is an out-of-tune piano in the small apartment he shares with his eccentric mother, and in unlocking the secrets of the keys, Claude discovers himself. The rewards of this gift take Claude on a journey that he only ever dreamed of – to the drawing rooms of the rich and powerful, into a marriage of great wealth, and ultimately, to Carnegie Hall. Claude moves through this life as if he were playing a difficult composition, swept up in its drama and tension, surprised by its grace notes. Music, here, becomes a character in its own right, equaled in strength only by the music of Frank Conroy’s own unmistakable and true voice.

“Although Claude’s gift is music, this story could be about anyone with the soul of an artist. It also touches on universal human themes; the search for identity, the need for love, the attempt to find meaning in life. Rene’s reading is exquisite. Each of the major characters has such a distinctive voice that it’s hard to believe only one man read them all — it sounds more like a multi-actor radio drama!” (- Marguerite)