RORY KINNEAR
The only book I know of that Rory Kinnear has narrated (so far) is THE WORD IS MURDER by Anthony Horowitz. The Word is Murder is the first book in a planned series, however, so I have great hope that Kinnear will keep narrating. Kinnear’s narration of this book was so good that I frequently stopped whatever else I was doing and just sat there, marveling at his skill. Kinnear not only gave different, nuanced voices to every character in The Word is Murder, you could also hear personality traits and feel whatever it was the character was feeling.
JANUARY LAVOY
January LaVoy has narrated a lot of books from popular authors like James Patterson, Mary Higgins Clark, and John Grisham. I personally loved her reading of Paula McLain’s LOVE AND RUIN. This tale of Ernest Hemingway’s third wife, Martha Gelhorn, who was a talented author and journalist in her own right, was fascinating to me, and I couldn’t stop listening.
STEVE SHANAHAN
Let me start by gushing about Jane Harper, a mystery author who is so good at writing about the Australian Outback as a character that even if you read her work on a cold December day, your mouth will suddenly be parched, and you’ll start checking your skin for sun damage. Add Steve Shanahan’s excellent narration of Harper’s books to the equation, and you’ll be absolutely transported into the story. Start with Harper’s first book, THE DRY, or with her most recent stand-alone, THE LOST MAN.
BAHNI TURPIN
Bahni Turpin has been getting a lot of praise for her amazing reading of the breakaway YA title of 2018, CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE. However, Turpin is also a great narrator to keep your eye on if you’re interested in YA books with a social justice theme. Turpin also narrated the breakout hits THE HATE U GIVE and the young readers edition of HIDDEN FIGURES.
JULIA WHELAN
Julia Whelan has narrated not one, but two of my favorite books that have come out recently. Her excellent reading of Tara Westover’s memoir, EDUCATED, about a young woman growing up in a survivalist family in Idaho, is gripping storytelling made even more amazing by the fact that it really happened. Whelan also narrates FAR FROM THE TREE an award-winning YA novel about three siblings separated by adoption who find each other as teenagers, which I found very touching. Listen to Far from the Tree with tissues handy.