The following article presents some of this author’s favorite narrators of mystery books. These narrators help bring the mysteries to life. They provide the rich tones which enable us to sit back and enjoy the mystery authors’ works. This article will only (very briefly) mention some of the mysteries that the following narrators have made. It will by no means list all of the narrators’ works!
Colin Buchanan
Actor Colin Buchanan is probably best known for his portrayal of Pascoe in the television productions of Reginald Hill’s Dalziel & Pascoe mysteries. This Scottish graduate of the London Drama Centre has narrated several of Reginald Hill’s audio book mysteries.
Len Cariou
Tony Award winning actor Len Cariou has had a long and distinguished dramatic career in both the USA and Canada. He has appeared in movies as well as on stage. He has also garnered high praise for his audio book narrations, which include books by best-selling authors Michael Connelly and James Patterson.
Barbara Caruso
Mystery fans who have listened to audio books by Edna Buchanan or James Patterson have no doubt enjoyed the narrations of Barbara Caruso. Caruso is also an actress, which helps explain her rich portrayals. Caruso first started narrating audio books for the American Foundation for the Blind. She received the Alexander Scrouby Award, which is a very high award given by the American foundation for the Blind for excellent work in audio books.
Boyd Gaines
Boyd Gaines joined the television cast of “One Day at a Time” years before becoming a mystery audio book narrator. He has brought Caleb Carr’s mysteries to life, and has also won Tony Awards, as well!
Brian Glover
Glover is memorable in the Lord Peter Wimsey television productions, where he portrays Lord Wimsey’s butler, Lugg. He has lent his acting skills to Reginald Hill’s Dalziel & Pascoe mystery audio books.
Joan Hickson
Joan Hickson is a treat to watch and hear. She portrays Miss Jane Marple in the BBC’s Miss Marple mystery series. She also narrates several of the Agatha Christie Miss Marple novels. What a treat! She is a perfect choice for the Miss Marple readings and portrayals. Agatha Christie actually thought she would be a perfect Miss Marple.
Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek Jacobi is not only a very accomplished actor; he is also a very talented audio book narrator. He has narrated a vast amount of books – from Homer’s Odyssey to Peter Graves’ I Claudius, to Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael Mysteries. It is no wonder that he has won so many awards for his work in audio book narrations.
Lisette Lecat
Lisette Lecat was born in South Africa. This accounts for the wonderful accent she lends the characters as she narrates Alexander McCall Smith’s the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency mystery series. Her voice has a melodious quality which brings a humanity to all of the novels’ characters. It is truly a delightful experience to listen to Lecat’s narrations.
Nadia May, Wanda McCaddon, Donada Peters
Wanda McCaddon is an audio book narrator who has won many awards. She has a tremendous ear for accents, and is able to take the audio book listener to distant locations using her incredible mastery of accents. Elizabeth George, Ruth Rendell, Agatha Christie, and Ngaio Marsh are just a few authors whose mystery books have been brought to life by May/McCaddon/Peters
John McDonough
Perhaps a lot of people visually recognize John McDonough as the second Captain Kangaroo, but a lot of people also recognize his voices as the terrific narrator of Jan Karon’s Mitford (non-mystery) series. McDonough’s voice is so peaceful to listen to, with very soothing qualities. Once you have heard McDonough, he will become instantly recognizable to you.
Davina Porter
Davina Porter narrates best selling books in a manner that allows the listener to enjoy every aspect of the mystery novel. Porter is one of the first narrators of books. Her ease with mastering accents (whether for male or female protagonists) is truly an art form. She narrates the Isabel Dalhousie (non-mystery) series by Alexander McCall Smith, the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt mystery series by Anne Perry, Cynthia Riggs’ Martha’s Vineyard mysteries, and mysteries by such masters as Ruth Rendell and Elizabeth George.
Barbara Rosenblat
There is a reason that Barbara Rosenblat has won more Audie Awards than any other audio book narrator: She is terrific! Rosenblat is a narrator, as well as an actress. If you have ever had the privilege of hearing Rosenblat’s work, you would probably be hard-pressed to decipher where she lives (New York!) Her characterizations are so believable that it truly is difficult to pin her native accent down. She has narrated for such distinguished authors as: Elizabeth Peters, Linda Fairstein, Lisa Scottoline, Kathy Reichs, Diane Mott Davdison, Nevada Barr, and Dorothy Gilman.
James Saxon
James Saxon is a very distinguished British actor who has also leant his talents to audio books. Ngaio Marsh, P. G. Wodehouse, and Agatha Christie are amongst the authors for whom he has narrated.
David Suchet
Who better to narrate Agatha Christie’s Hercules Poirot mystery books than the actor who personified the fictional detective? In 1991, Suchet was nominated for the BAFTA (comparable to the Emmy) for his portrayal of Hercules Poirot, and in 2008, he won an Emmy for his roll in “The Way We Live Now. His narrations are true treats to hear.
Stephen Thorne
If you are an Ellis Peters audio book fan, then no doubt you have heard the wonderful work of Stephen Thorne. He has performed in television, movies, radio, and on stage, as well as his accomplished performances in well over 300 audio books.
These are just several of the audio book narrators who this author feels a particular allegiance to. There are many more excellent performers audio books who will no doubt be in this author’s next article that covers mystery audio book performers.