Articles by Ellen Quint

Summer walks, hikes, gardening, or even cleaning out the garage can all be made more enjoyable with a good audiobook. Fortunately for mystery audio enthusiasts, several new...

At Thrillerfest XIX, the annual conference of the International Thriller Writers, which took place in New York City from May 28 to June 1, I had the privilege of participating...

2024 has already provided audiophiles with a great selection of mystery/thriller audiobooks including both ongoing series and standalone gems. Let's dive into our top...

I didn't make it to the Audies Awards in Los Angeles this year, but I was glad to be able to watch the livestream, which gave all of us an opportunity to see and hear...

Before I close the book, or should I say the audiobook, completely on 2023, I wanted to draw attention to several outstanding mysteries from last year that you shouldn’t...

AudioFile's 2023 Best Mystery & Suspense Audiobooks promise a thrilling journey for listeners across the globe, exploring locales in Australia, New Zealand, England, and...

This month I turn to historical mysteries that allow us to take a time machine back to periods of wartime. The recommendations below sample the diversity of audiobooks covering...

October usually means focusing on horror, thrillers, and ghost stories. But frankly, the nonstop news of the world has filled my horror quotient for the month. So, my focus for...

It's a true delight for audiobook listeners when a story is brought to life by more than one narrator. It's akin to experiencing a personalized theatrical performance...

After a Covid-deferred and eagerly awaited trip to Australia, I found myself totally captivated by the land down under. Yet you, my fellow audiophile mystery/suspense fans, are...

Summer is the perfect time to visit your favorite characters who return in new additions to your go-to series. Listeners have been treated to several this spring and summer. As...

Once again, thriller/suspense/mystery writers, both published and aspiring, gathered for Thrillerfest XVIII in New York City to celebrate their craft. The lineup of honorees,...

As May is a month filled with family celebrations for Mother’s Day and graduations, it seems appropriate to focus on families in mysteries—and there are plenty to...

I was very excited that the Audie Awards returned to an in-person gala in 2023, even though I was unfortunately unable to attend in person this year (thank goodness for live...

In honor of Women’s History Month, I'm recommending four historical mystery audiobooks that bring us strong, confident female protagonists performed by accomplished...

2023 has kicked off with a deliciously fulfilling start for mystery/suspense audiophiles. We have many new additions to favorite series. Below is a sampling of the recent...

In my look back at the year of mystery audiobooks in 2022, I came across several outstanding Earphones Award-winning audiobooks that I had missed. So, before 2022 becomes a...

This year’s best mystery and suspense audiobooks demonstrate the wide variety of audio experiences available for listeners in this category. While there is great diversity...

Historical mysteries on audio are an engaging way to get a view into life just before, during, and after WWII. This period offers a rich emotional background for uncovering the...

Cooler weather and ghosts, goblins, and huge skeletons appearing on lawns in the neighborhood announce the arrival of my favorite season—and my favorite holiday. The...

Having recently listened to several mystery audiobooks featuring multiple narrators, I have come to appreciate the investment made to provide listeners with the resulting...

While there doesn’t seem to be universal agreement on what constitutes the ideal beach book, I am going to throw my sunhat in on what I consider to be a sizzling summer...

It was a thrill to attend Thrillerfest XVII in person in Midtown Manhattan in early June. As with so many other events, the conference had been held virtually the past two...

This June we are celebrating three new additions to the pantheon of Golden Voices, outstanding narrators who have provided us with so many hours of listening pleasure over the...

I recently viewed an exhibit at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art featuring the works of the American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910), who famously painted scenes from...

Spring is here. And so is spring fever, only intensified by two years of travel limitations. So once again, I am turning to audiobooks to transport me to faraway places. Murder...

In anticipation of Mother’s Day, I call your attention to mystery audiobooks that have at their core the power of motherhood—for good and for evil. While the stories...

I have great respect and admiration for writers who can capture the essence of characters and generate engaging plots in the limited space of a short story. For audiophiles, a...

How amazing is it when a favorite author launches a new series? As with TV show spin-offs, new mystery book series often grow out of an established series through the...

While March 8, 2022, marked International Women’s Day, we celebrate Women’s History Month throughout March, which provides a great reason to spotlight mystery...

The 27th annual Audie Award winners were announced at the virtual Audies gala on Friday evening, March 4. The Audies are the annual awards given by the Audio Publishers...

Unhampered by the constraints of the police or the private investigator, amateur sleuths can be anyone—and do just about anything. As you can see from a small sampling of...

Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us, and love is in the air. So I present for your listening pleasure a collection of mystery/thrillers that involve a variety of...

Let me start with narrator Susan Dalian, who has been very busy voicing a number of new audiobooks. Dalian was the 2021 Audie Award winner in Thriller/Suspense for her...

Holiday downtime gave me a chance to peruse all of the "best" lists that came out at the end of the year—and I discovered some mystery and thriller audiobooks...

This may be a time of year that you're getting together with family—or wishing that you were. But the world is complicated (and for that matter, so are families). So I...

In listening to AudioFile’s Best Mystery Audiobooks of 2021, I especially enjoyed the L.A. Theatre Works presentation of Agatha Christie's THE MURDER ON THE LINKS,...

It's been a strange year in many ways, but 2021 has provided listeners with a library full of outstanding mystery and suspense audiobooks. AudioFile has now selected the...

When you bring together a former Presidential candidate, Secretary of State, and First Lady—Hillary Rodham Clinton—with a bestselling and beloved mystery...

On November 11 we commemorate Veterans Day. This is an opportunity to focus on audiobook mysteries that provide a window into the human side of world events and that explore the...

Lawns and stoops are decorated with ghosts, goblins, and pumpkins. Will the trick-or-treaters be back this year? While I'm not sure about that, I am confident that the...

There is something so satisfying about finally getting into the newest book in a series that you have been waiting for. It’s like meeting up with family and friends that...

Is the temperature outside still summer-like where you are? It is here, but the natural and man-made challenges we're facing right now have put a different kind of chill in...

September has always been a time of new beginnings, such as the start of the school year. So sharpen your pencils and study up on these fresh fall mystery listens. Everyone...

August is Women in Translation Month, and I'm glad to focus on some audiobook mysteries in translation from European authors. Audiobooks in translation have an additional...

Is it too soon for authors to set their mysteries and thrillers during the pandemic? Are listeners ready to engage with stories that feel too much like the challenging misery...

More precious this year than ever is the opportunity to relax by the pool, at the beach, by the lake, on the deck—to be outside with friends and family. Perhaps still with...

This year, Thrillerfest took place as a series of virtual events from June 28-July 10. Having attended live Thrillerfests pre-COVID, I have to acknowledge the pros and cons of...

As you know, the 2021 Golden Voices are Cassandra Campbell, Michael Crouch, and Soneela Nankani. Please see my article from earlier this month featuring Cassandra Campbell....

June is our time to celebrate AudioFile Magazine’s Golden Voices. The newest additions to this very select list of outstanding narrators are Cassandra Campbell, Michael...

My passport has been gathering dust over this past year. I am feeling—deeply—spring fever and the need to hit the road. My remedy for the moment is to listen to...

The 75th Annual Edgar Awards were presented by the Mystery Writers of America on April 29, 2021. As one of the COVID dividends, all were invited to attend the ceremonies...

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, which we celebrate in May, I wanted to highlight a selection of audiobook mysteries written by AAPI...

We can all agree this has been a challenging year. It’s been a little over a year since our lives were put on pause and a deeply unsettling sense of uncertainty kept us in...

March was a busy month—so much so that I didn’t have the chance to recognize Irish mystery authors and narrators in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. But...

March is Women’s History Month, and it's a perfect time to explore the genre of women’s historical mysteries. Let us acknowledge the challenge authors face in...

I had the privilege of attending the 2020 Audie Award Gala on March 2 last year. It was a sparkly, exciting, energy-filled event. Who knew that would be my last in-person event...

It’s February, and in my neighborhood, the snow is piled high and the forecast is calling for more of the same. So it's definitely time to let audiobooks fly me away...

Yes, it’s already February 2021. In spite of not being able to be together with loved ones, meet potential new loved ones in person, touch, or, heaven forbid, kiss,...

After almost a year of COVID and social distancing, some of us are desperately missing family members, while others are suffering from the claustrophobic pressure of constant...

On December 12, 2020, spy thriller master John le Carré (actually the pen name for David Cornwell) passed away from pneumonia at the age of eighty-nine. After a year of...

The snow has arrived in the Northeast, covering my world with a foot of beautiful white snow—which is slowly turning gray to match the sky. Can you tell that I am feeling...

Living in COVID times has forced us to reassess all of the everyday life activities that we had taken for granted: Casually dropping into the grocery store; going to the movies or...

With everything unfolding in 2020, it’s a relief to see that creative brilliance still shines through and we can celebrate the results. Congratulations to the winners of the 2020...

Last week on November 11 we commemorated Veteran’s Day, honoring those who served. Listening to audiobook mysteries set in wartime provides a unique window into the fears,...

As promised, I am returning to the topic of favorite narrators to share with you four of my favorite female narrators as a way to meet AudioFile's Listening Challenge #12: Listen...

Fellow mystery audiophiles, before I dive into my creepy recommendations for the Halloween season, I want to call your attention to a very special FREE event that you are all...

Why not take on AudioFile’s Listening Challenge #12: Listen to an audiobook performed by your favorite narrator. As an audiophile, I often find myself looking for my next...

We are living in historic times. That’s what we keep hearing. Well, there are many moments these days when I would prefer to live in some other historic times, and that is when I...

With all that is going on in the world, the fact that August was Women in Translation Month (#WITMonth) somehow didn't make it onto my radar. Maybe it was that overwhelming sense...

Looking for your next mystery/thriller audiobook? Why not choose an Earphones Award winner? You may wonder what it takes for an audiobook to earn that designation. The award is...

I call to your attention the contributions of Black authors to the mystery/thriller genre. To go deeper than some of the better-known Black mystery authors I have mentioned often...

If you haven't already taken up AudioFile's Listening Challenge 2020, please allow me to call your attention to the initiative. Throughout the new year, AudioFile is suggesting a...

When I posted the recent blog on audiobook series to indulge in during our continued state of captivity, I realized I had focused almost exclusively on male authors. Well, there...

In these turbulent times, I find comfort in focusing on the silver linings—the positive, unanticipated benefits. For me this has included connecting with family and friends more...

Part 1: Listen and Hear Let me start by saying that my original plan for this week’s blog post was to focus on the Edgar Award winners (which you will find below). But what is...

What does it take to be honored as a Golden Voice narrator?  To join the ranks of such narrating luminaries as Simon Vance, George Guidall, Dion Graham, Bahni Turpin, Robin Miles,...

What’s a grandmother to do? My 6-year-old grandson has become so enraptured with listening to Jim Dale’s reading of the HARRY POTTER series that he drew a lightning bolt on his...

In our forced stay-at-home situation, many of us are consuming content at an accelerated pace. I heard one comedian claiming to have gotten to the end of Netflix. Fortunately for...

Living in NYC, in the pandemic's epicenter, under a stay-at-home mandate, I find myself thinking about the things I am missing most: Once I get past hugging and playing with my...

I'm reporting from the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic, New York City—Brooklyn, to be exact. I feel like I am in a terrifying Stephen King novel with no end. The streets are eerily...

Corona Craziness surrounds us. I can’t minimize the anxiety it's raising for our health, our economy, our wonderful way of life. But if you are in need of, or open to, a bit of...

The Audies Gala dazzled—the gowns, the world of audiobook stars, the excitement, the energy! All this turned me into a super gawking fan girl. Having discussed the...

It’s Audie Awards season. The Audie Gala, where the winners will be announced, will be held March 2 in New York City. In preparation for the 25th anniversary of the annual awards,...

Valentine’s Day is approaching, bringing thoughts of relationships. While mystery series are filled with threats and death, they keep us coming back because of the relationships...

When I was planning out future blog posts a couple of months ago, I was thinking that during cold January in the Northeast, we might appreciate some heat from Australia, where...

The turn of the New Year is a time for both celebration and reflection. As far as resolutions go, my preference is to focus on a simple Stop, Start, Continue approach: What are...

Holidays are a time for family and for fun. But at this point in the holiday week, you may not be thinking of those two words in the same sentence. So, let me share with you some...

Finding myself in sunny Hollywood this week before the holidays brings to mind the opening verse of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas: The sun is shining, the grass is green The...

Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 Best Mystery & Suspense audiobooks! What I find most interesting about these audiobooks is the diversity of subgenres represented,...

The cold, raw air of November is blowing in, bringing with it thoughts of Thanksgiving, family get-togethers, and, most importantly, all those things in my life that I am grateful...

[caption id="attachment_31534" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Ellen Quint's visit to Highclere Castle[/caption] Confession time—I am a Downton Abbey addict. And in fact, I...

Now that the air is getting cooler and the autumn leaves are in full glorious display in the Northeast, I am invariably drawn to the spooky, creepy side of mystery/thrillers. What...

What comes to mind when you think of a “private investigator,” also known as a P.I., a shamus, a private eye, a dick, a gumshoe? For many of us, the image evoked is that of...

While the reviews of the recently released film version of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt have been mixed, the audiobook, narrated by David Pittu, was an AudioFile Best of 2013 in...

The air has that delicious crisp feel that speaks of September, and the shorter days and back-to-school vibe give me an excuse to focus on Young Adult mysteries. The listening...

From Barcelona to Singapore to Rio, I have been privileged to see wonderful sites and to hear many voices from around the world. To experience another culture, through words,...

Having just spent several days with a wonderful colleague from Scotland, I find myself drawn into the world of Tartan Noir. It’s not just the lovely accent, but also the...

Summer provides the perfect opportunity for more relaxed listening, so why not do the equivalent of binge-watching and engage in some binge-listening?...

Did you know that while traditional publishing markets are static or declining, the audiobook industry has been seeing double-digit growth for each of the last seven years? So...

Summer: Hot days, time for play, for laying your head back in a cool lake and looking up at the puffy clouds. Time for barbecues, sangria, and sweet watermelon slices. Time for...

Golden Voice George Guidall has recorded more than 1,300 audiobooks. Just contemplate that for a moment! His audiography includes classics such as Cervantes’s DON...

One of the privileges of being part of the AudioFile team is the opportunity to rub elbows on special occasions with stars of the audiobook universe. Imagine being in a New York...

Mothers and crime fiction—it doesn’t exactly bring to mind the Hallmark version of Mother’s Day. Yet mystery authors find mothers to be a great source of motivation for their...

Springtime in Manhattan—yes, this is a city of steel, glass, cement, and towering testaments to man’s need for architectural dominance. But in between those...

Watching the spire of Notre Dame go up in flames and finally collapse left me gasping. Like many of us who have been fortunate enough to travel to Paris, I have gazed up in awe at...

Having traveled this past week to Denver and San Francisco, I thought I'd share some of my favorite mystery/thriller audiobooks that revel in the color, the light, and the...

While St. Patrick’s Day gives us just one day to focus on all things Irish, I would need years to explore the wonderful bounty that is the world of mysteries that take...

I find myself frequently trying to explain what "The Audies” are to  non-audiophiles. I say they are the Oscars for audiobooks. What I should say is that the Audies are even better...

As we close out Black History Month, I want to take this opportunity to recognize the contributions of African American authors, narrators, and characters to the mystery/thriller...

True confession: Romantic suspense is not my usual go-to genre. But Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, so I figure it’s time to get in the mood. While the...

This year, the 2019 Audie Award winners will be announced in early March, versus previous years when the celebration took place in May. So, for us mystery audiophiles, it seems...

Baby, it’s cold outside (for some of us). Time to cozy up with some cozies. The definition of “cozy”( or in the UK, “cosy”) seems to be very elastic. Agatha Christie, with her Miss...

As I look up into the gray skies of Brooklyn and know that the winter sun, which has barely shown its face for days, will be disappearing behind the skyscrapers of Manhattan in...

Yes, this blog is being posted the week before Christmas, but I'm going to let my fellow bloggers call out the holiday, as Caitlin Augusta does in her Countdown to the Holidays...

Congratulations to the authors and narrators of the 2018 Best Audiobooks in the Mystery category. The competition is tough—AudioFile's editors start with 2000 audiobooks in 9...

I know I'm dating myself, but I got hooked on audiobooks when I put cassette tapes into my “Walkman” and had to turn them over after 30 minutes to listen to the other side. I am a...

November 11, 2018, marks the 100th anniversary of the formal end of WWI, observed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Several years ago, while visiting Salisbury,...

Yes! Halloween, my favorite holiday. It’s autumn, and the leaves are showing off their inner beauty before the winter turns everything brown, white, and gray. There are the...

Can a New Yorker be a super appreciative fan of Boston-based audiobook mysteries? Well this one is. It's October—baseball playoff season. The Boston Red Sox and New...

In my last Solve blog, I explored how post-9/11 thrillers capitalize on the fears and reality of our new normal, thus incorporating real-life events into fiction. Now, inspired...

Tuesday morning 9/11/2001: I had just come up from the subway next to the World Trade Center plaza. A small crowd had formed and were all looking up and pointing. I followed...

As it's the end of August and “Back to School” fever has taken over, I thought I would focus on Middle Grade and Young Adult offerings in the mystery/crime/horror...

One of the things I love about being a reviewer for AudioFile Magazine is the opportunity to listen to new books I would not have chosen on my own. Frankly, I frequently find...

I'm in San Francisco this week—city of hills to climb, cable cars, earthquakes, fantastic food, and a sense of mystery and magic that rolls in with the fog, making it...

Thrillerfest (July 10-14, 2018), the annual conference of the International Thriller Writers, provides a unique opportunity to meet and mingle with some of the most popular...

Happy Fourth of July—a holiday to celebrate the birthday of this amazing country, eat ice cream, ooh and ahh over fireworks, and for audiophiles, maybe even walk along the beach...

For the last couple of weeks, all eyes in the U.S. have been focused on Singapore, where Trump and Kim held their meetings on Sentosa (with its colorful monorail and Merlion...

Did I mention that in addition to writing this blog and reviewing mysteries for AudioFile, I also have the privilege of being a judge for the Audie Awards? In that capacity I...

There I was in the visitors’ gallery of the Old Bailey (London’s famed criminal courthouse made famous by Rumpole of the Bailey). The male and female barristers were indeed dressed...

While this isn’t a travel blog, the treks I am doing this spring have been intriguingly enlightened by mystery audiobooks, which can deepen one’s perspective on a location. I...

London, with its long history, winding streets, grey skies, and multinational population, has been and continues to be a brewing pot for mysteries, spy thrillers, and psychological...

In a couple of days, I am off to the United Kingdom. I am packing clothes, lots of good walking shoes, an umbrella, and several audiobooks, some new and some already...

Bold, brave, fierce women—amateur sleuths, trained medical professionals, photographers, and spies are the heroines in the historical mysteries that come to mind in celebration of...

By way of introduction (and confession), I am a mystery and audiobook addict. Thus, it is an honor and a fright to take on the responsibility of the Solve blog, picking up from the...