Classic Audiobook Collection

The Clue of the Silken Ladder by Mildred A. Wirt Benson audiobook. Genre: mysteryIn 'the clue of the silken ladder', Penny investigates multiple mysteries. What is the purpose of the singular silken ladder made by the secretive and somewhat sinister old Japanese curio shop owner? How can the 'Riverview Star' obtain evidence that a popular troupe of spiritualists really are heartless con artists? Last, who is perpetrating the gravity-defying burglaries that have rocked the town ? Meanwhile, the Parker housekeeper, Mrs. Weems, has come into an inheritance and plans to leave Riverview, much to the Parkers' dismay. Can Penny change her mind? PENNY PARKER is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter with an uncanny knack for uncovering and solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the 'Riverview Star,' Penny has been raised to be self-sufficient, outspoken, innovative, and extraordinarily tenacious. Her cheerful, chatty manner belies a shrewd and keenly observant mind. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt became frustrated when she was pushed to 'tone down' Nancy Drew and make her less independent and daring. With Penny Parker, Wirt had a freer hand and received full credit. Wirt once said, ' 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is.'For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 01(00:13:39) Chapter 02(00:27:52) Chapter 03(00:38:14) Chapter 04(00:51:05) Chapter 05(01:00:03) Chapter 06(01:11:26) Chapter 07(01:22:05) Chapter 08(01:32:10) Chapter 09(01:44:48) Chapter 10(01:56:49) Chapter 11(02:06:40) Chapter 12(02:19:19) Chapter 13(02:27:56) Chapter 14(02:38:06) Chapter 15(02:50:25) Chapter 16(02:58:41) Chapter 17(03:10:02) Chapter 18(03:17:18) Chapter 19(03:24:07) Chapter 20(03:30:46) Chapter 21(03:39:14) Chapter 22(03:47:46) Chapter 23(03:57:05) Chapter 24(04:12:05) Chapter 25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And Even Now by Max Beerbohm audiobook. Genre: comedyThis is a diverse collection of essays by English writer Max Beerbohm, whose circle included such notables as Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Ezra Pound, and Somerset Maugham. Much of Beerbohm's work was humorous, including parodies of various aspects of the upper class life into which he was born.Some of these pieces are humorous, some philosophical, and some even sad. They include, for instance: a frankly self-critical piece on the pomposity and self-importance of his early literary ambitions; a half-eager, half-repining essay on a missing and uncompleted portrait of the great German writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; and a funny, but politically critical essay on 'the servant question.'For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 01(00:18:55) Chapter 02(00:37:51) Chapter 03(01:09:37) Chapter 04(01:20:51) Chapter 05(02:16:17) Chapter 06(02:28:20) Chapter 07(02:52:51) Chapter 08(03:06:22) Chapter 09(03:41:04) Chapter 10(04:00:46) Chapter 11(04:42:08) Chapter 12(04:51:14) Chapter 13(05:28:03) Chapter 14(05:43:12) Chapter 15(05:58:56) Chapter 16(06:15:04) Chapter 17(06:28:59) Chapter 18(07:01:10) Chapter 19(07:21:07) Chapter 20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar by Maurice Leblanc audiobook. Genre: mysteryWhen rumors spread through Paris of a new master thief who steals with impeccable manners and a smile, society is equal parts outraged and fascinated. He is Arsene Lupin: a brilliant gentleman-burglar who can slip into a drawing room as easily as he can empty a safe, leaving behind taunting calling cards and impossible riddles. Told through a string of cleverly linked adventures, the story follows Lupin as he stages audacious robberies, pulls off dazzling impersonations, and outwits police inspectors who can never decide whether he is a scandal or a legend. But Lupin's greatest challenges are not only locked doors and guarded jewels - they are the sharp minds determined to expose him, the dangerous criminals who underestimate him, and the moral line he redraws with every caper. As disguises multiply and traps close in, alliances shift and reputations hang in the balance. Witty, fast-paced, and full of elegant sleight of hand, this classic of French crime fiction invites you to savor the thrill of the con and the charm of a hero who lives by his own code.For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 01(00:28:34) Chapter 02(00:52:09) Chapter 03(01:11:26) Chapter 04(01:40:40) Chapter 05(01:57:09) Chapter 06(02:29:56) Chapter 07(03:04:38) Chapter 08(03:42:51) Chapter 09(04:14:02) Chapter 10(04:36:47) Chapter 11(05:08:18) Chapter 12(05:30:36) Chapter 13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vindication Of The Rights Of Men by Mary Wollstonecraft audiobook. Genre: philosophyWollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Men (1790) attacks aristocracy and advocates republicanism. It was published in response to Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), which was a defence of constitutional monarchy, aristocracy, and the Church of England, and an attack on Wollstonecraft's friend, the Rev Richard Price. Hers was the first response in a pamphlet war that subsequently became known as the Revolution Controversy, in which Thomas Paine's Rights of Man (1792) became the rallying cry for reformers and radicals. Wollstonecraft attacked not only monarchy and hereditary privilege but also the language that Burke used to defend and elevate it. Wollstonecraft was unique in her attack on Burke's gendered language. In her arguments for republican virtue, Wollstonecraft invokes an emerging middle-class ethos in opposition to what she views as the vice-ridden aristocratic code of manners. Influenced by Enlightenment thinkers, she believed in progress and derides Burke for reFor ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 00(00:01:40) Chapter 01(00:35:14) Chapter 02(01:19:37) Chapter 03(02:04:38) Chapter 04 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart audiobook. Genre: mysteryOn a wild, storm-lashed night, independent society matron Cornelia Van Gorder settles into an eerie rented country house that seems determined to empty itself: servants quit, lights falter, and rumors swarm about a masked criminal prowling the area, a master thief and killer the newspapers have nicknamed 'The Bat.' Cornelia is not easily rattled, but the house comes with too many secrets to ignore. Its owner, a powerful banker, has recently died under suspicious circumstances, his bank is in turmoil, and whispers of stolen securities point to a fortune hidden somewhere within the mansion's walls. As Cornelia, her niece Dale, and the sharp-tongued maid Lizzie try to keep their wits, unexpected visitors arrive, alibis crumble, and the line between protector and predator blurs. Every creak suggests a hidden passage, every shadow could be a disguise, and every helpful hand might be reaching for the money first. Part locked-room puzzle and part nerve-jangling chase, The Bat mixes brisk suspense with darkly comic moments as Cornelia races to uncover the truth before the house claims another victim.For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 00(00:01:41) Chapter 01(00:25:18) Chapter 02(00:53:23) Chapter 03(01:17:24) Chapter 04(01:40:52) Chapter 05(02:08:20) Chapter 06(02:32:17) Chapter 07(02:52:35) Chapter 08(03:17:04) Chapter 09(03:37:56) Chapter 10(04:01:17) Chapter 11(04:23:09) Chapter 12(04:45:12) Chapter 13(05:09:16) Chapter 14(05:29:40) Chapter 15(05:57:06) Chapter 16(06:11:21) Chapter 17(06:27:59) Chapter 18(06:46:05) Chapter 19(07:06:01) Chapter 20(07:15:48) Chapter 21 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Poor Wise Man by Mary Roberts Rinehart audiobook. Genre: thrillerIn a smoke-laden American steel city still reeling from the Great War, Lily Cardew returns home with new eyes. After a year of hard, unglamorous service among soldiers and vulnerable young women, the sheltered rituals of the Cardew mansion feel unreal - and the iron-willed patriarch Anthony Cardew feels more like a judge than a grandfather. Below their hilltop world, the mills grind on, immigrants pour through the station, and the streets buzz with talk of strikes, bombs, and revolution. Lily is drawn to arguments she was never allowed to hear: the bitter logic of the radicals, the slick charm of a union lawyer with dangerous ambitions, and the unsettling influence of her aunt Elinor, long estranged and bound to the notorious Jim Doyle. Caught between family loyalty and a fierce need to be useful, Lily risks her name, her inheritance, and her freedom. Watching from the edge is Willy Cameron, a poor but stubbornly honest young man whose clear-eyed courage places him at the center of a citizen movement - and in Lily's path - just as the city tilts toward upheaval.For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 01(00:25:00) Chapter 02(00:51:42) Chapter 03(01:21:32) Chapter 04(01:51:45) Chapter 05(02:32:18) Chapter 06(03:07:04) Chapter 07(03:51:44) Chapter 08(04:33:06) Chapter 09(05:13:53) Chapter 10(05:54:46) Chapter 11(06:46:46) Chapter 12(07:24:34) Chapter 13(07:56:43) Chapter 14(08:37:56) Chapter 15(09:15:16) Chapter 16(09:53:49) Chapter 17(10:40:07) Chapter 18(11:15:45) Chapter 19(11:56:33) Chapter 20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rose Mather - A Tale by Mary Jane Holmes audiobook. Genre: romanceSet in the Northern village of Rockland as the news of Fort Sumter ignites the Civil War, Rose Mather: A Tale follows a community suddenly forced to measure its ideals against its losses. Rose Mather is young, fashionable, and newly married to wealthy William Mather, and she arrives at the first war meeting with the careless confidence of someone certain the conflict will touch other people first. Around her, the stakes are immediate: gentle Annie Graham wrestles with duty and devotion as her husband considers enlisting, while the sharp-tongued Widow Simms and the struggling Bakers watch their own sons step forward. As neighbors march off, letters and rumors begin to reshape life at home, and the lines between patriotism, fear, and ambition blur. Rose, who can be silly and coquettish as often as she is kind-hearted, finds her world challenged by grief, courage, and the moral weight of class prejudice. With a large cast of soldiers, sweethearts, and rivals - including the steadfast Tom Carleton and the resilient Isaac Simms - Holmes builds a homefront romance where love is tested by uncertainty, sacrifice, and the hard truth that war changes everyone it reaches.For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 01(00:19:54) Chapter 02(00:44:29) Chapter 03(01:10:15) Chapter 04(01:39:49) Chapter 05(02:06:51) Chapter 06(02:37:10) Chapter 07(02:59:37) Chapter 08(03:17:26) Chapter 09(03:38:43) Chapter 10(04:05:19) Chapter 11(04:34:29) Chapter 12(04:58:44) Chapter 13(05:19:35) Chapter 14(05:48:40) Chapter 15(06:15:39) Chapter 16(06:55:09) Chapter 17(07:30:54) Chapter 18(08:03:52) Chapter 19(08:32:52) Chapter 20(09:03:00) Chapter 21(09:28:09) Chapter 22(09:55:16) Chapter 23(10:20:25) Chapter 24(10:48:53) Chapter 25(11:09:20) Chapter 26 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maggie Miller by Mary Jane Holmes audiobook. Genre: romanceIn the shadowy New England hills, the decaying Old House by the Mill shelters a proud exile, Madam Conway, and the servant who has served her family for years: Hagar Warren, sharp-eyed, resentful of poverty, and fiercely devoted to her daughter, Hester. When tragedy strikes and Madam Conway's grieving daughter, Margaret Miller, returns home, two babies are born within days of each other - and Hagar makes a reckless choice that binds all their futures to a single, devastating secret. Years later, Maggie Miller grows up bright, beautiful, and headstrong, certain of her place in the world, while Hagar, half haunted and half triumphant, watches from her lonely cottage in the woods. As Maggie steps into society, friendships and romances bloom: charming visitors arrive at Mill Farm, and Maggie becomes entangled with the warmhearted Henry Warner, his fragile sister Rose, and suitors whose interest may not be as innocent as it seems. With Madam Conway's rigid obsession with birth and blood pressing down on every relationship, Maggie's search for love and belonging collides with the truth Hagar has sworn to keep - a truth powerful enough to remake families, fortunes, and hearts.For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 01(00:28:41) Chapter 02(01:03:49) Chapter 03(01:43:01) Chapter 04(02:19:02) Chapter 05(02:56:56) Chapter 06(03:40:49) Chapter 07(04:21:20) Chapter 08(04:56:00) Chapter 09(05:33:28) Chapter 10(06:04:18) Chapter 11(06:38:44) Chapter 12(07:12:22) Chapter 13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lena Rivers by Mary Jane Holmes audiobook. Genre: romanceIf you're a fan of mid-19th Century melodramas with many twists and turns you will love this book. Acclaimed as Holmes greatest commercial success the charming heroine of this tale is Lena Rivers whose mother died when she was a baby. The father is unknown, and she is brought up by her grandparents in the New England mountains.When the grandfather dies, she and her grandmother are uprooted to live with her uncle in Kentucky. His wealthy wife and 3 spoiled children are not at all happy about taking in these poor relations and do all they can to make them feel unwelcome. Sometimes highly emotional, sometimes hilarious the characters in this good old-fashioned romance are captivating and will pull you in until the very satisfying end.For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 01(00:27:49) Chapter 02(01:02:59) Chapter 03(01:21:06) Chapter 04(01:58:03) Chapter 05(02:38:27) Chapter 06(03:10:51) Chapter 07(03:44:44) Chapter 08(04:04:43) Chapter 09(04:37:23) Chapter 10(05:04:58) Chapter 11(05:27:40) Chapter 12(05:49:58) Chapter 13(06:16:56) Chapter 14(06:47:52) Chapter 15(07:25:15) Chapter 16(07:59:43) Chapter 17(08:30:39) Chapter 18(08:59:55) Chapter 19(09:25:11) Chapter 20(09:59:52) Chapter 21(10:33:16) Chapter 22(10:58:34) Chapter 23 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gretchen by Mary Jane Holmes audiobook. Genre: romanceWhen wealthy, fastidious Arthur Tracy returns to Tracy Park after years abroad, his homecoming should restore order to the grand estate and the quiet town of Shannondale. Instead, Arthur arrives shaken and mentally unsteady, speaking obsessively of a woman named Gretchen and insisting she was with him on the journey, though no one can find her. His brother Frank, who has grown comfortable managing Arthur's fortune and hosting glittering society gatherings with his ambitious wife Dolly, is gripped by fear that Arthur's return will expose long-buried compromises. Then a brutal storm sweeps in, and a grim discovery at the eerie Tramp House leaves an abandoned child, nicknamed Jerry, at the center of the town's whispers. Taken in by the poor but proud Harold and his grandmother, Jerry becomes a living question mark that refuses to fade, especially as Arthur feels a strange, unsettling pull toward her. As years pass, old loyalties strain, missing jewels spark suspicion, and young hearts tangle with class, pride, and desire. Between drawing-room display and hard-won survival, Gretchen unfolds as a tale of mystery, conscience, and the dangerous cost of keeping secrets.For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 01(00:31:55) Chapter 02(01:01:23) Chapter 03(01:22:37) Chapter 04(01:46:42) Chapter 05(02:11:40) Chapter 06(02:43:00) Chapter 07(02:57:55) Chapter 08(03:26:13) Chapter 09(03:56:23) Chapter 10(04:31:23) Chapter 11(05:10:26) Chapter 12(05:46:38) Chapter 13(06:33:18) Chapter 14(07:08:11) Chapter 15(07:39:06) Chapter 16(08:17:12) Chapter 17(08:49:43) Chapter 18(09:27:53) Chapter 19(09:50:18) Chapter 20(10:18:56) Chapter 21(10:57:38) Chapter 22(11:28:20) Chapter 23(11:52:17) Chapter 24(12:22:20) Chapter 25(12:55:03) Chapter 26(13:16:00) Chapter 27(13:40:18) Chapter 28(14:04:23) Chapter 29(14:28:49) Chapter 30(14:56:59) Chapter 31 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices