Best of 2023

Best of 2023 – Top 12 Narrators

Jonetta | Blue Mood Café

I’ve always loved audiobooks and these days, I listen to more books than I read. The talent field of narrators continues to be extraordinary and I don’t see that changing. The best bring great stories to life and can make an “okay” story much better. Here’s my list of narrators who managed to transport me away and into their stories this year!


1. Narrator: Jan Cramer – DI Kim Stone Series

As long as there’s a Kim Stone series, Cramer will continue to be on this list!  She’s my voice of this series, so much that I hold out for the audiobook. She’s a fantastic storyteller.

 


2. Narrator: Emily Sutton-Smith – Tracy Crosswhite Series 

Also back again! I love Sutton-Smith’s storytelling skills and her voice distinctions. I’ll always listen to this series.

 


3. Narrator: Kathleen Early – Will Trent Series

The stories are gritty and Early knows when to dial it back and when to turn it on. She’s mastered the characters and the storytelling.

 


4. Narrator: Luke Daniels  – Whiskey Beach

This was my first time listening to Daniels but friends had raved about him. Now I know why! Aside from being a great storyteller, his handling of female characters was outstanding.

 


5. Narrators: Will Damron, Hillary Huber, Elizabeth Garrett & Steve West  – Look Closer

Ooh, they were so good! The book is excellent but their performances took it to new heights.

 


6. Narrator: January LaVoy – Identity

The very first time I listened to LaVoy she was narrating another Nora Roberts story and I became an instant fan. Her storytelling and voice characterizations are beyond exceptional.

 

 


7. Narrator: Imogen Church – Zero Days 

I’m already an Imogen fan but I loved what she did with this story. She ratcheted up the tension with perfection, never overwhelming the story.

 


8. Narrator: Nancy Peterson – A Fatal Affair

I have a new favorite narrator! Wow, she’s a great storyteller. I could have sworn there were multiple narrators…she was that good.

 


9. Narrator: Scott Brick – Orphan X Series

I highly recommend this series but if you want the ultimate reading experience, you’ll listen to Brick tell these stories. He is Orphan X!

 



10. Narrators: Steven Weber & Laura Benanti – Drowning

The disaster’s the thing but these two got into the skin of their characters and became them for me.

 



11. Narrators: Louise Brealey, Nicola Walker & Full Cast – None of This is True 

I love a full cast production, which was perfect here since there was a podcast segment in the story. But Brealey & Walker were outstanding with the mains.

 


12. Narrators: Jessica Regan & Stephen Hogan – Strange Sally Diamond

Regan was magnificent as Sally and Hogan was the same for the character-who-will-not-be-named. From the storytelling to “being” the characters, they delivered great performances.

 


Who were some of your favorite narrators this year?

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Published by Jonetta | Blue Mood Café

18 thoughts on “Best of 2023 – Top 12 Narrators”

  1. I love January LaVoy, she’s a full cast production all on her own 😂 Imogen Church’s narration of Zero Days was nothing short of amazing, she’s definitely one of my favourite narrators too, and None of This Is True was fantastic in every sense. I should add narrator information to my spreadsheet 🤔

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    1. I agree, Kelly💜 LaVoy and Whelan are tied for my #1 spot as favorite narrators and Imogen Church is also on that list. So glad you felt the same way about her performance on Zero Days. I don’t keep a schedule, just a tracking by month of the books I read for the year. When I go down the list, the best audio performances just jump out at me and I go back and my review confirms my memory about the narration.

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  4. I’m a huge fan of so many of these. I can’t believe you’ve never listened to Luke Daniels before! The only narrators I have not heard at all are those for A Fatal Affair and Strange Sally Diamond.

    Anne – Books of My Heart

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  6. I’ve really enjoyed Kathleen McInerney reading the Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo. Also anything read by Juliet Stevenson, but particularly Miss Benson’s Beetle (Rachel Joyce) and Miss Austen (Gill Hornby). Such treats!

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