Elizabeth Heider's Blog

Someone recently asked me who my favorite crime novelists were. This is a tricky one! Where do I begin? There are so many! I feel guilty having to narrow it down - yet, I'll try.

I’m a huge fan of Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling). Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott are simply wonderful – and the research and plotting of each book is masterful. I gobble up every new release in the series, and I’ve recently made a pilgrimage to Denmark Street in London.

I adore Stieg Larsson and deeply regret that he’s passed away and I can’t tap more into his amazing mind. Liesbeth Salander is such a magnificent character. The storytelling is complex and doesn’t shy away from some frighteningly realistic depictions of gender discrimination and sadistic abuse. I first binge-read the Millenium series in 2009 and it even temporarily put a stop to an obsessive reading streak because I couldn’t find anything to beat it.

Another favorite is John le Carré (David Cornwell). He was technically an espionage writer but, as far as I’m concerned, espionage is criminal. Le Carré is one of my all-time favorite writers and I was saddened by his death. The character of George Smiley contends for top-place as one of my all-time favorite protagonists and someone who got me through some of my own personal mysteries.

I also love Dervla McTiernan’s work – particularly her Cormac Reilly series which has such a rich cast of characters and fascinating plots – and her haunting depictions of Ireland are frankly fantastic. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Alan Bradley’s Flavia De Luce mysteries are truly outstanding. I listened to "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" during a marathon run in Las Vegas more than a decade ago - and have kept up to date ever since. I've adored Alan Bradley for years.

I’m trying to cut myself off here…but also feel how incomplete the list is without also mentioning Jane Harper, Will Dean, Jo Nesbø, Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Donna Leon, Ann Cleeves – and (of course) the OGs Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.

I adore audiobooks. Brilliant, brilliant inventions. I'm utterly addicted. The funny thing about listening to stories is that (even years later) I can remember exactly where I was during critical points of the plot.

Before audiobooks became digitally available, I had a few options. My first was cassette tapes - and I owned a ton. I remember a summer doing particle physics at Fermilab National Lab while listening to cassettes of Amy Tan's The Bonesetter's Daughter.

Another option was reading aloud. My sister Emily and I used to read to each other during car-rides, while cooking dinner, at home in the evenings, and, if the book was especially good, on hikes. Together, we read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, The Historian, and one dark academia book whose name eludes me. We read The Poisonwood Bible aloud and, at one point, began sobbing and had to pull the car over because we couldn't stop crying.

The first digital audiobook I bought was Einstein; his Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson. I'd just moved to Naples, Italy, and I was enthralled. I still remember coming over the crest of a hill in Pozzuoli, the blue waters stretched out below, as I listened to Isaacson's description of tensors (a complicated physics concept) and realized it was the best description of tensors I'd ever encountered.

Then came digital audiobooks, and now my entire family is addicted. We share recommendations and will often listen to the canon of a single author or narrator because we adore his or her work so much.

So... yesterday was a VERY special day for me. It was the day that I received a message from Penguin's audio production department. They wanted to share auditions from two talented actors performing May the Wolf Die. I can't begin to describe the thrill of this moment. Every stage of the process has delighted me — from working with my editor, to seeing the gorgeous cover art. Every moment of this journey has been memorable and exciting. But hearing my words read aloud by such excellent readers was a unique and profound experience.

As I reflect on my journey with audiobooks, from cassette tapes to digital, I can't help but marvel at how they've become such an integral part of my life. They've been companions on road trips, mentors in scientific and work endeavors, and now, a bridge connecting me to my readers.

I'd love to hear from you, too. What was the first audiobook that captured your heart? Do you have a memorable story where an audiobook kept you company or perhaps changed your perspective?