What shall I spend my audible credits on?

[SnuggleBuggleBoo]

I'm off on holiday today - 3 hour drive. I need some entertainment! What do you recommend?

I hate anything too scary or upsetting - I prefer overall upbeat and light-hearted but enough depth of plot to be interesting
I'm not massively into love and sex. I don't mind it being a part of things but not the whole plot - Sophie Kinsella gets the balance right I think!
I love animals but absolutely none in books are allowed to die!
I work with children and find them entertaining
I like modern history. The Edwardian era especially, and 1940s Britain

I've recently enjoyed a book where the main character was an actor, all about auditions and filming etc. And another book I liked was about someone hiking trails and camping wild in America - again outside my realm of experiences so quite gripping. Maybe there are other books along these lines I should check out?

Anyway, please fire some suggestions at me!

I'm currently reading Again Rachel by Marian Keyes. It's a follow on from Rachel's holiday that must be attest 10 years old but is brilliant and very funny in places.

The Signature of All Things read by Juliet Stevenson

I like to get my money's worth so try to chose audible books that are over 20 hrs. So I got it mostly because it was long.
Am 5 hours in and it's unexpectedly amazing! Juliet Stevenson is a perfect narrator.

I got the complete Sherlock Holmes a few months back, 50+ hours for one credit. It's split into the individual stories so I dip in and out as I fancy listening to one. It has been excellent value for money and entertaining to listen to as well.

Eleanor Oliphant is pretty good!

I am working my way through The Rivers of London series at the moment - quirky, well written and good narration.

I also enjoyed Winter in Madrid by CJ Samson which meets your criteria as it is set in 1940

Buy the first two series of Cabin Pressure.

Jojo Moyes books are an easy listen I think. I particularly enjoyed The Giver of Stars.

The Seven Sisters books? All a historical aspect within.

This.

Then the next 3.

I've currently got a cheap trial and have used my first two credits on I've Never Seen Star Wars and Giles Wemmbley Hogg goes off.

Both Radio 4 comedies starring Marcus Brigstock

Guards Guards by Terry Pratchett

I'm really enjoying the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch too.

The Louise Penney Inspector Gamache series is great and beautifully read. Usually there is a hook in each of them about some esoteric piece of history (like the history of musical notation for example)

The Salt Path.

Lessons in Chemistry is excellent (even if it doesn't quite fit your brief)

The Book of Form and Emptiness

Books I’ve enjoyed recently are:

Last shot
Here’s the story
A life on our planet
The little house on the prairie
Wintering

This.

i love We Are All Made of Glue
and
when God Was a Rabbit.

however, like a previous poster I often go for long books to get value for money.
Just finished The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard set on the cusp of WW2

you might also like the Ruth Galloway books by Elly Griffith. She’s an archaeologist who gets involved with police work

Anything by Gill Simms.

Richard Osman's the Thursday Murder club is a fab audiobook - the narrator is fantastic and just makes it. Its light hearted and I thought quite funny at times, definitelynot distressing. The characters are great! I've listened to quite a lot of audio books and I think she was the best narrator I've come across.

Away with the Penguins by Hazel Prior
and
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

I see this was yesterday but for future reference you could try these:
A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson. Any of his books, in fact.
The Shardlake series of books by C J Sansom.
I am currently listening to Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Very long but utterly gripping. Brilliantly read by Dan Stevens. And really atmospheric to listen to - better, to me, than reading the actual book.

The Charles Paris Mysteries sound just what you're after - jobbing actor (played beautifully by Bill Nighy) ends up solving various murders in an amusing, wry manner. Lots of good jokes & "cosy" mysteries.

All of "Cabin Pressure". "In & Out of the Kitchen".

"Stardust", "Neverwhere" & "Good Omens" - the BBC dramatisations of the Neil Gaiman fantasy novels. Both clever & not dark. (The Audible dramatisations of his Sandman graphic novels are also great but you didn't want dark).

I also love the 22 hours of the Complete George Smiley spy novels but then I could listen to Simon Russell Beale read me the phone book.

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It's the original radio play, and it's still the best.

Also Neverwhere. And Good Omens.

I'm a nerd and I don't care.