Narrator James Cameron Stewart puts great effort and energy into his performance of this Regency-era murder mystery. It is the fourth in a series featuring Wrexford, an earl/chemist who solves crimes alongside his friend (and soul mate), Lady Charlotte, a successful caricaturist. While this novel is well researched and richly descriptive, it has a superfluity of characters, and its dialogue is sometimes repetitious and timeworn. Stewart presents many memorable portrayals, including those of the street urchins adopted by Lady Charlotte, who have Cockney accents and spirited, bright voices. His Scottish characters are also flawlessly rendered. Some of the female parts, including Charlotte's, prove problematic. This story is tedious in places, but it does immerse one in a vibrant period of history.
Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2020
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781541438675
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
For someone whose vocal palette contains so few colors, Edward Asner is a surprisingly effective narrator. His familiar, pleasant growl compels attention and bespeaks authority. He has his faults though. As an audiobook performer, he has but one personality, whatever the narrative voice of his text. One gets the impression that he enters the studio underprepared, taking his time to discover the book as he reads it. Thus it is with An Isolated Incident, a taut, suspenseful murder mystery set in Puget Sound. Other readers could better explore all the beats of this rich page-turner, but few could hold an audience as effortlessly.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Time Warner AudioBooks
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kay Scarpetta takes on more than routine investigations as her job of medical examiner involves her once again in a search for an unknown killer. The story is riveting from the opening chapters, and Sheila Hart never lets the intrigue subside. However Hart doesn't use enough vocal range, and male voices sound tinny and high-pitched. The dialogues with tough yet, endearing, Lt. Pete Marino have perfect cadence, accent and speech pattern, but sound somewhat thin and insubstantial. Telephone conversations and flashbacks are set off by effective sound enhancement, a useful addition. The overall presentation is very good driven strongly by the author's contribution.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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