Listeners new to the series will have no trouble stepping in and keeping pace with this engaging listen.
Narrator Rory Kinnear returns to deliver private investigator Daniel Hawthorne, author Horowitz, and a host of new characters in the sixth addition to this metafictional series. A struggling production company is adapting the first Hawthorne/Horowitz novel for film, offering listeners an entertaining behind-the-scenes view of the challenges of translating from page to screen. Horowitz's mounting frustration is palpable as a young eco-warrior screenwriter reshapes his work. When the egotistical actor cast as Hawthorne is murdered, Hawthorne and Horowitz are pulled into investigative mode. Kinnear skillfully differentiates male voices through accent, tone, and pacing, though his voices for female characters are less credible.
Listeners new to the series will have no trouble stepping in and keeping pace with this engaging listen.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063305779
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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