Deep-voiced narrator Rory Kinnear hits the performance sweet spot for this mystery, which doesn't take itself all that seriously. Former Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick scribe, Anthony Horowitz, are invited to a literary festival on the quiet English Channel island of Alderney, where murder ensues. Kinnear perfectly captures Horowitz's envy-tinged annoyance at Hawthorne's celebrity, ability, and reluctance to expound on his methods. There are plenty of well-played suspects (a chef, a children's author, and a blind "seer" among them), well-placed red herrings, and well-played bits of humor. There is also a controversial power line. This is the third audiobook in the Hawthorne/Horowitz series, but this one works as a stand-alone as well. An entertaining listen.
Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2021
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063137608
Publisher: Harper Audio
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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