Narrator James MacPherson faultlessly depicts Scottish cities, villages, residents, and tourists. During the Christmas season, a Glasgow father is stabbed with his family right beside him. Later, an elderly German couple is found murdered in a remote cottage. MacPherson captures the accents and personalities of the victims, making their deaths particularly painful. Listeners join DCI Colin Anderson and DI Costello, who are sent to investigate as blizzards and raging winds, along with superstitious and secretive villagers, add atmosphere. Anderson's well-depicted internal thoughts, Costello's caustic wit (she's always on target), and Juliet Carston's sense of privilege and coldness are effectively presented. The sizable cast, spirited dialogue, and myriad seemingly unrelated clues make this audiobook a memorable listen.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2020
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Black Thorn
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A mystery that loves its plot twists more than its characters.
Simon Vance sure-footedly guides listeners through the labyrinth of this mystery. Though it opens in Stockholm in 2008, the novel frequently flashes back to an unsolved 1980s murder, when a road trip taken by two friends culminated in the brutal killing of a young woman in Santander, Spain. Decades later, a Spanish detective who suspects the murder was related to a string of homicides approaches investigators Hans Rekke and Micaela Vargas for help. Despite Vance’s distinctive voices and accents, it’s sometimes hard to distinguish between the past and present storylines. The convoluted plot and crowded cast of characters, few of whom are relatable, require immense concentration; while some listeners will have the patience, others will find that the resolution isn't worth the effort.
A mystery that loves its plot twists more than its characters.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 39 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217406692
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2026
With her talent for distinct voices, Huber will keep listeners fully engaged and entertained from beginning to end.
In this third addition to The Martini Club series, narrator Hillary Huber masterfully performs the returning characters plus many new players—the good and the just pretending to be good. Martini Club member and former CIA agent Ingrid Slocum is managing a conference on potential global health disasters. When one of the prominent speakers, a Russian defector, is murdered, the Martini Club members are forced to return to their spy roots, sending Ingrid and former and current colleagues on a precarious adventure. With the assistance of the local chief of police, they investigate a series of murders mysteriously tied to a botched operation from their past.
With her talent for distinct voices, Huber will keep listeners fully engaged and entertained from beginning to end.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781511354622
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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