Narrator Amir Abdullah depicts Chicago's wealthy enclaves, struggling neighborhoods, and mouthwatering foods while introducing former-cop-turned-PI Ashe Cayne. Listeners join him as he interviews aloof billionaire Violet Gerrigan, who wants him to find her missing 25-year-old daughter, Tinsley. As Cayne focuses on the secretive family, he learns that Tinsley is kind, generous, and uncomfortable with the Gerrigans' monied trappings. She's also in love with African-American Chopper McNair. Abdullah excels with Cayne's cultured quotes, and his best creation is Commander Rory Burke--an old-school cop. Conversations with him are informative and hilarious. Most impressive is Abdullah's portrayal of Cayne's versatility: He ebulliently banters with gang members and chats up social elites. Audio enhances the fine writing and diverse characters.
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781713506225
Publisher: Brilliance 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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