Narrator James Macpherson returns to portray now retired Detective Inspector John Rebus and the police and villains who inhabit his world. The procedural opens with Rebus in a courtroom as the accused. Listeners are then drawn into a complex backstory of police corruption, domestic violence, and a murder investigation that eventually results in Rebus's arrest. Listeners also get to spend more time with Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke and her colleagues. Macpherson's Scottish brogue and facility with other accents help to differentiate the many characters and create the Edinburgh atmosphere so key to the success of this longstanding series. Fans will appreciate this addition to the Rebus chronicles; those unfamiliar will catch on quickly.
Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668611791
Publisher: Hachette 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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