The fifth in Ide's IQ series is packed with vivid characters and credibility-stretching subplots. Fortunately, narrator Zeno Robinson grounds this audiobook with his gift for dialogue and skill with action sequences. Robinson eases listeners inside Isaiah Quintabe's (IQ's) weary mind as he departs L.A. to look for peace and rejuvenation in Northern California. But, as expected, trouble follows, and Robinson accelerates the tempo as appropriate, transitioning smoothly from plot to plot as IQ traps a blackmailer, catches a serial killer, and prevents corporate backstabbing. Dodson, Isaiah's ex-partner, returns, and Robinson turns Dodson's ad agency subplot into the most compelling storyline. Fans of the series may wish there were more deductive reasoning by our hero, but the ride is worth it, and the ending doesn't disappoint.
Pub Date: March 9, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549121906
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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