Narrator Eric G. Dove transports listeners to Phoenix in the early 1930s. He effectively portrays Gene Hammons, a former police detective, now a private investigator, who is driven by a deep need to seek justice. Dove credibly depicts Hammons's love interest, Victoria Vasquez, and the many other characters, including a young Barry Goldwater. In the opening author's note, Talton explains his use of racial slurs common in Phoenix in the early '30s, which might be jarring for listeners. The story's depth of detail reveals the author's knowledge of Phoenix at the time it came out of the Great Depression. While the mystery is slowed by the use of lengthy conversations to provide backstory and other necessary information, Hammons's fight for justice in a corrupt city maintains listener interest.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2021
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781662099434
Publisher: Dreamscape
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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