In the first in the series described as "Agatha Christie meets Beatrix Potter," narrator Cassandra Campbell takes listeners on an unforgettable journey. The small village of Shady Hollow is upturned when Otto Stumpf, the loner toad, is murdered. Vera Vixen, a reporter, will not stop until the killer is found. Character personalities lean on animal stereotypes, and Campbell's outstanding narration solidifies their anthropomorphic qualities with an abundance of tones and timbres. Vera the fox has a smooth, quick voice; Orville the bear, a police deputy, has a commanding growl; and Gladys the hummingbird, who is the town gossip, has a high-pitched chattering voice. If listeners accept its concept, this is an enjoyable whodunit.
Pub Date: Jan. 25, 2022
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593554760
Publisher: Random House 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
