This delightful puzzle box is filled with beguiling mysteries, indelible characters, and satisfaction-guaranteed narration.
Hanako Footman’s lighthearted delivery serves this charming novel well. Tokyo schoolteacher Kaede loves classic detective stories, a love that was developed and honed through her relationship with her amazing grandfather. Kaede visits Grandfather regularly, and they often play a game of “solve the mystery.” Diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, Grandfather still manages to set Kaede on the right path, often referencing famous works of detective fiction, as she solves locked-room mysteries, missing persons cases, and more. Footman establishes Kaede’s close friendships with the men in her life and the tenderness and compassion between Kaede and her grandfather, and she ratchets up the tension to perfection when Kaede’s own life is in danger.
This delightful puzzle box is filled with beguiling mysteries, indelible characters, and satisfaction-guaranteed narration.Pub Date: March 17, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 43 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217285259
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: March 25, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 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.
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