Davina Porter has a ball with the burr of the Scottish tongue; she enlivens the large cast of this amusing mystery with her ability to create deft verbal character sketches with inflection and judicious timing. Old man Andrew Trent has been torturing his family for years with cruel jokes. So when he summons his family to his deathbed, they assemble at Arrat House in the Scottish Highlands with reticence. When a murder takes place, Constable Hamish Macbeth should be in charge, but, as usual in this series, there’s a self-important superintendent muddying the clues and the suspects. It is impossible to remember that Porter is but one person.
Pub Date: 2004
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In the latest Kinsey Millhone mystery, Kinsey is hired by an aged, wealthy man to retrieve his daughter from prison, where she has served time for embezzlement. Kinsey quickly figures out that the girl isn’t an embezzler but instead has done time for her money-laundering boss. All heck breaks loose. Judy Kaye has a warm, rich voice that seems just right for Grafton’s P.I. Her delivery mirrors the smart-aleck tenor of much of Kinsey’s dialogue. Strangely though, when Kaye is interpreting a male character (and there are many), she raises her voice to a higher register, so that many of the men sound like adolescents with changing voices, or worse, like chipmunks. It may be Kaye’s subtle social comment, though. For once the listener adapts, this odd gender reversal seems natural.
Pub Date: 2004
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Benedict Juliard, forced from steeplechase racing, becomes increasingly involved in politics and protecting his father's life. Prebble's relaxed but masterful command of characters allows an easy flow during conversations, as well as the sudden transformations from narrative to action scenes. His clear, precise speech; polished style of delivery; and sense of timing give a steady consistency and excellence to his reading. Prebble carries the main characters with ease, but he seems to delight in performing the secondary characters, who feature a great variety of accents to match their roles. Another polished performance by a master of reading.
Pub Date: 1998
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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