Narrator Gemma Whelan masterfully brings to life this dark, atmospheric mystery. Her performance captures Hawkins's beautifully written descriptions of settings, artworks, and characters. The isolated Scottish island of Eris, accessible only when the tide recedes, emerges as a compelling character alongside its recently deceased inhabitant, the reclusive artist Vanessa Chapman. When a human bone is discovered in one of Chapman's sculptures on exhibit at the Tate, attention is drawn back to the island and the mysterious disappearance, decades earlier, of Chapman's husband. Whelan excels at differentiating characters from across the British Isles, creating distinct vocal personas. Yet the audiobook requires careful listener engagement, with its frequent shifts between timeframes and perspectives. A richly layered audio experience for the patient listener.
Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2024
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063396555
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An expert evocation of the gradual collapse of one man’s orderly life.
Narrator Winson Ting gives a haunting portrayal of Tsuneo Asai, a Japanese civil servant whose life unravels as he delves deeper into the death of his wife, Eiko. Vidish Athavale narrates Pico Iyer’s introduction to Matsumoto’s 1971 psychological portrait. Ting’s base line for Asai is restrained and socially appropriate, but the tension steadily increases when Asai meets the woman in whose shop Eiko died and notices discrepancies in her story. Through careful control of pace and tone, Ting ratchets up the tension with a trembling voice, strained whispers, and tight pauses, revealing how Asai’s veneer of diligence and obedience begins to crack as he uncovers clues that dismantle his moral compass.
An expert evocation of the gradual collapse of one man’s orderly life.Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 33 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217343171
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
Altheide makes the most of this complex narrative, which explores reputation, desire, and flawed judgment.
Novelist Steven Hammer’s declining career and strained marriage leave him increasingly drawn to Astrid, the family’s Norwegian au pair. Eric Altheide’s subtle shifts in tone highlight Steven's many missteps of obsession, insecurity, and self-justification. Listeners have front-row seats to a middle-aged man’s inability to transition from fame to obscurity. Altheide portrays Steven's growing fixation on Astrid with mounting tension. His performance maximizes the overlapping circles of passion, manipulation, and power as Steven and Astrid's choices produce larger and larger consequences and a public scandal eventually erupts.
Altheide makes the most of this complex narrative, which explores reputation, desire, and flawed judgment.Pub Date: June 30, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 34 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063457201
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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