From the heart-stopping prologue to the well-drawn characters and mind-boggling plot twists, James Langton's performance is spot-on. In the 22nd Peter Diamond novel, Diamond and his partner, Paloma, spend a reluctant week in the Somerset countryside with Diamond's former deputy, Julie, who is now blind from macular degeneration. Langton deftly reveals Julie's ulterior motives. She's concerned about a neighbor who may have been railroaded into prison for a murder she didn't commit. Julie wants Diamond to investigate. Langton emphasizes Diamond's dislike for country living as he confronts cantankerous cows and reeking cowpats, drives a tractor, and inhabits several of his favorite detectives' personas, Columbo and Poirot. Langton ratchets up the tension, and listeners will be as surprised as Diamond when the true killer is unmasked. First-rate listening.
Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2024
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798892744317
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ericksen’s performance makes for a lively listening experience.
Narrator Susan Ericksen transports the listener to 2060s New York City, where Lt. Eve Dallas is investigating the murder of scientist Larry Chu, who was found brutally beaten to death. The case takes Dallas to the secretive, power-hungry company that Chu worked for. As the longtime narrator of this long-running series, Ericksen has established voices for the main characters, and she’s just as skillful performing secondary characters. She brings a haughty arrogance to her portrayal of Chu’s employer. Dallas is aided in her investigation by her Irish husband, Roarke, for whom Ericksen adds a hint of Irish lilt.
Ericksen’s performance makes for a lively listening experience.Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
Duration: 13 hrs, 46 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250446671
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
A mystery that loves its plot twists more than its characters.
Simon Vance sure-footedly guides listeners through the labyrinth of this mystery. Though it opens in Stockholm in 2008, the novel frequently flashes back to an unsolved 1980s murder, when a road trip taken by two friends culminated in the brutal killing of a young woman in Santander, Spain. Decades later, a Spanish detective who suspects the murder was related to a string of homicides approaches investigators Hans Rekke and Micaela Vargas for help. Despite Vance’s distinctive voices and accents, it’s sometimes hard to distinguish between the past and present storylines. The convoluted plot and crowded cast of characters, few of whom are relatable, require immense concentration; while some listeners will have the patience, others will find that the resolution isn't worth the effort.
A mystery that loves its plot twists more than its characters.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 39 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217406692
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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