Narrator Matthew Brenher tackles the trio of perplexing mysteries that confront Haxford England's Detective Chief Inspector Pignon Scorbion. Brenher deftly captures the dapper, well educated, and precise detective. Enlisting the assistance of amateur sleuths from the local barbershop and a youthfully voiced cub reporter named Billy, Scorbion confronts issues ranging from a question of paternal identity to theft and murder. Brenher smoothly delivers interviews of suspects, the sifting of clues, and arrests of the guilty. Brehner's portrayal of soft-voiced Thelma Smith, bookstore proprietor and Scorbion's new love interest, stands out amid the host of British, French, and American characters. Sadly, Brenher fails to maintain some of his accents, and editing splices are glaringly audible, marring these charming mysteries reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot stories.
Pub Date: March 8, 2022
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781665046374
Publisher: Blackstone 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
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