Thanks to Stig Abell's remarkable debut novel, Oliver Hembrough has the material needed to provide hours of engrossing listening. When former police officer Jake Jackson inherits his uncle's remote farm, he decides to disconnect from his London life and move in. Leaving behind all modern conveniences, Jake finds contentment he never dreamed possible, but when human bones are found, he's dragged back into detective work. Hembrough's performance captures both the lyrical beauty of the countryside and the intensity of this well-plotted mystery. An assortment of odd locals and a lovely female veterinarian round out the suspects as Jake assists the local police in their investigation. This audiobook is several cuts above the crowd, thanks to intelligent writing and an outstanding performance by Hembrough.
Pub Date: Jan. 9, 2024
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063381094
Publisher: Harper 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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