Clark’s rendition is dazzling.
There is a plot, of course, in this remarkable literary crime novel, but the plot is not the story. The story is one of emigration, integration, earning a place in a new world, and in the audio version, the medium is the message. Roger Clark lyrically renders the voices of the village in western Ireland where Cal Hooper, ex-Chicago homicide cop, has settled. The addictive rhythms and tics of his neighbors’ speech demonstrate generations of local belonging, and Cal marks his outsider status whenever he opens his mouth. If he can’t find his way in, though, he’ll have no role to play when the agitated town suspects that its bullying homegrown princeling is getting away with murder, even if no one knows how to prove it.
Clark’s rendition is dazzling.Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 19 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217281824
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
Part of the joy of Tom Clancy novels is one's belief that the stories could come true. His latest entry stretches that some as we find international terrorists building a nuclear bomb which is used to set Americans and Russians against one another. Jay Robertson reads with a newscaster's voice, crisp and clear with a light touch of drama. However, he does little to help listeners identify Clancy's huge cast of characters, and dialects seem difficult for him as he occasionally slips in and out of character. Nonetheless, patient listeners are rewarded as the plot unfolds. This will be a welcome addition to any library justifying the price of the multi-cassettte volumes.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
John Sanford is back with another psychological thriller in his Prey series. Surgeon, psychopath and serial killer Bekker is on the loose again after the easiest jailbreak in recent memory. Ken Howard's reading moves along with all the brooding energy a reader could want from a suspense book. His narration is deep, clear and well-suited to the gravelly voices of retired detective Lucas Davenport and the other cops. While Howard manages good dialects and shifts in character, his female voices leave a lot to be desired. For the most part, the abridgment gleefully throws logic and characterization overboard in favor of thrills, but the basic flavor of many characters is still fairly well maintained.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
