DEATH IN A LONELY PLACE

Narrator Oliver Hembrough vividly describes the journey of ex-detective Jake Jackson from London to an off-the-grid sanctuary. Listeners join Jake as he dives into frigid water, jogs, and makes mouthwatering meals. Despite his hermitic existence, he regularly sees veterinarian Livia and her daughter--both tenderly rendered. The peaceful idyll is disrupted when Jackson helps a local cop search for an amoral group called No Taboo, which promises the wealthy an opportunity to commit a fantasy crime, for example, rape, murder, or pedophilia, without consequences. Hembrough flawlessly segues from a tranquil ambience to savage criminal acts. Jackson's assistant, sarcastic Martha, who is paraplegic, is the stand-out performance. Audio moves the story along, suspensefully conveying the ever-present challenge of whom to trust. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2024]