Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
A Wrongful Death  By  cover art

A Wrongful Death

By: Kate Wilhelm
Narrated by: Carrington Macduffie
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $16.34

Buy for $16.34

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Elizabeth Kurtz has taken her small son and fled her ex-husband and his mother after finding a file of explosive material incriminating the family. Although the wealthy family employs a detective agency to find her, she manages to elude them.

Defense attorney Barbara Holloway has sought seclusion in a cabin on the Oregon coast, but her solitude is interrupted by a small boy who enlists her help with his unconscious mother. Once revived, the woman and her child disappear. Elizabeth Kurtz is again eluding searchers, and Barbara is accused of aiding and abetting a kidnapper. When Elizabeth finally contacts Barbara for help, Barbara finds the woman dead.

Barbara, while defending Elizabeth's housemate against murder charges, is accused of obstruction of justice and faces possible disbarment and prison. As she realizes the importance of the secret papers, she also realizes that her life is at risk as she takes on a killer.

It's legal: download more of Barbara Holloway's cases.
©2007 Kate Wilhelm (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"As always, genre veteran Wilhelm creates a thought-provoking, complex plot that will keep readers interested." ( Booklist)
"Her carefully crafted approach to the legal thriller continues to separate Wilhelm from the competition." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about A Wrongful Death

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    818
  • 4 Stars
    255
  • 3 Stars
    105
  • 2 Stars
    25
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    726
  • 4 Stars
    171
  • 3 Stars
    56
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    8
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    725
  • 4 Stars
    163
  • 3 Stars
    66
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    6

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The best in the series

This is the best in the Barbara Holloway series. Of course, its strength rests on the series - the characters that have remained vivid and true throughout each of the books (10?). If you have not read the others, you might want to get one or two of them first before reading this one. Otherwise, the story would lose its impact.

This was the best crafted and best written of the series. I paid attention to what Wilhelm told us, how she told us, and when she told us everything. Every element in this story has a purpose. She creates suspense and delivers suprises without them seeming contrived.

The characters have remined complex and constant throughout the entire series. Each of her characters was developed and woven into the series. Each book in the series relies on the characters that were introduced in earlier installments. Barbara Holloway is an especially complex person.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series, and especially this installment.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

41 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Suspenseful

This book was suspenseful and interesting. I was glad to see the character Barbara Hollaway recover from her stupidity in the prior book of the series. This was much better. Lots of suspense and interesting plot twists.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Was really enjoying this - until Amazon yanked it

I was partway through listening to this as part of my audible membership - until suddenly it kicked me out, locked the title, and now shows I must purchase it to continue listening to it. Talk about a bait and switch! Will absolutely not pay any money for a book I was allowed to begin as free (NOT a sample, as part of audible unlimited) then taken away and reentered as paid. Gross. Ready to leave audible for a MOM-AMAZON company.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good story - mediocre narration.

Story was good. But not wow. Some ups and downs for the story itself. It gets a bit too melodramatic at times.
I did NOT enjoy the narrator. Narration was way over done and annoying.
I’ve enjoyed some of her other books a lot more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

When a talented author has to resort to being a political hack one knows they are grasping at straws to try and sell a "book" I will readily say that her books without her political diatribe are well written and keep your interest to the very end. This pile of stink would be have been readable and possibly enjoyable with out the words..LEFT, RIGHT or CONSERVATIVE. to bad a waste of time and effort.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Narrator

I recall do not like this narrator. She sounds as if she just learned how to read. The story was okay, but not as good as the others.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

a wrongful death

this was an excellent read. I love the story line and plot. I highly recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Finally!

SPOILER ALERT
I thoroughly enjoyed the previous 9 books. But this one is the one I’ve been waiting for. Finally the perfect ending

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wrongful Death

Great listen. Second book from this autjor, and it will not be the last. Great storyline, character development, and narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Seriously?!

I’m am so seriously starting to not like Barbara. She’s got some serious attachment issues w men. Its nuts since her dad’s always there for her. If she can’t settle down w darrin and still do her work I’m done.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!