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Torchwood Audio Exclusives #1
Torchwood: Hidden
Outside the Government, beyond the police, fighting for the future on behalf of the human race. The 21st century is when everything changes and Torchwood is ready. Led by the mysterious and enigmatic Captain Jack Harkness, Torchwood delves into the unknown and fights the impossible... After a series of violent and seemingly unrelated deaths, the solution to a riddle seems to point the finger of blame at Captain Jack. Can the Torchwood team uncover the truth, which lies hidden in the heart of the Welsh countryside, in time to save their leader? Naoko Mori, who plays Toshiko in the hit BBC TV series created by Russell T Davies, reads this exclusive audio story by Steven Savile. This story takes place during the first series of Torchwood. Contains adult themes and language.2 CDs. 2 hrs 15 mins.
Audio CD
First published February 4, 2008
About the author
Steven Savile
247 books250 followersSteven Savile (born October 12, 1969, in Newcastle, England) is a British fantasy, horror and thriller writer, and editor living in Sala, Sweden.
Under the Ronan Frost penname (inspired by the hero of his bestselling novel, Silver) he has also written the action thriller White Peak, and as Matt Langley was a finalist for the People's Book Prize.
Under the Ronan Frost penname (inspired by the hero of his bestselling novel, Silver) he has also written the action thriller White Peak, and as Matt Langley was a finalist for the People's Book Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 25, 2017
Read by the lovely and talented Naoko Mori (aka Toshiko Sato), this is a marvelous adventure story, set during Series One, that rates as 90% satisfying in my mind.
A series of mysterious deaths have Captain Jack Harkness tearing out of the Hub without letting the others know where he is going to, then can't be found anywhere by the rest of his worried team as more deaths appear. As Gwen, Ianto, Owen, and Tosh try to find their missing Captain while working on why the deaths had Jack concerned, they find themselves delving into the far past and a long-dead alchemist.
Jack is actually being held by Cardiff police on suspicion of murder, but finally gets a few moments to call Tosh and drop a clue or two in her ear. Meanwhile, Ianto discovers more murder victims and is himself almost killed during a horrendous car chase that ends with him badly injured. Snooping about, Gwen and Owen gather more clues and pieces of the puzzle, but it actually comes down to the technical and scientific knowledge of Tosh before they discover what actually happened and how to save Jack from prison.
Okay, that's the basic storyline and I truly enjoyed listening to this double set of CDs, so why are we missing 10% of satisfaction? The whole Ianto chase and injury scene was brilliant, but Jack doesn't find out until he's released from custody. So what that means is, no real Ianto/Jack moment, other than a visit at the very end by the team to Ianto in the hospital and a soft kiss on the forehead. Bummer.
I understand that this is set Series One, before we had a really serious relationship going on the series, but I still would've liked to have had Jack somehow notified in the police station and going ballistic because he couldn't find out just how badly Ianto was hurt, much less get to his side. On the plus side, we get lots of Tosh and little true Gwen moments, bless you, Steven Savile! A little of Gwen truly goes a long way.
A series of mysterious deaths have Captain Jack Harkness tearing out of the Hub without letting the others know where he is going to, then can't be found anywhere by the rest of his worried team as more deaths appear. As Gwen, Ianto, Owen, and Tosh try to find their missing Captain while working on why the deaths had Jack concerned, they find themselves delving into the far past and a long-dead alchemist.
Jack is actually being held by Cardiff police on suspicion of murder, but finally gets a few moments to call Tosh and drop a clue or two in her ear. Meanwhile, Ianto discovers more murder victims and is himself almost killed during a horrendous car chase that ends with him badly injured. Snooping about, Gwen and Owen gather more clues and pieces of the puzzle, but it actually comes down to the technical and scientific knowledge of Tosh before they discover what actually happened and how to save Jack from prison.
Okay, that's the basic storyline and I truly enjoyed listening to this double set of CDs, so why are we missing 10% of satisfaction? The whole Ianto chase and injury scene was brilliant, but Jack doesn't find out until he's released from custody. So what that means is, no real Ianto/Jack moment, other than a visit at the very end by the team to Ianto in the hospital and a soft kiss on the forehead. Bummer.
I understand that this is set Series One, before we had a really serious relationship going on the series, but I still would've liked to have had Jack somehow notified in the police station and going ballistic because he couldn't find out just how badly Ianto was hurt, much less get to his side. On the plus side, we get lots of Tosh and little true Gwen moments, bless you, Steven Savile! A little of Gwen truly goes a long way.
February 28, 2018
3/4 of this are really gripping but unfortunately the payoff is so lame and rushed that I can only give this one two stars.
Torchwood explore a series of apparently random deaths beginning with a helicopter crash, that are of course not really random at all and lead the team to a centuries old alchemist and a weird immortality cult. The story and the way it unravels are really exciting and I was pretty much on the edge of my seat with the mysterious car chasing Ianto over a cliff -OMG!!! talk about cliff-hanger for end of disc 1. I also like the plot with the ideas of mysterious cults, alchemists, cloning which I must say makes a refreshing change from aliens coming through the rift.
Naoko Mori (Tosh) makes a good job of narration too and fully held my attention. The main problem I have with this is the fizzle of an ending - seriously it's like... Is that it??? After I've been through all this and then... yeah. It feels like a huge chunk of explanation is missing but this is an original audio and not an abridged book so there can't be. But there are gaping holes - I mean we're shown how the centuries old alchemist and the money man and his son are identical but it doesn't clearly enough explain the connections - I get the son was a clone but if he's been cloning himself since way back when how was that even possible? Normally I hate techno-babble, but seriously some more explanation is needed.
The other thing with this one is that because it's so story focused that there's not much character development, relationship exploration. There's no Ianto/Jack and there's a lack of just general bickering and personality that makes the show so addictive.
The lack of character exploration I can put up with for the sake of a great story and for the most part this is... really interesting and then it just ends.
Torchwood explore a series of apparently random deaths beginning with a helicopter crash, that are of course not really random at all and lead the team to a centuries old alchemist and a weird immortality cult. The story and the way it unravels are really exciting and I was pretty much on the edge of my seat with the mysterious car chasing Ianto over a cliff -OMG!!! talk about cliff-hanger for end of disc 1. I also like the plot with the ideas of mysterious cults, alchemists, cloning which I must say makes a refreshing change from aliens coming through the rift.
Naoko Mori (Tosh) makes a good job of narration too and fully held my attention. The main problem I have with this is the fizzle of an ending - seriously it's like... Is that it??? After I've been through all this and then... yeah. It feels like a huge chunk of explanation is missing but this is an original audio and not an abridged book so there can't be. But there are gaping holes - I mean we're shown how the centuries old alchemist and the money man and his son are identical but it doesn't clearly enough explain the connections - I get the son was a clone but if he's been cloning himself since way back when how was that even possible? Normally I hate techno-babble, but seriously some more explanation is needed.
The other thing with this one is that because it's so story focused that there's not much character development, relationship exploration. There's no Ianto/Jack and there's a lack of just general bickering and personality that makes the show so addictive.
The lack of character exploration I can put up with for the sake of a great story and for the most part this is... really interesting and then it just ends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2025
The 50 Prompt Eighth Doctor Reading Challenge - Character, Conflict & Emotion - 41) A Book Where The Protagonist Hides A Dark Secret
This is one of those stories that is really gripping, it kept me hooked all the way through, and I was on the edge of my seat (literally, as I listened to this book on the way into town on the bus).
And then the ending was so awful, it ruins the entire book.
This is one of those stories that is really gripping, it kept me hooked all the way through, and I was on the edge of my seat (literally, as I listened to this book on the way into town on the bus).
And then the ending was so awful, it ruins the entire book.
November 6, 2025
A really fun enjoyable experience read absolutely brilliantly by Tosh herself (Naoko Mori). You know it's interesting when I started watching Torchwood i didn't know I would love it so much, but now I've found myself hooked and trying to devour any Torchwood media i can find! I'd definitely recommend this story the mystery is fascinating and is more of a Tosh focused story which I really appreciate!
December 3, 2013
Believe it or not, this is the first audiobook I've ever gotten. My parents used to force me to listen to their mysteries on tape when we took family road trips, so I had always thought of audiobooks as hopelessly geriatric. But being able to zone out to Naoko Mori's voice on the way to work was a treat. I thought the characterizations here ran very true to canon. These books are not literature any more than Torchwood itself is a cinematic masterpiece. There are some cliche elements and some really hamfisted, scenery-chewing moments, but to be honest, I enjoy the melodrama of the show, so this was a nice way to spend a couple of hours. There wasn't enough Jack/Ianto action for my inner fangirl, but hey-- that's what fanfic is for.
January 23, 2017
3.74 stars
So far, Naoko Mori is definitely my favourite reader of the Torchwood cast so far. She only lightly changes her voice for each character, which suits me because Eve Myles' American accent was truly distracting.
As for the story, it was pretty fun and and classic Torchwood stuff, but there was way too little Jack for my liking. Also wayyyy to little Jack/Ianto interaction. The characterisation, for the most part, was pretty spot on, particularly with Owen. It was easy to tell who was speaking even without the assistance of Naoko's reading.
So far, Naoko Mori is definitely my favourite reader of the Torchwood cast so far. She only lightly changes her voice for each character, which suits me because Eve Myles' American accent was truly distracting.
As for the story, it was pretty fun and and classic Torchwood stuff, but there was way too little Jack for my liking. Also wayyyy to little Jack/Ianto interaction. The characterisation, for the most part, was pretty spot on, particularly with Owen. It was easy to tell who was speaking even without the assistance of Naoko's reading.
February 24, 2021
At first I was a bit sceptical because of the length, but Naoko Mori does such an excellent job presenting the story, that I was hooked right from the start. The story runs around 2 1/2 hours and you have to pay close attention to follow the storyline - so make sure you got the time needed. For quite a while you wonder why this case is Torchwood related at all, but it all becomes clear throughout the story. The characters are well drawn and Naoko does a great job giving each of them a voice so it's easy to followe who's speaking. And boy I did not expect a car chase would be such a thrill in audio format. Definitely the highlight of the episode. Jack is a bit on the backburner in this story, but all of the others have their moments to shine.
May 11, 2023
I’m a huge, all time fan of Torchwood and my love of this show has never dwindled over the years. I love how much there is out there still to consume in the world of Torchwood (from books, to audio’s) and I’m currently making my way through all the BBC audio dramas. (And not to mention all of the epic BigFinish out there. Torchwood continues to live on and it’s great!).
This one, read by Naoko Mori, our one and only Tosh, the whole team investigate some mysterious deaths and all is made that little bit harder with the disappearing Jack..
This one was super entertaining (as all of the Torchwood stories are) and it was lovely being thrown back into the nostalgia of the show with these epic characters. Onto Everyone Says Hello next!!
This one, read by Naoko Mori, our one and only Tosh, the whole team investigate some mysterious deaths and all is made that little bit harder with the disappearing Jack..
This one was super entertaining (as all of the Torchwood stories are) and it was lovely being thrown back into the nostalgia of the show with these epic characters. Onto Everyone Says Hello next!!
February 1, 2021
Main points:
- Dives into the main plot very quickly.
- The type of audiobook you have to sit down and focus your attention on to keep up with.
- Overall focus on science, specifically alchemy (rather than alien activity).
- Subtle characterisations of each member (particularly Owen and Jack) are very effective.
- The individual sub-plots are gripping on their own.
- Neat ending (if you find the middle slow, it clears up towards the end), especially for Janto fans :)
- Dives into the main plot very quickly.
- The type of audiobook you have to sit down and focus your attention on to keep up with.
- Overall focus on science, specifically alchemy (rather than alien activity).
- Subtle characterisations of each member (particularly Owen and Jack) are very effective.
- The individual sub-plots are gripping on their own.
- Neat ending (if you find the middle slow, it clears up towards the end), especially for Janto fans :)
August 28, 2022
While the narration from Naoko Mori was enjoyable the story itself felt a little too all over the place to follow. Granted I have listened to it over the course of four days when you could probably get through it in an afternoon which is always better to follow a plot as short as this.
So if I had listened to it quicker it may have been a higher rating.
So if I had listened to it quicker it may have been a higher rating.
September 28, 2022
I struggled to keep my attention on this story. Naoko Mori’s narration is good and the characters of the regulars are well captured, but the plot was quite tedious and in the end falls back on the annoying “Jack keeps secrets from the team for no readily apparent reason” trope that pops up a lot in Torchwood.
February 10, 2018
Wow, I was not expecting this to be so long and in depth. Naoko Mori did a fantastic job as narrator (she even used the proper American accent for Jack.) I look forward to the subsequent books in the series.
October 8, 2018
42 WORD REVIEW:
Untethered action scenes adrift on an oil-slick mix of lifeless plot and overly detailed backstory. Published just prior to Series Two, ‘Hidden’ harks back to Series One where the leads were gung-ho and hapless, flapping about with the perspicacity of misdirected salmon.
Untethered action scenes adrift on an oil-slick mix of lifeless plot and overly detailed backstory. Published just prior to Series Two, ‘Hidden’ harks back to Series One where the leads were gung-ho and hapless, flapping about with the perspicacity of misdirected salmon.
March 29, 2019
Probably the best use of alchemy in the Whoniverse.
February 23, 2022
I think it’s nice that naoko has a nice voice and I think Jack should get blamed for things more often
January 6, 2023
Everything about Torchwood is addicting!!
January 27, 2024
This was my first experience of the BBC Torchwood audios and it’s safe to say it did not fill me with excitement for the rest. The plot is as thin as a needle and the narration and dialogue is incredibly poor. It’s mostly just Tosh spouting techno technobabble for most of the runtime and the rest of the team driving the SUV right up till the Ex Machina ending. There’s just nothing to hook you story wise and the narration does nothing to help that. Obviously Naiko Mori does a fantastic Tosh bit given that is her character it’s hardly a surprise but the rest of the team it borders on cringeworthy at times. I just don’t understand how at any point in production nobody went ‘this is terrible, let’s just drop this’. I really couldn’t enjoy it and the fact a 1 hour story is stretched out to 2 and a half hours makes it even more draining. The villain is generic and doesn’t present any believable threat so really doesn’t give the story and suspense. Even if it did the lack of action and interesting events makes this one really boring.
February 26, 2024
unfortunately, these are living up to the stereotype of books based on pre-existing tv shows being wildly out-of-character cash-grabs :(
whilst naoko mori read beautifully, the writing (especially the dialogue) was very childish and unrealistic— e.g. “i could tell you but i’d have to kill you” (quote from jack), owen calling jack a “fearless leader” in all seriousness, “to keep the demons of sadness away” (??? lol), an interrogator calling jack “flyboy”, etc.
honestly, what is this dialogue? and everybody was out-of-character, but owen most of all. he was weirdly philosophical and friendly, which is even worse considering this was supposedly set in s1?
i’m not even sure that i know what most of this story was about.
whilst naoko mori read beautifully, the writing (especially the dialogue) was very childish and unrealistic— e.g. “i could tell you but i’d have to kill you” (quote from jack), owen calling jack a “fearless leader” in all seriousness, “to keep the demons of sadness away” (??? lol), an interrogator calling jack “flyboy”, etc.
honestly, what is this dialogue? and everybody was out-of-character, but owen most of all. he was weirdly philosophical and friendly, which is even worse considering this was supposedly set in s1?
i’m not even sure that i know what most of this story was about.
February 3, 2016
Как бы я ни любила старую команду, Тош всегда выпадала. Она немного ожила в конце второго сезона, когда, собственно, настало ее время покинуть Торчвуд – да, знаю, это ужасно несправедливо. Компьютерный гений, серая мышка, безнадежно влюбленная в коллегу, с тихим и дико невыразительным голосом – вот такой я помню Тош.
Претензии конкретно Наоко Мори. Дорогая, я понимаю, что у тебя донельзя скучный персонаж, но раскрась его красками хоть чуть-чуть в аудиокниге? Все твои коллеги уже попробовали себя в роли чтецов, и у них это получилось с переменным успехом, так почему бы не сделать исключение и перестать затенять интонации, а наоборот, выделить каждого персонажа? Блин, да я половину этой книги удачно проспала, настолько мне было скучно от монотонности и невыразительности.
Сюжет дебильный. Хотя бы потому что в нем нет ни одного пришельца. Торчвуд выступает в роли Роберта Лэнгдона (см. Дэн Браун), не, я серьезно, ни разу не шучу. Какие-то крипты, исследователи, выдающиеся умы своего времени, алхимики, тайные ордены и раннее клонирование в истории человечества. Много кровяки и мало смысла. Йанто падает с обрыва, Джек отсиживается в гостях у ФБР, все остальные тупят, пытаясь связать между собой людей и события. Ни одного пришельца, сплошные интриги в кругах микробиологов, алхимиков и археологов. У меня после этой книги психологическая травма.
Я хоть и проспала половину книги, но оставшиеся в памяти моменты удручают. Например, была такая ситуация, когда ребята пришли в гости к женщине-ученой, которой через пару минут после знакомства успели снесли пол-башки взрывом. Я от негодования чуть из кровати не выпрыгнула – только я успела проникнуться симпатией к этой милой женщине (а описательность не хромает), как ее задвинули. Причем я спецом переслушала этот момент – ни один из героев даже не вспомнил о ней, они побежали стрелять в плохишей, забыв о том, что на полу кто-то валяется. Спасибо хоть не споткнулись об нее.
Короче, аудиокнижка средненькая, вместо Торчвуда легко можно было подставить героев любой другой франшизы, смысл бы не изменился. А это показательно, я считаю.
annikeh.net
Претензии конкретно Наоко Мори. Дорогая, я понимаю, что у тебя донельзя скучный персонаж, но раскрась его красками хоть чуть-чуть в аудиокниге? Все твои коллеги уже попробовали себя в роли чтецов, и у них это получилось с переменным успехом, так почему бы не сделать исключение и перестать затенять интонации, а наоборот, выделить каждого персонажа? Блин, да я половину этой книги удачно проспала, настолько мне было скучно от монотонности и невыразительности.
Сюжет дебильный. Хотя бы потому что в нем нет ни одного пришельца. Торчвуд выступает в роли Роберта Лэнгдона (см. Дэн Браун), не, я серьезно, ни разу не шучу. Какие-то крипты, исследователи, выдающиеся умы своего времени, алхимики, тайные ордены и раннее клонирование в истории человечества. Много кровяки и мало смысла. Йанто падает с обрыва, Джек отсиживается в гостях у ФБР, все остальные тупят, пытаясь связать между собой людей и события. Ни одного пришельца, сплошные интриги в кругах микробиологов, алхимиков и археологов. У меня после этой книги психологическая травма.
Я хоть и проспала половину книги, но оставшиеся в памяти моменты удручают. Например, была такая ситуация, когда ребята пришли в гости к женщине-ученой, которой через пару минут после знакомства успели снесли пол-башки взрывом. Я от негодования чуть из кровати не выпрыгнула – только я успела проникнуться симпатией к этой милой женщине (а описательность не хромает), как ее задвинули. Причем я спецом переслушала этот момент – ни один из героев даже не вспомнил о ней, они побежали стрелять в плохишей, забыв о том, что на полу кто-то валяется. Спасибо хоть не споткнулись об нее.
Короче, аудиокнижка средненькая, вместо Торчвуда легко можно было подставить героев любой другой франшизы, смысл бы не изменился. А это показательно, я считаю.
annikeh.net
Read
December 23, 2009"http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1277018.html[return][return]The first of the non-printed series of Torchwood audio books, by Stephen Savile and read by Naoko 'Tosh' Mori, set before the end of Series 1, so with a full five-member team. I am getting into these, I must say, having enjoyed The Sin Eaters earlier in the month: Naoko Mori has a quiet voice, but is intense when she needs to be, and also is good at doing the others' accents without sounding like she is taking the piss. The story is a decent variation from the Torchwood standard, with seventeenth-century alchemy and modern genetic research combining to make a respectably sfnal plot, with also plenty of good character moments (Jack and Gwen, ironically enough, getting fewest of these). Anyway, brightened up a few days' commute."
April 11, 2013
Steven Savile's Torchwood thriller isn't particularly thrilling, even if it manages to offer some interesting concepts and solid prose. This is one of those Torchwood books that don't have any obvious faults and offer some nice content, but that still seem a bit unremarkable. There is a certain heaviness in Savile's prose that cripples the narrative further, even if his characterization feels right.
It's nice to see the team work together without Jack though, particularly as the tale can tap into the uneasy character dynamics of the first season.
It's nice to see the team work together without Jack though, particularly as the tale can tap into the uneasy character dynamics of the first season.
July 29, 2011
This BBC audio book, a sci-fi thriller, takes place during the first series of Torchwood. Captain Jack Harkness is being interrogated by police for most of this tale, while the Torchwood team strives to solve seemingly unrelated murders and free Jack. Well performed by Naoko Mori, it is sure to delight fans of the series.
February 2, 2014
This one was very predictable though that didn't make it any less enjoyable. I do think I came across as a weirdo because I was shouting the word "cloning" a little too emphatically because everyone else was taking a bit too long to catch on but it was still a nice look back at the Torchwood I used to love before they tried to make it with the Americans.
December 27, 2008
Good characterizations. Wonderfully read by Naoko Mori, and her attempt at Jack's American accent made me grin, but there was not much really alien in this one, and Ianto was out of commission for the last half, so I was kind of... enh.
July 16, 2014
I liked this one a lot more than Everyone Says Hello. And Naoko's attempt at an American accent is adorable lol. I think the only problem with the Torchwood books is that they have a hard time nailing down Jacks character. Nice easy read/listen.
March 11, 2018
The other Torchwood audio book I listened was a dramatisation, so I was slightly disappointed to find that this one wasn't. It was still entertaining though, even if I didn't have a clue what was going on most of the time :D
February 9, 2008
Not my favourite Torchwood story/book/whatever, but I really liked the character bits.
February 1, 2011
What was this one even about again? Oh well. It deserves another listen through- at least for Naoko Mori's "American English" accent for Jack.
April 18, 2011
This was great! another Torchwood masterpiece. Although at the end I expected more. But it was good none the less.
February 13, 2020
re-listen
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews