The last chapter in the "Dr Knox trilogy" (thank god), after Medicinal Purposes and Pier Pressure, and the best one too: meaning that it's mediocre, but at least it's not offensive or as dull and baffling as the other two!

I like historicals, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln seems like one of those events that are bound to come up in a Doctor Who story sooner or later, so I was looking forward to this. To be fair, the plot revolving the assassination was interesting - having Booth die before he could kill Lincoln - and I also liked the way Knox was reintroduced, posing as Oscar Wilde. The first episode had a good premise.

The side characters worked fine - I liked Ford, Clara Harris and Lizzie Williams especially - and the writing for the main cast was sliiiightly better too... I admit, the bar was set barely above ground, but at least Six didn't shake hands with Booth, congratulating him on being a future murderer, and Evelyn actually recognized famous historical figures this time! [sigh]

Still, Assassin in the Limelight has quite a few problems. It has a big cast, a lot of character subplots and some red herrings, all of which split the listener's attention in many different directions - in a way that could be engaging, if the story did something with them. Instead, it meanders for a whole hour, not focusing on anything in particular, and then falls apart. Plot threads are either abandoned or get unnecessarily complicated, only to be resolved in the most rushed way possible.

The main villains are another weak point for me. The Indo from Pier Pressure are still uninteresting and poorly written. Dr Knox at least has character and even a compelling motive this time, but he's never truly scary or entertaining. His deteriorating health does little to give him an edge, gravitas, or a sense of urgency that could make him really dangerous. He's annoying, rather than a threat. Because of this, it's hard to be invested in what happens in the final episode.

Assassin in the Limelight is not completely terrible, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a Big Finish completionist or want to listen to every Six & Evelyn story out there.