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Features

The best places to write your novel according to authors: tried and tested

A photo of Agatha Christie at her writing desk, in a collage against a red backdrop.

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How Agatha Christie turns readers into bestselling novelists

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From the Orient Express to Bullet Train: why crime loves a locomotive

From Jane Austen's Chawton to Bram Stoker's Whitby, this is the definitive literary tour of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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A literary tour of the United Kingdom

Literature's strangest real-life mysteries 

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Literature’s biggest unanswered mysteries

Seven full-cast BBC radio dramatisations

More of Poirot's Finest Cases

John Moffatt stars as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in seven more BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations.

John Moffatt stars as the great Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in seven more BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations. 
 
Evil Under the Sun: On holiday in Devon, Poirot becomes embroiled in the murder of a glamorous American starlet. 
 
Sad Cypress: A poison pen letter begins a chain of events which is to end in tragedy. 
 
Murder in Mesopotamia: When death occurs at an archaeological site in the Iraqi desert, Poirot is on hand to dig for clues. 
 
Lord Edgware Dies: Lord Edgware is found brutally stabbed, his wife the prime suspect. But did she murder him? 
 
Hallowe’en Party: The sleuth investigates the death of a girl drowned in an apple-bobbing tub on All Hallows’ Eve. 
 
Murder on the Links: Summoned urgently to France, Poirot finds his wealthy client dead. Can he trace the killer? 
 
Five Little Pigs: A bride-to-be hires Poirot to solve a sixteen-year-old case and prove her mother innocent of murder. 
 
These BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations find Poirot pitting his ‘little grey cells’ against a variety of cunning criminals. Based on Agatha Christie’s original novels, these superb adaptations feature a host of distinguished actors including Iain Glen, Fiona Fullerton, Stephanie Cole and Stephen Tompkinson. 
 © 2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. ? 2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A radio investigation into the Queen of Crime

Agatha Christie Close Up

A fascinating collection of archive radio programmes focussing on the life and work of the bestselling crime author.

A fascinating collection of archive radio programmes focusing on the life and work of crime fiction's grande dame and featuring Agatha Christie in her own words. 
 
Dame Agatha Christie published 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections in her lifetime, but to the public she remained an enigmatic figure. This quartet of BBC radio programmes looks at the woman behind the books, and explores the career of one of Britain's most famous mystery writers. 
 
Agatha Christie in Close-Up (1955) tells the story of the celebrated author, with contributions from Richard Attenborough, Allen Lane, Margaret Lockwood and Peter Saunders; while in The Mysterious Dame Agatha (1975), Cliff Michelmore presents an 85th birthday tribute with Peter Saunders, Nigel Stock and Julian Symons. Women of Mystery: Queen of Crime (1982) sees Jessica Mann investigating women crime writers and Christie in particular; and in Agatha Christie: Speaking Her Own Words (2015), we hear specially selected excerpts from the initial, dictated version of Christie's autobiography. Recorded in 1965, these unedited personal tapes were discovered by her grandson Matthew Prichard, who introduces the programme. 
 
Featuring the voices of fellow writers, friends, family and the Queen of Crime herself, this wide-ranging collection sheds new light on the bestselling novelist of all time. Duration: 2 hours approx.

Twelve BBC Radio 4 dramatisations

Agatha Christie: Twelve Radio Mysteries

12 BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations of short stories by the Queen of Crime.

Agatha Christie, the acknowledged ‘Queen of Crime' (The Observer) was born in Torquay in 1890. During the First World War she worked as a hospital dispenser, and it was here that she gleaned the working knowledge of various poisons that was to prove so useful in her detective stories. 
 
Her first novel was The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which introduced Hercule Poirot to the world. This was published in 1920 (although in fact she had written it during the war) and was followed over the next six years by four more detective novels and a short story collection. However, it was not until the publication of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd that Agatha Christie’s reputation was firmly established. This novel, with its complex plot and genuinely shocking conclusion, attracted considerable public attention and has since been acknowledged by many experts as a masterpiece. In 1930 the sharp-witted spinster sleuth Miss Marple made her first appearance in The Murder at the Vicarage. In all, Agatha Christie published over 80 novels and short story collections. 
 
The brilliance of Christie’s plots, and her enduring appeal, have led to several dramatisations of her work on radio, television and film. In 1930 she was one of a number of crime writers asked to contribute a chapter to a mystery, Behind the Screen, that was broadcast on BBC radio on 21st June that year. More recently, June Whitfield portrayed Miss Marple on BBC Radio 4, whilst John Moffat starred as Hercule Poirot. On screen, Peter Ustinov, David Suchet, Margaret Rutherford, Joan Hickson, Geraldine McEwan and Julia McKenzie have all memorably played Agatha Christie’s famous sleuths. 
 
As her play The Mousetrap (the longest-running play in the history of theatre) testifies, Agatha Christie’s detective stories are likely to appeal for a long time to come. 
 
Agatha Christie was awarded a CBE in 1956 and was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1971. She died in 1976.

Twelve classic Christie short stories are given a modern spin in these BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations. 
 
Agatha Christie is the acknowledged 'Queen of Crime', and these twelve short stories showcase her skilful plotting and talent for producing compelling mysteries. First broadcast in the early 2000s, the stories were adapted and brought up-to-date for a contemporary audience. 
 
Among the star cast are Tom Hollander, Emilia Fox, Patricia Routledge, Julia McKenzie, Neil Dudgeon, Richard Griffiths, Rebecca Front and Andrew Sachs. 
 
Unconventional detective Parker Pyne features in two of the stories, all twelve of which are infused with Agatha Christie's trademark tension and suspense. These tantalising tales of revenge, jealousy, love and death will thrill her many fans. 
 
The stories are: 
 
Philomel Cottage 
Swan Song 
Magnolia Blossom 
Witness for the Prosecution 
The Gates of Baghdad 
The Hound of Death 
In a Glass Darkly 
The Dressmaker's Doll 
The Case of the Perfect Carer 
The £199 Adventure 
The Gypsy 
The Last Séance 
 
Duration: approx 5 hours 30 minutes

Classic Drama from the BBC Radio Archives

Marple's Casebook

June Whitfield stars as Miss Marple in eight full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisations.

June Whitfield stars as Miss Marple in eight thrilling full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisations. 
 
A Pocket Full of Rye A spate of unusual deaths is linked to the nursery rhyme 'Sing a Song of Sixpence'. 
 
4.50 from Paddington After witnessing a murder on a train, Mrs McGillicuddy calls on Miss Marple. 
 
At Bertram’s Hotel Crime lurks beneath the surface of a respectable Mayfair hotel. 
 
The Body in the Library A mysterious blonde is found murdered in Dolly Bantry’s library. 
 
The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side At a benefit held at Gossington Hall, harmless Mrs Badcock is fatally poisoned. 
 
A Caribbean Mystery Bored in paradise, Miss Marple finds her interest aroused by an old soldier’s tale. 
 
Murder at the Vicarage Everyone in St Mary Mead detested Colonel Protheroe – but who killed him? 
 
A Murder is Announced A startling entry in a local paper’s personal column leads to a deadly shooting. 
 
These BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations feature eight of Miss Marple’s most complex and intriguing cases. Based on the original novels by Agatha Christie, they are performed by a stellar cast. 
 
Duration: 16 hours approx.

Three new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramas

Miss Marple's Final Cases

June Whitfield returns as the deceptively mild spinster sleuth in three full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisations.

June Whitfield returns as the deceptively mild spinster sleuth in three full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisations. 
 
Specially broadcast to mark the 125th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s birth, these brand new dramas are based on three of her best short stories. 
 
Tape-Measure Murder: When Mrs Spenlow is murdered in St Mary Mead, the village gossips all agree that her husband must have killed her – until Miss Marple is called as an alibi… 
 
The Case of the Perfect Maid: Miss Marple investigates the problem of a lady’s maid who has been mysteriously sacked – while also helping her crime writer nephew Raymond West to cure his writer’s block. 
 
Sanctuary: Miss Marple and her god-daughter Bunch are horrified when they discover a dying man in the local church. Can Miss Marple deduce his identity – and his killer – from his last words? 
 
First published in the collection Miss Marple’s Final Cases, these three delightfully clever tales will keep you guessing till the end. Starring June Whitfield – reprising her role as Miss Marple for the first time since 2001 – they are dramatised for BBC Radio 4 by Joy Wilkinson. 
Duration: 1 hr 30 mins approx.

Three BBC radio full-cast dramas: Butter in a Lordly Dish, Murder in the Mews & Personal Call

Agatha Christie: The Lost Plays

A triple bill of archive BBC radio dramas, believed lost for over half a century and only recently rediscovered.

A triple bill of archive BBC radio dramas, believed lost for over half a century and only recently rediscovered. Butter in a Lordly Dish, written specially for radio in 1948, features Richard Williams as Sir Luke Enderby KC, whose infidelities lead him into trouble when he goes to meet his latest flame. Williams also stars as Hercule Poirot in Murder in the Mews, a 1955 adaptation of a short story. A young woman is found dead in her flat, the day after Guy Fawkes night. Did she die by her own hand, or someone else's? In Personal Call, also written specially for radio by Agatha Christie, a disturbing telephone call from a woman named Fay has consequences for both Richard Brent and his wife Pam. This 1960 production stars Ivan Brandt and Barbara Lott.

A full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

The Pale Horse

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of the novel by Agatha Christie, first published in 1961.

Agatha Christie (Author) 
 Agatha Christie, the acknowledged ‘Queen of Crime' (The Observer) was born in Torquay in 1890. During the First World War she worked as a hospital dispenser, and it was here that she gleaned the working knowledge of various poisons that was to prove so useful in her detective stories. 
 
Her first novel was The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which introduced Hercule Poirot to the world. This was published in 1920 (although in fact she had written it during the war) and was followed over the next six years by four more detective novels and a short story collection. However, it was not until the publication of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd that Agatha Christie’s reputation was firmly established. This novel, with its complex plot and genuinely shocking conclusion, attracted considerable public attention and has since been acknowledged by many experts as a masterpiece. In 1930 the sharp-witted spinster sleuth Miss Marple made her first appearance in The Murder at the Vicarage. In all, Agatha Christie published over 80 novels and short story collections. 
 
The brilliance of Christie’s plots, and her enduring appeal, have led to several dramatisations of her work on radio, television and film. In 1930 she was one of a number of crime writers asked to contribute a chapter to a mystery, Behind the Screen, that was broadcast on BBC radio on 21st June that year. More recently, June Whitfield portrayed Miss Marple on BBC Radio 4, whilst John Moffat starred as Hercule Poirot. On screen, Peter Ustinov, David Suchet, Margaret Rutherford, Joan Hickson, Geraldine McEwan and Julia McKenzie have all memorably played Agatha Christie’s famous sleuths. 
 
As her play The Mousetrap (the longest-running play in the history of theatre) testifies, Agatha Christie’s detective stories are likely to appeal for a long time to come. 
 
Agatha Christie was awarded a CBE in 1956 and was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1971. She died in 1976. 
 
Jane Slavin (Reader) 
 Jane Slavin is an actress. She lives in London. Writing on the Water is her first novel.

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of the atmospheric murder mystery novel by Agatha Christie, first published in 1961. 
 
A dying woman confesses a terrible secret to her priest along with a cryptic list of nine names. Before he is able to uncover anything more, the priest is struck dead in the fog and the police discover the list in his shoe. 
 
Our hero Mark Easterbrook, a historian, learns of a secretive organisation known as The Pale Horse and of their supernatural connections in the village of Much Deeping. The list of names seems to foretell the deaths of several people and Mark must piece together the clues and unearth the connections between them all. 
 
Who is behind the strange powers of The Pale Horse? 
 
Dramatised by Joy Wilkinson 
Directed by Mary Peate

Eight full-cast BBC radio dramatisations

Poirot’s Finest Cases

John Moffatt stars as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in eight full-cast BBC radio dramatisations.

John Moffatt stars as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. 
 
The ABC Murders: A chilling letter sets the sleuth on the trail of an enigmatic killer. 
After the Funeral: A wealthy businessman is dead, and his sister thinks it was murder. 
Death on the Nile: Poirot is in Egypt when a chilling murder takes place. 
Peril at End House: Whilst on holiday, the sleuth encounters a young woman, a hat and a bullet. 
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: Mrs Farrars is found dead, one year after the death of her husband. 
Murder on the Orient Express: Poirot is aboard a snowbound train when a passenger is found murdered. 
Three Act Tragedy: Poirot is one of the guests at a party when a clergyman dies whilst sipping a cocktail. 
The Mysterious Affair at Styles: Poirot and Captain Hastings become re-acquainted in a quiet English village in 1916. 
 
These BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations showcase eight of the finest cases in Hercule Poirot's career. Based on the original novels by Agatha Christie, they feature a cast of outstanding actors playing an array of likely suspects... 
 
Starring: John Moffat, Simon Williams, Nichola McAuliffe, Jill Balcon, Hugh Dickson, Sean Arnold, Susan Jameson, Nichols Boulton, Philip Jackson, Annabelle Dowler, Hilda Schroder, George Cole, Gemma Saunders, Andrew Wincott, Terence Edmond, Bryan Pringle, David Thorpe, Elizabeth Conboy, Rosemary Leach, Donald Sinden, Stratford Johns, Tom George, Sylvia Syms, Sian Phillips, Francesca Annia, Frank Windsor, Peter Polycarpu, Desmond Llewelyn, Andre Maranne, Siriol Jenkins, Kate Binchy, Joss Ackland 
 
 
©2014 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2014 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

John Moffatt stars as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. 
 
The ABC Murders: A chilling letter sets the sleuth on the trail of an enigmatic killer. 
After the Funeral: A wealthy businessman is dead, and his sister thinks it was murder. 
Death on the Nile: Poirot is in Egypt when a chilling murder takes place. 
Peril at End House: Whilst on holiday, the sleuth encounters a young woman, a hat and a bullet. 
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: Mrs Farrars is found dead, one year after the death of her husband. 
Murder on the Orient Express: Poirot is aboard a snowbound train when a passenger is found murdered. 
Three Act Tragedy: Poirot is one of the guests at a party when a clergyman dies whilst sipping a cocktail. 
The Mysterious Affair at Styles: Poirot and Captain Hastings become re-acquainted in a quiet English village in 1916. 
 
These BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations showcase eight of the finest cases in Hercule Poirot's career. Based on the original novels by Agatha Christie, they feature a cast of outstanding actors playing an array of likely suspects... 
 
Starring: John Moffat, Simon Williams, Nichola McAuliffe, Jill Balcon, Hugh Dickson, Sean Arnold, Susan Jameson, Nichols Boulton, Philip Jackson, Annabelle Dowler, Hilda Schroder, George Cole, Gemma Saunders, Andrew Wincott, Terence Edmond, Bryan Pringle, David Thorpe, Elizabeth Conboy, Rosemary Leach, Donald Sinden, Stratford Johns, Tom George, Sylvia Syms, Sian Phillips, Francesca Annia, Frank Windsor, Peter Polycarpu, Desmond Llewelyn, Andre Maranne, Siriol Jenkins, Kate Binchy, Joss Ackland 
 
 
 ©2014 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2014 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

Ordeal by Innocence

A full-cast Agatha Christie radio dramatisation, which complements an extensive list of over 50 bestselling radio dramas from the BBC.

A full-cast BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel, known to be a favourite among her own works. 
 
When Doctor Calgary visits the Argyle family, he believes he brings good news. He is there to clear the name of Jacko, who was convicted of the murder of his own mother, Rachel. But the doctor’s news is not greeted with the enthusiasm he expects, and the family seem intent on resisting both his help and the investigations of Inspector Huish. 
 
When a further murder is committed, it becomes apparent that a killer is among the gathered party. With almost everyone having a motive and the means for murder, they must all be on their guard. 
 
Eschewing the traditional detective format, Ordeal by Innocence examines how the innocent suffer more than the guilty when a crime goes unsolved. Along with Crooked House, it was Agatha Christie's favourite of her own works. 
 
Cast: 
Calgary...Mark Umbers 
Gwenda...Jacqueline Defferary 
Kirsten...Wanda Opalinska 
Hester...Phoebe Waller-Bridge 
Jacko...Arthur Hughes 
Leo...Sean Murray 
Mickey...Joel MacCormack 
Tina...Carys Eleri 
Philip...John Norton 
Mary...Priyanga Burford 
Marshall...David Seddon 
Huish...Michael Burtenshaw 
Doctor...Harry Jardine 
Hotel Receptionist...Georgie Fuller 
 
Adapted by Joy Wilkinson 
Directed by Mary Peate

Murder Is Easy

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Agatha Christie's thrilling murder mystery.

'It's very easy to kill - so long as no one suspects you.'   So says Miss Pinkerton when ex-policeman Luke Fitzwilliam meets her on a train. Luke doesn't take much notice of this little old lady's story about a serial killer on the loose in her village - until her predictions start to come true, when he feels compelled to check it out. Very soon the race is on to prevent any more murders...   Dramatised by Joy Wilkinson, and with a distinguished cast including Patrick Baladi, Lydia Leonard, Michael Cochrane and Marcia Warren, this is a gripping BBC Radio dramatisation of one of Agatha Christie's most ingenious detective stories.

Sparkling Cyanide

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of a classic Agatha Christie mystery.

‘There’s Rosemary, that’s for remembrance.’ Published in 1945, Sparkling Cyanide is all about remembrance. It begins with six characters recalling the horrific death of Rosemary Barton, a beautiful but shallow young heiress poisoned by a cyanide-spiked glass of champagne whilst celebrating her birthday at a smart London restaurant. Rosemary haunts all six characters, each of them a suspect, throughout the story – and it’s not until her killer is found and her ghost laid to rest that the group can move on, though they will never forget. With a distinguished cast including Naomi Frederick, Peter Wight and Sean Baker, this wonderfully entertaining production retains the thrill of Agatha Christie’s clever, compulsive story.

The Capture Of Cerberus

Two recently-rediscovered Hercule Poirot short stories byAgatha Christie, read by David Suchet.In 2004, a remarkable archive was unearthed at Agatha Christie’s family home, Greenway – 73 of her private notebooks, filled with pencilled jottings and ideas. Hidden within this literary treasure trove were two rare, never-before-published short stories, discovered by archivist John Curran and published in his book ‘Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks: Fifty Years of Mysteries in the Making’.‘The Capture of Cerberus’ was intended to be the twelfth in her collection of Poirot stories, ‘The Labours of Hercules’, but she eventually rewrote it, keeping only the title. In this first, original version, Poirot is holidaying in Geneva, trying to take his mind off the impending war. But a chance meeting with an old acquaintance leads to an investigation involving a Nazi dictator and an enormous hound...‘The Incident of the Dog’s Ball’, probably written in 1933, was reworked as the novel ‘Dumb Witness’ (1937) with a different murderer and motive. In it, Poirot receives a letter from an elderly lady, written two months before and asking for help. Now she is dead, and Poirot is convinced that her beloved terrier Bob holds the key to her death... 
 
©2011 AudioGO Ltd (P)2011 BBC WW

And Then There Were None

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of a classic Agatha Christie mystery, starring Lyndsey Marshal, Geoffrey Whitehead and John Rowe.

Ten guests travel to an island at the invitation of someone named U.N. Owen. All are strangers, but they have two things in common: they have all been responsible for someone's death, and none will leave the island alive. Over the next two days and nights, each of the guests is killed off in a different manner in keeping with the nursery rhyme, 'Ten Little Soldier Boys'. As they are picked off one by one, who could possibly be responsible? The killers are forced to turn detective so they can find the unknown murderer, but one by one they become victims... Billed as 'the famous detective story without a detective', And Then There Were None is one of Agatha Christie's darkest and most enduring tales.

The Adventure Of Christmas Pudding

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot.

In this delightful tale, an Eastern Prince arrives in England with some family jewels which he's having reset as a gift for his fianceé. However, the Prince also has a mistress. She asks to wear one particularly enchanting piece that features a huge ruby, and then promptly disappears with it.   Poirot discovers a connection with a house party at the home of Colonel and Mrs Lacey and, in order to pursue his investigation, an invitation is procured for him to the Laceys', ostensibly to enjoy an old-fashioned Christmas.   With deft skill and the workings of his little grey cells, Poirot brings this case to a satisfying and festive conclusion.   Starring John Moffat as Hercule Poirot, with Donald Sinden and Sian Phillips as Colonel and Mrs Lacey.

Hercule Poirot's Christmas

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring Peter Sallis as the great Belgian detective.

Tyrannical millionaire Simeon Lee has been estranged from most of his family for years. But now, on Christmas Eve, the old man calls them all together once more. Unable to disobey, the children gather uneasily and wonder what their father's intentions are. Does he want to clear up past misunderstandings or cause fresh mischief?   Before they can find out, a deafening crash is heard overhead. Rushing upstairs, they discover a shocking sight: Simeon Lee is lying in a pool of blood, his throat cut. But it is the strangest thing - the door has been locked from the inside and there is no trace of the murderer.   With so many possible suspects, it is lucky for Superintendent Sugden that the Chief Constable has his old friend Hercule Poirot staying with him. It seems to be an impossible case. But, as Poirot knows only too well, things aren't always as they seem.

A Murder Is Announced

A BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation starring June Whitfield as Miss Marple, the deceptively mild spinster sleuth.

'A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29, at Little Paddocks, at 6:30pm. Friends please accept this, the only intimation.' Nestled among the usual notices about dogs for sale and appeals for domestic help, the startling entry in the personal column of the Chipping Cleghorn Gazette has the entire village agog with curiosity. Is it a game? And who is meant to attend? The mistress of Little Paddocks, Letitia Blacklock, is also taken completely by surprise. Suspecting her nephew of a practical joke, she's sure of one thing: half the village will be converging on the house expecting a glass of sherry. Sure enough, the evening sees a crowd of residents standing expectantly in the drawing-room. Then the clock strikes the half-hour, the lights go out, and three gunshots ring in the dark. When the lights go back on, the promised murder has been committed. Can Miss Marple work out what has happened and why? One of Agatha Christie's most intriguing mysteries is dramatised with a full cast including Ian Lavender and Jamie Glover.

Three Act Tragedy

John Moffatt stars as Hercule Poirot in a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Agatha Christie's famous novel.

Hercule Poirot is a guest at a weekend house party, given at the Cornish cliff top home of the celebrated actor Sir Charles Cartwright. The other visitors include keen amateur detective Mr Satterthwaite and distinguished Harley Street nerve specialist Sir Bartholomew Strange.   Death visits the house soon after Poirot's arrival, the victim an elderly clergyman who's only had a sip of dry martini. What else was in the glass? Are natural causes to blame... or murder?   In Monte Carlo a short time later, Poirot and his acquaintances hear of another, similar death. Is this a mere coincidence - and can Poirot resist further investigation? Everyone concerned will be much relieved if he does. Meanwhile, a third tragedy is waiting in the wings...   George Cole, Michael Cochrane and Clive Merrison are amongst the cast in this adaptation of Agatha Christie's intriguing mystery.

They Do It With Mirrors

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring June Whitfield as Miss Marple.

The pleasant village of Market Kindle in the south of England is home to Stoneygates, a school for delinquent boys housed in a Victorian mansion belonging to the rich and elderly Carrie Louise Serrocold and her husband Lewis. When Miss Marple pays her old friend Carrie Louise a visit, she immediately senses that something is wrong at the school. Two gunshots, heard from behind the locked study door, seem to confirm her suspicions. Whilst Lewis Serrocold escapes this attempt on his life, however, the visiting Mr Gulbrandsen has met a grisly fate elsewhere in the house. What did Mr Gulbrandsen know to make him a target for murder? Who has been trying to poison Carrie Louise with arsenic? And what role in all this has Serrocold's deeply disturbed, self-styled assistant, Edgar Lawson? Miss Marple's infallible detective insticts succeed in raising these and other significant questions - and all she requires now are the answers... This full-cast dramatisation of Agatha Christie's ingenious mystery stars June Whitfield, with Keith Barron and Jill Balcon.

Sad Cypress

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot, the great Belgian detective.

Elinor Carlisle and Roddy Welman are the model English couple, perfect companions set for a life of ease when they inherit Aunt Laura's considerable fortune. But a poison pen letter begins a chain of events which is to end in tragedy.   Convinced that Mary Gerrard, a childhood playmate of Elinor's, is attempting to ingratiate herself with her aunt for financial gain, the pair travel to the family home to investigate. They find no evidence but Roddy falls desperately in love with the beautiful Mary, little realising that beneath Elinor's restrained and unemotional exterior lies an almost obsessive passion for him.   Elinor obeys her aunt's deathbed wish despite her heartbreak, and gives Mary a large bequest from the estate. But when Mary is found poisoned, the evidence against Elinor is damning. It's up to Hercule Poirot to find out if the case is as simple as it seems...

The Sittaford Mystery

A gripping BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of a classic mystery from the Queen of Crime, starring John Moffatt and Stephen Tompkinson.

A blizzard has hit England. In the tiny village of Sittaford, on the fringes of Dartmoor, a party of six is gathered in Sittaford House, home of Captain Trevelyan. He has rented the house out for the winter and is staying in a nearby village.   As evening draws in, a seance is proposed. The lights are lowered and the table turning begins: various questions are asked, and the guests are delighted when the table jerks and rocks, revealing the answers.   But the game turns sour when the board spells out a terrible message - TREVELYAN DEAD. As the horrified participants look on, the table begins to rock again, and fear grips the party as the sinister word appears - MURDER.   Is it a macabre joke, black magic or the truth? And who would kill a man who doesn't have an enemy in the world?

Agatha Christie

June Whitfield

Full Cast

Full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisations

June Whitfield stars as Miss Marple in seven suspenseful full-cast radio dramatisations. 
 
The Moving Finger 
Miss Marple must find out who is behind an outbreak of hate mail and a tragic death. 
 
They Do It With Mirrors 
Visiting an old friend at Stoneygates School, Miss Marple senses danger. 
 
Nemesis 
A posthumous letter sends the spinster sleuth on a mystery tour to find a murderer. 
 
Sleeping Murder 
What is the dark secret behind Gwenda Reed's uncanny intuition? Miss Marple investigates... 
 
Tape-Measure Murder 
A wife is killed, her husband is under suspicion - and Miss Marple is called to provide an alibi. 
 
The Case of the Perfect Maid 
The sharp-witted sleuth looks into the problem of a lady's maid who has been mysteriously sacked. 
 
Sanctuary 
An unknown man dies in the local church - can Miss Marple deduce his identity from 
his last words? 
 
These BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations, based on four novels and three short stories by Agatha Christie, showcase seven of Miss Marple's most ingenious mysteries. 
 
The Moving Finger, They Do It With Mirrors, Nemesis and Sleeping Murder dramatised by Michael Bakewell and directed by Enyd Williams 
 
Tape-Measure Murder, The Case of the Perfect Maid and Sanctuary dramatised by Joy Wilkinson and directed by Gemma Jenkins 
 
 
 ©2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Agatha Christie

Books by Agatha Christie

Articles featuring Agatha Christie

The best places to write your novel according to authors: tried and tested

How Agatha Christie turns readers into bestselling novelists

From the Orient Express to Bullet Train: why crime loves a locomotive

A literary tour of the United Kingdom

Literature’s biggest unanswered mysteries

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