Adam Wasson

Adam Weymouth's work has been published widely, including in Granta, The Atlantic, The Observer and the BBC. His first book, Kings of the Yukon, tells the story of his 2000-mile canoe trip across Alaska. It won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year, the Lonely Planet/ Stanfords Adventure Travel Book of the Year and the Prix Paul-Emile Victor. He has been named by the National Writing Centre as one of ten writers shaping the UK's future.

Adam Weymouth

Adam Wisniewski-Snerg (1937-95) was born on the outskirts of Warsaw. His science fiction writing is largely focused around the consequences of totalitarianism. Although largely unread during his lifetime, after his suicide in 1995 his work began to receive major critical attention. He is now considered to be, along with Stanislaw Lem, one of Poland's greatest science fiction writers.

Adam Wisniewski-Snerg

Ade Edmondson

Adele Lang

Adele Nozedar is an author and photographer. Previously, she was in a cult indie band, then ran her own indie record label and became A&amp;R Director/General Manager of a major record company. 
 
Her wide-ranging passions are reflected in her books, which include The Hedgerow Handbook (2012), The Signs and Symbols Sourcebook (2011), The Secret Language of Birds (2006), and The Element Encyclopedia of Native Americans (2013).

Adele Nozedar

Adele Puhn

Adeline Yen Mah

Adelle Waldman is a freelance writer and book critic. She worked as a reporter at the New Haven Register and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and wrote a column for the Wall Street Journal's website. Her articles also have appeared in The New York Times Book Review,The New Republic,Slate,The Wall Street Journal, and other national publications. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Adelle Waldman

Aditi Kakade Beaufrand is an Indian illustrator based in France. She likes experimenting with bright, happy colours. She grew up reading fairytales, watching animated films and imagining adventure stories, and her style is an embodiment of her Indian heritage and western culture. She loves animals and taking long walks on the beach, but she is never too far away from a pencil and a paper to draw her perception of the world.

Aditi Kakade Beaufrand

Aditya Chakrabortty

Adiva Geffen is a bestselling writer and playwright. Her plays have appeared on major stages in Israel, she lectures and leads numerous writing workshops and she is a board member of the Israeli Writers’ Association. 
 
 Geffen started out as a special-education teacher, before serving as the spokesperson for the Habima National Theatre for more than a decade. She founded and subsequently led the Israeli Theatre Award for ten years, and now serves as head of The Gnazim Institute of the Hebrew Writers Association, the largest Hebrew literature archive in the world. 
 
 Born in Haifa, Israel and the mother of three sons, Geffen now lives in Tel Aviv with her partner Aharon Meidan.

Adiva Geffen

Adnan Sarwar, 35, is a former British soldier who served in the Iraq War.  He has since worked as a military consultant to film and is a writer based in London.  Read more at www.adnansarwar.com / @adnansarwar

Adnan Sarwar

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Loos (1877-1933) was a leading Austro-Hungarian architect, perhaps most famous for the revolutionary 'Loos House' opposite the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, which caused outrage when it was built in 1912, and the wonderful American Bar, also in Vienna. He wrote extensively on architecture and design, working in reaction to the elaborate mass of decoration celebrated by the Vienna Secession movement.

Adolf Loos

Adolfo García Ortega

Adomnan of Iona

Adonis

Adriaan Van Dis

Adrian Bean

Adrian Bliss is a creator, writer and performer from London, best known for his comedy sketches which, explore everything from history to natural science to religion. Adrian's work has earned him nearly 20 million followers across social media and has been featured in CNN, The Times and Vogue. Adrian was named one of the New Faces of Comedy at Just For Laughs, and his one-man play Inside Everyone sold out its debut run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival prior to opening.

Adrian Bliss

Adrian Desmond

Adrian Edmondson

Adrian Fort

Adrian Gilbert

Adrian Henri

Adrian House

Adrian Houston is a tree photographer and passionate conservationist. His work has seen him travel to some of the world's most unexplored and inhospitable terrains, with his powerful photographs subsequently gracing everything from advertising campaigns to magazine covers. In 2021 he published A Portrait of the Tree, a photography book that illustrated how trees connect us all on a universal level. Adrian's work has been exhibited both at The National Gallery and The Royal Academy of Arts. When he is not travelling, he is based at his studio in Soho, central London.

Adrian Houston

Adrian J Walker was born in the bush suburbs of Sydney, Australia in the mid '70s. After his father found a camper van in a ditch, he renovated it and moved his family back to the UK, where Adrian was raised. 
 
Ever since he can remember, Adrian has been interested in three things: words, music and technology, and when he graduated from the University of Leeds, he found a career in software. His novel The End of the World Running Club, a post-apocalyptic running fable about hope, love and endurance, was a Simon Mayo Radio 2 book club choice. 
 
He lives in Aberdeen with his wife and two children. To find out more visit: http://www.adrianjwalker.com/

Adrian J. Walker

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Simon Brett

Jeremy Front

Bill Nighy returns as the loveably louche actor-cum-amateur detective Charles Paris 
 
Charles Paris is in Oxford, appearing in a re-imagining of Hamlet by a high-concept drama company. No fan of immersive theatre, he's unimpressed with the director's vision and less than thrilled to be rehearsing alongside puppeteers and mime artists. 
 
But he soon finds himself back on familiar territory when the actress playing Ophelia goes missing, only to turn up dead. Did she take her own life, or was there foul play? As he amasses a list of suspects who might have wished her harm, Charles takes on the mantle of detective once more to decide if this is to be or not to be a murder case... 
 
Scripted for radio by Jeremy Front from a story by Simon Brett, A Doubtful Death stars Bill Nighy (Emma, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) as Charles Paris, with Suzanne Burden as Frances and Jon Glover as Maurice. 
 
Also included is an exclusive 18-minute afterword in which Jeremy Front discusses his experience of adapting an unproduced screenplay, reveals what it's like to work with recurring characters and actors, and explains the mechanics of recording for radio. 
 
Simon Brett OBE has written 19 Charles Paris novels as well as many other detective novels. Jeremy Front is a dramatist and comedic writer; he has won awards for his adaptation of Sword of Honour and co-writes and stars in the series Incredible Women with his sister, Rebecca. 
 
Credits 
Written by Jeremy Front 
From a story by Simon Brett 
Produced and directed by Sally Avens 
Production Coordinator: Cynthia Fagan 
Studio Managers: Anne Bunting, Keith Graham and Jenni Burnett 
Interview produced by Ania Duggan and Roshni Radia 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 22 May-12 June 2020 
 
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Charles Paris: A Doubtful Death

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

Lucia Haynes

Eileen Horne

Anita Vettesse

“They charged you with murder David. Why is that?... David? Why do the police think you murdered your son?” 
 
Jamie was 19. He was an ambitious personal trainer who wanted to be a social media influencer. But now his hopes and dreams will never be realised. Jamie was found killed at the family home, discovered by his dad – who’s now been charged with his own son’s murder. 
 
In this gripping crime drama, revealed through recordings of sessions led by forensic psychiatrist Dr Alex Bridges (Lolita Chakrabarti), we hear from those closest to Jamie and find out more about the family’s secrets. 
 
David, a photographer, describes a picture-perfect life, his “beautiful” son and a happy home. But is he hiding something? 
 
Will the truth about Jamie’s murder finally be revealed? 
 
Also featuring bonus content from real-life forensic psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead, who was series consultant for This Thing of Darkness. Her appearance on BBC show The Life Scientific is presented as part of this audio release, where she reveals how she treats the minds of real-life violent offenders. 
 
Cast 
Alex … Lolita Chakrabarti 
 David … Robin Laing 
Laura… Shauna Macdonald 
Hannah … Jessica Hardwick 
Liam/Dougie … Simon Donaldson 
 Kyle/Tyler … Reuben Joseph 
 Frankie … Brian Vernel 
Karen … Victoria Liddelle 
 
Series created by Audrey Gillan, Lucia Haynes, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams. 
 Series consultant: Dr Gwen Adshead 
Written by Lucia Haynes (episodes 1, 2 and 4) and Anita Vettesse (episodes 3, 5, 6 and 7), with monologues by Eileen Horne 
 Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane and Kirsty Williams 
 A BBC Scotland Production directed by Gaynor Macfarlane

This Thing of Darkness

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast thriller

Nick Fisher

All five series of the BBC Radio 4 crime drama featuring Detective Superintendent Julie Enfield, starring Imelda Staunton 
 
Dogged DSI Julie Enfield probes eight gruesome cases in these dark, atmospheric radio dramas. 
 
Terminus finds her investigating the 'Lucky Charm' murders, as she searches for an elusive serial killer who haunts the railway station. In The Smithfield Murders, a grisly killing at London's famous meat market sparks another troubling investigation, while in The Net and the Canal, Enfield and her team look into a series of mysterious murders along Regent's Park Canal. Leaves of the Dead presents her with a trio of inexplicable deaths in the British Library - could they be ritual murders? 
 
Murder West One comprises the stand-alone dramas A Cure for Death, The Art of the Matter, Five Star Killing and Soho Espresso. In these four episodes, the DSI faces a medical mystery behind the discovery of a dumped body, investigates a clever scam and a missing masterpiece, unravels a high-class murder at a glitzy London hotel and heads to a coffee bar where a man lies dead upstairs - but who killed him? 
 
Created by BAFTA-winning scriptwriter Nick Fisher, this thrilling series stars Imelda Staunton as DSI Julie Enfield. 
 
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

DSI Julie Enfield Investigates

The Complete BBC Radio crime series

Guy Meredith

All four series of the jaunty crime drama featuring two ex-spies who set up a private detective agency 
 
London, 1953. Josephine Daunt and Susan Dervish both worked for the Ministry of Defence during the Second World War, doing top-secret, highly dangerous espionage work. But in peacetime, they find themselves without a job and feeling useless. Determined to put their talents to good use, they decide to set up a detective agency, with the help of former private eye Bill Mackie. 
 
From their Covent Garden office, they handle a steady flow of business. But the ladies' lives really become exciting when they rescue a woman from drowning - only to discover that she's not what she seems. Soon, the daring duo are caught up in all manner of challenging cases, including a sporting assignment involving a priest and an Olympic boxing hopeful; a request to bid on a Monet that takes them on a trail across the Channel; a commission to investigate film actress Belinda Lane; and a theft at a fashion designer's workshop that leads them into a world of Teddy boys, political machinations and murder... 
 
Guy Meredith's light-hearted crime series stars Anna Massey as Josephine Daunt, while Imelda Staunton, Frances Barber and Sylvestra Le Touzel play Susan Dervish. Bill Paterson and Sean Scanlan co-star as Bill Mackie. 
 
Written by Guy Meredith 
Format by Imelda Staunton and Anna Massey 
Series 1 produced by Cherry Cookson and directed by Janet Whitaker 
Series 2-4 produced and directed by Colin Guthrie 
Clarinet played by Julian Stringle (Series 3, Episode 1) 
 
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Daunt & Dervish

Gerard Stembridge

Someone doesn’t want the truth to be uncovered… 
 
Saturday April 26th 2003: Toby Ellis was looking after his four-month-old nephew, Derek Ellis. He nipped into his local newsagents, leaving the pram outside. Toby claimed he left the child for no longer than two minutes – but during this time, little Derek was abducted. Six days later the baby’s body was discovered, buried in a nearby wooded area. Cause of death: a blow to the head. No one was ever charged with the murder and the case has remained ongoing... 
 
As part of their final media degree assessment, three university students – Natalie Driver, Vic Grant and JJ Collins – decide to make a podcast about the cold case which happened in Colecastle 14 years ago. 
 
But the students’ podcast stirs up big trouble for the trio. After the first one goes out, Vic receives a call from a listener, claiming to have new evidence about the day Derek was snatched. He and JJ go to meet the source – only to disappear themselves. The only contact Natalie has received is a text sent from JJ's phone which reads ‘We're watching you. Stop this now.’ Now Natalie is in hiding, claiming she fears for her safety. Her nightly podcasts are attracting more and more interest – #whereisnatalie and #findvicandjj are rife with speculation. But are the three students actually in danger? Or – as their lecturer Dr Lena Bewick believes – is this all an elaborate media hoax? 
 
Written by Gerard Stembridge, who wrote the screenplay for Ordinary Decent Criminal starring Kevin Spacey, this compelling drama will appeal to anyone who loves true-crime podcasts like Serial, In the Dark and Criminal. Sophie Jo Wasson stars as Natalie, with Thomas Finnegan as Vic and Rhys Dunlop as JJ. 
 
Natalie Driver – Sophie Jo Wasson 
Dr Lena Bewick – Sanchia McCormack 
JJ Collins – Rhys Dunlop 
Vic Grant – Thomas Finnegan 
Angela – Gemma Cunningham 
Toby/Andy/Halpin – Michael Patrick 
 
Written by Gerard Stembridge 
Produced and directed by Gemma McMullan

Hiding Out

A BBC Radio full cast crime drama

Marcy Kahan

The Master turns sleuth and spy in this quintet of radio dramas 
 
Actor, playwright, songwriter, director, author and star – as far as we know, Noël Coward never added ‘detective’ or ‘undercover agent’ to his astonishing achievements. But could the intriguing gaps in his memoirs be hiding a thrilling secret life? 
 
Design for Murder 
In this wry backstage whodunit set just before World War II, Coward must put aside the play he’s writing to track down a murderous psychopath in London’s West End. 
 
Blithe Spy 
This Second World War espionage adventure finds Coward in New York, where he turns secret agent and uses his talent to amuse to help Britain battle the Nazis. 
 
A Bullet at Balmain’s 
1948, and the celebrated playwright is in post-liberation Paris to take the lead role in his play Present Laughter. But the murder of a fashion-house mannequin provides a stylish distraction. 
 
Death at the Desert Inn 
1955. When $300,000 is left in a satchel in Noël Coward's Las Vegas suite, it’s the prelude to a baffling murder mystery, complete with Judy Garland, a showgirl, a Broadway agent, an unlikely croupier, and a US Congressman. 
 
Our Man in Jamaica 
1961. Reconciled to being out of fashion, Noël Coward is determined to finish his first novel – until his neighbour Ian Fleming sets him a challenge: become a spy once more to help destabilise Fidel Castro… 
 
Written by Marcy Kahan and starring Malcolm Sinclair as Coward, Eleanor Bron as his devoted secretary Lorn Loraine and Tam Williams as his devoted valet Cole Lesley, these light-hearted thrillers see Noël Coward solving crimes and foiling villains with his favourite weapon: wit. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Marcy Kahan 
Starring Malcolm Sinclair as Noël Coward, Eleanor Bron as Lorn Loraine and Tam Williams as Cole Lesley

The Noël Coward Quintet

Detective. Spy. The entirely fictional adventures of Noël Coward

John Buchan

Five BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of John Buchan's espionage thrillers featuring gentleman spy Richard Hannay 
 
The forerunner to James Bond, secret agent Richard Hannay is a thoroughly British action hero, pursuing ruthless villains, foiling deadly plans and risking life and limb for his country. This gripping collection encompasses all five of Hannay's adventures, adapted for radio with superb casts including Tom Baker, Clive Merrison, Stuart Milligan, Jasmine Hyde and Patrick Malahide. 
 
The 39 Steps 
When a man is murdered in Richard Hannay's London flat, he goes on the run pursued by the police - and a gang of German spies intent on recovering a secret notebook which could destroy the British naval fleet. Starring David Robb as Hannay. 
 
Greenmantle 
1915. Summoned to the War Office, Hannay is told of an impending Holy War in the East. Greenmantle - once a mythical figure, now made flesh - is preparing to lead a great Islamic army against the infidel English. Hannay's mission: to identify Greenmantle and destroy him. Starring David Robb as Hannay. 
 
Mr Standfast 
Recalled from the Western Front, Hannay is ordered to pose as a pacifist and sent to Glasgow. Along the way, he meets a teenage Secret Service agent who will change the course of his life. Starring David Robb as Hannay. 
 
The Three Hostages 
When a gang of international criminals kidnaps a trio of hostages, the Secret Service brings Hannay out of retirement to track them down. But the mission will pit him against an adversary who can control men's minds... Starring David Robb as Hannay. 
 
The Island of Sheep 
A chance meeting in a train and a villainous vendetta shake Richard Hannay out of a complacent middle age, as dangerous men go in pursuit of treasure. Starring Nigel Anthony as Hannay. 
 
'The BBC radio sound effects department is on top form, adding thrills that no printed book can rival' The Times 
 
Please note: the vintage stories in this collection reflect the attitudes of their time.

The 39 Steps and Other Richard Hannay Adventures

A BBC Radio collection of full-cast dramatisations

Brian B Thompson

All 18 episodes of the BBC Radio series featuring bickering detective duo Trueman and Riley 
 
 DI Trueman and DS Riley are reluctant partners in crime-fighting, paired up after high-flyer Trueman suffered a nervous breakdown that left him struggling to get back on his feet. Working with Riley isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered – but the sergeant turns out to be much more of a help than a hindrance when it comes to cracking cases. 
 
 First broadcast as Trueman in 2002, the pilot episode centres around a student found shot dead next to a bag of cocaine. Renamed Trueman and Riley, Series 1 opens with the detectives relocated from Hull to Leeds, where they probe a man’s disappearance en route to a secret new job in Vanished. 
 
 Written by BAFTA-winning dramatist Brian B Thompson, this smart, entertaining crime drama stars Robert Daws as Trueman and Duncan Preston as Riley. 
 
 Written by Brian B Thompson 
 Produced and directed by Toby Swift and Jenny Stevens 
 
 
 Trueman 
 Angel Heights 
 Sir James Huntley – Michael Cochrane 
 Helen Turner – Sammy Dobson 
 Keith Fletcher – Gerard McDermott 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 15 July 2005 
 
 The Road to Hull 
 Frank Stuart – Henry Goodman 
 Terry Stuart – Harry Myers 
 Annabelle – Jo Theaker 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 22 July 2005 
 
 High Windows 
 Jimmy McEwan – Gerard Kelly 
 Kate Saunders – Susan Penhaligon 
 Phoebe Beresford – Naomi Kerbel 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 29 July 2005 
 
 Trueman and Riley 
 Vanished 
 Janie Tully – Amy Robbins 
 Nick Tully – John Dougal 
 Barmaid – Rachel Bavidge 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 7, 8 January 2008 
 
 Story 
 David – Anthony Glennon 
 Harriet – Jasmine Callan 
 Aaron – Paul Richard Biggin 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 7, 9 January 2008 
 
 Bond 
 Karen – Rachel Bavidge 
 Bill – Paul Rider 
 Gerard – Mark Straker 
 Jane – Christine Kavanagh 
 Receptionist – Anthony Glennon 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 7, 10 January 2008 
 
 Speed 
 Frank Butters – Sam Dale 
 Melanie – Christine Kavanagh 
 Eric Simonelli – John Dougal 
 Inez – Miranda Keeling 
 Svetlana – Jasmine Callan 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 7, 11 January 2008 
 
 The Road to Nowhere 
 With Laura Molyneux, Hannah Storey, Malcolm Tierney, Benjamin Askew and Matt Addis 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 16 March 2009 
 
 The Three Degrees 
 With Jonathan Tafler, Caroline Guthrie and Paul Rider 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 17 March 2009 
 
 A Man’s World 
 With Benjamin Askew, Caroline Guthrie, Lizzy Watts, Stephen Critchlow, Janice Acquah and Stephen Hogan 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 18 March 2009 
 
 The Other Chic 
 With Melanie Kilburn and Philip Fox 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 19 March 2009 
 
 Love Bytes 
 With Rebecca Manley, Matt Addis, Malcolm Tierney, Stephen Critchlow, Benjamin Askew, Jonathan Tafler, Lizzy Watts and Paul Rider 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 20 March 2009 
 
 Every Dog Has His Day 
 Sally – Katherine Dow 
 Blyton Brandon – Harry Livingstone 
 Patrick Makin – Gerard McDermott 
 Track Announcer – James Lailey 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 26 March 2012 
 
 Angel Delight 
 Angel – Tracy Wiles 
 David Farr – Peter Hamilton Dyer 
 Martin Beer – Don Gilet 
 Ophelia Nuts – Susie Riddell 
 Cafe Owner – Harry Livingstone 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 27 March 2012 
 
 Family Business 
 Bill – Gerard McDermott 
 Charlie – David Hargreaves 
 Dermot – James Lailey 
 Sandra – Christine Absalom 
 Waitress – Tracy Wiles 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 28 March 2012 
 
 Green Machine 
 Terry – Don Gilet 
 Jenny – Susie Riddell 
 Tyler – Tom Meredith 
 Mr Eagle – James Lailey 
 Woman – Christine Absalom 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 29 March 2012 
 
 Home Truths 
 Sue Stokes – Lorraine Ashbourne 
 Becki – Holly Matthews 
 PC – Harry Livingstone 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 30 March 2012

Trueman and Riley

The complete BBC Radio crime drama

Gregory Evans

All three series of the thrilling crime drama set in 1890s Whitechapel 
When Welsh farm girl Megan Evans comes to London to visit her brother who is running the family's dairy business, she finds him strangely unwelcoming. She begins to suspect that he is hiding something, and after she makes some unpleasant discoveries, he is forced to reveal a devastating secret. To save herself and the family business, Meg must risk everything and confront the dangerous gangster Moses Lipski... 
But there are more problems ahead for Meg. Her life is further complicated by the unexpected arrival of her troubled sister, Beth, and an unwelcome visitor who claims to be her half-brother. Meanwhile, dark forces are gathering, and Meg’s plans for expansion are threatened by powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to ruin her. 
With her business under threat and her burgeoning relationship with Samuel feeling the strain, the stakes are raised still further when a body is discovered in the Thames mud that threatens to destroy everything she has worked for... 
Written by Gregory Evans, this gripping series about gangsters, gambling and an innocent abroad stars Bettrys Jones as Meg, with co-stars including Trystan Gravelle, David Horovitch and Brian Protheroe.

Blood and Milk

A BBC Radio Full-Cast Crime Drama: Series 1-3

Tom Fry

Sharon Kelly

The first six series of the popular radio drama set in a Manchester legal practice, starring David Schofield 
 
Frank Twist and Sarah Gold lead a maverick team of freelance paralegals operating in the mean(ish) streets of Manchester. Their agency operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, dispatching legal representatives to set free burglars, muggers and even some innocent people who find themselves on the wrong side of a cell door. 
 
Frank and Sarah have a history, and a child, but now their relationship is purely business, and in these 30 episodes, they and their colleagues deal with cases ranging from shoplifting to attempted murder. Among their clientele are a suspected rapist, a young teacher accused of having an affair with a sixth-former, a girl arrested for assaulting a police officer and a local councillor who’s been caught selling drugs. In addition, Sarah and Frank themselves become the subjects of police interest when they’re called into Manchester Central for questioning – and that’s just the start of their Kafkaesque journey... 
 
Created by Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly, these gripping dramas combine complex crime stories with witty humour. David Schofield stars as Frank Twist, with Gina Bellman, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Kathryn Hunt and Caroline Burns Cooke as Sarah Gold. 
Written by Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly, Elizabeth Heery (Series 4 Episode 3, Series 5 Episode 4), Eve Steele and Ed Jones (Series 4 Episode 4), Eve Steele (Series 5 Episode 2), Lizi Patch (Series 6 Episode 2), Nuala O’Sullivan (Series 6 Episode 4) 
Produced and directed by Susan Roberts (Series 1), Gary Brown (Series 2-6) 
Music by Carl Harms

Brief Lives: Series 1-6

The BBC Radio 4 full-cast psychological crime drama

Series 7-11 of the BBC radio drama about Frank Twist and his team of legal eagles, starring David Schofield 
 
Frank Twist and Sarah Gold run The Agency, a paralegal firm based in sunny Manchester. With the help of their team of freelancers, they operate a round-the-clock advice service, going into police stations across the North West to offer help and support to those in custody. 
 
In these 26 episodes, their clients include the good, the bad and the ugly: from a teenager pulled in for texting an indecent photo of his girlfriend to a man detained for suspected arson at a primary school. There’s also the high-powered lawyer and her daughter caught with drugs after a house party, the naked young woman arrested for protesting against the fur trade, the judge accused of rape, the football hero with feet of clay and the local gangster’s son who gets into some serious trouble. 
 
On top of the challenges they face professionally, Frank and Sarah must also navigate their problematic personal lives. Recovering from a stroke, Frank is preparing to make a momentous decision about his future, and his complicated relationship with Sarah comes under further strain when buried truths are brought to light... 
 
Witty, sharp and full of twists, Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly’s thrilling legal drama stars David Schofield as Frank, with Kathryn Hunt and Sally Dexter as Sarah. 
Created by Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly 
Written by Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly, Nuala O’Sullivan (Series 7 Episode 2), Lizi Patch (Series 7 Episode 4), Philip Meeks (Series 8 Episode 2, Series 10 Episode 4), Michael Livesey (Series 8 Episode 5, Series 11 Episode 3) 
Produced and directed by Gary Brown 
Music by Carl Harms 
Starring David Schofield as Frank Twist

Brief Lives: Series 7-11

Sue Rodwell

All twelve episodes of the BBC radio detective drama, starring Annette Badland as DI Gwen Danbury 
 
Detective Inspector Gwen Danbury comes from a family of investigators. Her father was a policeman, and her mother Joan often discussed cases with him – on one occasion helping him to solve a tricky murder. 
 
Gwen already has a capable, efficient sidekick in the form of DS Henry Jacobs – but nevertheless, her mum insists on helping Gwen with her inquiries. In these three series, her interfering assistance proves invaluable as DI Danbury investigates a skeleton found in the Sussex woods, tracks down the killer of a respectable elderly lady, probes the theft of a valuable painting and encounters more than she bargained for on a murder mystery weekend... 
 
Miss Marple meets Midsomer Murders in this cosy crime series created by Sue Rodwell, whose writing credits include the radio version of Dixon of Dock Green. Annette Badland stars as DI Gwen Danbury, with Gudrun Ure, Stephanie Cole and Margaret Tyzack as Joan and John Duttine as Henry. 
Written by Sue Rodwell 
Directed by Glyn Dearman (Series 1), Rosemary Watts (Series 2 and 3) 
 
First broadcast between 1994 and 2004

DI Gwen Danbury: An Odd Body: Series 1-3

A BBC Radio crime drama

Raymond Chandler

They never came tougher than Marlowe, a cynical, world-weary, wise-cracking shamus whose honesty in a dishonest world sent him down the mean streets again and again in search of some kind of justice. 
 
Ed Bishop stars as Philip Marlowe in these powerfully atmospheric BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of Raymond Chandler's novels. 
 
The Big Sleep 
General Sternwood's daughters came in both the colours of trouble - blonde and brunette - and they had all the usual vices. With four million dollars behind them, blackmail was only a matter of time. And blackmail can be murder. 
 
The High Window 
Linda Conquest was very tough, very kissable and very missing, along with one very valuable old coin. But soon Marlowe finds that everyone who handles the coin suffers a run of very bad luck: they always end up dead. 
 
The Lady in the Lake 
Blonde, beautiful and wild, Crystal Kingsley had never been the faithful little wife. But when she goes missing for a month, and then a woman’s body surfaces in an isolated mountain lake, murder-a-day Marlowe is back in business. 
 
The Little Sister 
Marlowe is on the case of a missing brother from a two-bit Kansas town, who had the embarrassing habit of knowing guys who finished up on the wrong end of an ice-pick. Until, that is, he did too. 
 
The Long Goodbye 
Terry Lennox seemed like a nice guy. Okay, he was a drunk but maybe that could happen to anyone with too much money, too much time and a wife who played the field in a big way. Trouble was, when she ended up dead, it wasn't money that got Lennox to Mexico. It was Marlowe. 
 
Farewell My Lovely 
At six feet five, Moose Malloy is a big man who looks about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food – and about as dangerous. His girl Velma disappeared eight years ago, and now he wants to find her. 
 
Also included in a BBC Radio archive discussion, in which Raymond Chandler and Ian Fleming discuss thrillers and talk about their respective heroes: Philip Marlowe and James Bond. 
 
Originally broadcast between 1977 and 1988, these dramatisations also star Don Fellows and Robert Beatty. They were adapted by Bill Morrison and produced by John Tydeman. 
 
These are archive dramatisations of the original novels published between 1939 and 1953, and the language used reflects some of the attitudes of those times.

Raymond Chandler: A BBC Radio Collection

Starring Ed Bishop as Philip Marlowe

Mike Walker

Nine BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramas by Mike Walker, chronicling Rome’s greatest rulers 
 
Drawing on historical sources including Suetonius’s ‘Lives of the Caesars’, Mike Walker’s compelling drama cycle follows the story of the leaders of Rome, from Julius Caesar’s ascension to power to the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West in AD 475. 
 
Meeting at Formiae – Julius Caesar secretly seeks senate leaders Cicero and Cato’s support to shake up the rule of Rome. Stars David Troughton as Caesar, Anton Lesser as Cicero and Stephen Critchlow as Cato. 
 
The Arena – As Julius’s appointed heir, young Octavian uses his legendary political skills to outwit enemies and rule Rome. Starring Adam Levy as Octavian. 
 
Peeling Figs for Julius – His name is now a byword for depravity, but growing up in Tiberius’s court, how evil was Emperor Caligula? Stars David Tennant as Caligula and Neil Dudgeon as Cassius Chaerea. 
 
The Best of Mothers – The murderous tale of Emperor Nero and his interfering mother Agrippina. Jonathan Forbes stars as Nero, with Frances Barber as Agrippina the Younger. 
 
The Glass Ball Game – The story of Emperor Hadrian and his relationship with Antinous, who died in mysterious circumstances. Starring Jonathan Hyde as Hadrian and Andrew Garfield as Antinous. 
 
Citizens in a Great City– Young Commodus buckles under the expectations put upon him by his father, the philosopher/emperor Marcus Aurelius. And Septimus Severus is called on to save the Empire from anarchy. Jim Sturgess stars as Commodus, with Ronald Pickup as Marcus Aurelius and Ray Fearon as Septimus Severus. 
 
Empress in the West– As the Roman Empire begins to fall apart, Victoria Poppea sees an opportunity to wield the power that her gender has always denied her. Stars Barbara Flynn as Victoria and Sam Troughton as Victorinus. 
 
The Maker of All Things– Constantine and Crispus are father and son – but can this indivisible bond survive politics? Sam Dale stars as Constantine the Great, with Joseph Kloska as Crispus. 
 
Empire Without End– With the Empire in the West under attack from Attila the Hun’s forces, an unlikely coalition of kingmakers selects the last Roman emperor. Starring Tom Hiddleston as Romulus Augustus.

Caesar!

Leslie Charteris

Leslie Charteris’ square-jawed, blue-eyed hero loved, fought and stole his way through Europe from the 1930s to the 1970s, endlessly pursuing blondes, baddies and boodle. Adored by women and feared by his foes, he was renowned for both his heroic exploits and his nefarious reputation - and he always left his trademark calling card at the scenes of his crimes: a sketch of a stick figure with a halo. 
 
This collection includes three classic cases: 
 
In The Saint Closes the Case, The Saint is confronted by arch-villain and armaments dealer Dr Rayt Marius as he enters into a deadly struggle to save the world from a dastardly new weapon…. 
 
In Saint Overboard, a villain plans to steal a shipment of sunken treasure. Simon Templar will go to any lengths to stop him - even under the sea. 
 
The Saint Plays with Fire sees our hero investigating a country house fire - and uncovering a Fascist conspiracy to seize power in France. 
 
Starring Paul Rhys as Simon Templar, and also featuring Patsy Kensit and Fiona Fullerton, this thrilling drama has all the verve and excitement of the original story. It is dramatised by Roger Danes and directed by Matthew Walters.

The Saint: Three BBC Radio full-cast dramatisations

Patrick Carroll

A six-part BBC Radio 4 crime drama set in nineteenth-century London 
 
It is 1830, a year after Sir Robert Peel’s creation of the Metropolitan Police, known as the 'Peelers'. As the brand new bobbies patrol the beat in their smart blue uniforms, armed only with truncheons and rattles, they form the first line of defence against crime. 
 
But as this thrilling series opens, the fledgling detective force is proving unpopular, sparking deep political unrest and public protests. Rioters take to the streets of London, and the police struggle to contain the violence. 
 
The threat posed by the mob is not the only problem for young Martin Quin, onetime hero of Waterloo and now a police constable. First his fiancée, Maria Staples, breaks off their engagement due to her tyrannical father’s disapproval. Then Quin is involved in an altercation with Lord Trowle’s coachman, and the arrogant aristocrat insists he is charged with assault. Forced to defend himself in court, Martin finds himself facing imprisonment and ruin. 
 
Meanwhile, Bow Street runner Jeremiah Morley investigates shady printer Peter the Screever, and uncovers a heinous blackmail plot... 
 
Written by Patrick Carroll, this atmospheric series stars Richard E Grant as Lord Trowle, Norman Jones as Sir Robert Peel, Mick Ford as PC Martin Quin and James Booth as Jeremiah Morley. 
 
Written by Patrick Carroll 
Directed by Janet Whitaker 
Singer: Martin Carthy 
 
Cast 
 
PC Martin Quin……………………Mick Ford 
Jeremiah Morley……………………James Booth 
Sir Robert Peel……………………Norman Jones 
Lord Trowle……………………Richard E Grant 
Colonel Rowan……………………Peter Jeffrey 
Richard Mayne……………………Killian McKenna 
Maria Staples……………………Joanna Myers 
Sergeant Dutton……………………Ronald Herdman 
Inspector Beale/Frederick Roe……………………Timothy Bateson 
PC Atkinson/Sergeant Cazalet/Mr Evans……………………Alan Barker 
PC Smythe/Francis Place/Turnkey/Mr Luke……………………Mark Straker 
Lord Laverton/PC Rourke……………………James Greene 
Mr Yardley……………………Richard Pearce 
Arthur Jenkins/John Staples……………………Ian Lindsay 
Rev Charles Lyton……………………Timothy Carlton 
Mrs Gascoygne……………………Elizabeth Bell 
Peter the Screever……………………Fraser Kerr 
Beth/Florrie……………………Susan Sheridan 
Lucy/Mrs Gregory……………………Elizabeth Kelly 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 July-22 August 1991

Peeler

The BBC Radio 4 crime series

Edward Boyd

A bookseller turns P. I. in this intriguing five-part BBC radio thriller 
 
Grahame Mayer specialises in selling books, not solving mysteries. So when he’s asked to play private investigator and track down a soldier from the Spanish Civil War, he wonders if it’s some sort of test – and if so, what will happen if he fails... 
 
Armed with fresh information, he is sent to Glasgow on the trail of Jock Cameron, and a meeting with a former nurse who knew him back in Spain furnishes Grahame with further clues. But despite these new leads, the elusive Jock remains tantalisingly out of reach. 
 
Will a series of postcards, some holy pictures and an encounter with a pop star enable the reluctant sleuth to hunt Cameron down – or will it take a man’s death to release Mayer from his quest? 
 
Created by Edward Boyd, who wrote for a number of BBC TV shows including Z-Cars, this enthralling crime drama stars Ray Brooks, with a supporting cast including Garard Green, John Hannah and Alexandra Mathie. 
 
 
Written by Edward Boyd 
Produced at BBC Scotland by Patrick Rayner 
 
Cast 
 
Grahame Mayer……………………Ray Brooks 
Coleman……………………John Westbrook 
Teresa……………………Alexandra Mathie 
Forrest……………………Garard Green 
Hemingway……………………William Hope 
Cameron……………………John Hannah/Joseph Greig 
Rainsford……………………Jonathan Tafler 
Inspector McNeill……………………Carey Wilson 
Norah McGill……………………Sybil Wintrope 
Henderson……………………Joseph Brady 
Arnold……………………Ian Thompson 
Receptionist……………………Jennifer Piercey 
Man on plane/Millhouse……………………William Hope 
Miss McLauchlan……………………Yvonne Gilan 
Pat……………………Richard Jamieson 
Paula……………………Caroline Guthrie 
Waiter/Taxi driver……………………Gordon Reid 
Nuke……………………John McGlynn 
Apollyon……………………Billy McColl 
Dr Lovat……………………Roy Hanlon 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 October-20 November 1987

Castles in Spain

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast P.I. Detective series

Douglas Adams

The complete BBC Radio collection bringing together two full-cast dramatisations of Douglas Adams's Dirk Gently novels. 
 
In Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Dirk Gently has an unshakeable belief in the interconnectedness of all things, but his Holistic Detective Agency mainly succeeds in tracking down missing cats for old ladies. Then Dirk stumbles upon an old friend behaving bizarrely - and he's drawn into a four-billion-year-old mystery that must be solved if the human race is to avoid immediate extinction. 
 
In The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul Harry Enfield exuberantly returns as Dirk Gently, who, fallen on hard times and dressed as a gypsy woman, is using his irritatingly accurate clairvoyant powers to read palms. He is saved when a frantic client turns up with a ludicrous story about being stalked by a goblin waving a contract accompanied by a hairy, green-eyed, scythe-wielding monster. When Detective Superintendent Gilks decides a headless body found in a sealed room is the result of a particularly irritating suicide, Dirk is plunged into a mystery where the interconnectedness of all things is tested to the limit... 
 
Starring Harry Enfield as Dirk Gently along with Billy Boyd, Olivia Coleman, Andrew Sachs and Jim Carter. Guest stars include Peter Davison (Doctor Who), Jan Ravens (Dead Ringers), Philip Jackson (Poirot), John Fortune (Bremner, Bird &amp; Fortune), Morwenna Banks (Absolutely) and Stephen Moore (The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy).

Dirk Gently: Two BBC Radio full-cast dramas

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

Bill Murphy

Andrew Martin

Martin Meehan

John Murphy

Francis Turnly

The complete series 1-5 of the thrilling mystery series. On sabbatical from the Franciscan order, Father Paolo Baldi is working as a philosophy lecturer in Dublin when his life takes an unexpected turn and he finds himself helping the police to solve crimes. 
 
Along with Tina, Paolo uncovers the truth behind the killings of several rockabilly band members, a high-profile case of a police officer&rsquo;s murder, as well as delving into the highly competitive world of celebrity chefs. He also exposes a rift in a community of environmental activists, enters the world of romantic poetry to solve a suspected suicide, investigates the killing of a politically-incorrect figurehead, and finds that the death of a homeless man is not as simple as it appears. 
 
Follow the priest-cum-sleuth&rsquo;s thrilling adventures as he solves mysteries throughout Ireland. 
 
David Threlfall, Tina Kellegher and T.P. McKenna star in this exciting series written by Simon Brett, Bill Murphy, Andrew Martin, Martin Meenan, John Murphy and Francis Turnly in the series created by Barry Devlin.

Father Paolo Baldi Mysteries

The Complete BBC Radio Crime series

Ian McMillan

Dave Sheasby

Martyn Wiley

Fine Time Fontayne stars as pitman-turned-private eye Stephen J Blackburn in this whimsical detective series 
 
When he’s made redundant from his job at a South Yorkshire pit, Stephen J Blackburn sets out to forge a new career as a private investigator. With his trainee assistant Tracey, he looks into a series of complicated cases ranging from plagiarism to missing persons. 
 
In Series 1, the duo are confronted with Hungarian exiles, a philandering husband, a long-lost brother, a purloined TV script and a time-share cash con. Series 2 finds them faced with seven stolen sculptures, a ransomed Filofax, a husband who reappears after 30 years, and a routine marital case that starts to look like their final investigation. And in Series 3, Steven and Tracey get digging in the murky world of flowers, crack a pub quiz fraud scam, look into the theft of a ventriloquist’s dummy and track down an Irish labourer– a case which turns out to be far more complex than expected... 
 
Starring Fine Time Fontayne (Coronation Street) as Stephen J Blackburn and Judy Flynn (The Brittas Empire) as Tracey Duggan. 
 
Written by Ian McMillan, Martyn Wiley and Dave Sheasby 
Directed by Dave Sheasby 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 July-15 August 1989 (Series 1), 20 June-11 July 1991 (Series 2), 18 March-8 April 1993 (Series 3) 
 
Cast 
 
Stephen J Blackburn……………………Fine Time Fontayne 
Tracey Duggan……………………Judy Flynn 
Mam……………………Rita May 
Dad……………………John Branwell

The Blackburn Files: The Complete Series 1-3

The BBC Radio 4 Crime Drama

Ngaio Marsh

A collection of the BBC’s dramatisations of Ngaio Marsh’s most famous sleuth: Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn. 
 
This collection would include the following works by Ngaio Marsh: 
 
A Man Lay Dead - The gentleman detective tackles a country house party murder. 
 
A Surfeit of Lampreys - Gentleman sleuth Inspector Alleyn probes a grisly death of the head of a spendthrift aristocratic family. 
 
Opening Night - When a leading actor is found gassed in his dressing room, it looks like suicide. But it transpires he was so detested that everyone had a motive for his murder. 
 
When In Rome - 1970s Rome. Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn is incognito and on the trail of a vast drugs syndicate - and some exceptionally unsavoury blackmail. But he hasn't reckoned on murder.

The Ngaio Marsh BBC Radio Collection

Four full-cast Dramatisations

Barbara Machin

A gripping five-part crime thriller set 15 years before Waking the Dead. 
 
Set in 1984 – a world without DNA, CCTV, mobiles, or the internet – The Unforgiven reveals how the iconic Waking the Dead team got together, before they became an official cold case unit. 
 
Trouble erupts as a serial killer launches a huge legal appeal against his conviction, claiming police corruption and pointing the finger directly at young DC Peter Boyd – and implicating forensic scientist, Frankie Wharton. With Boyd forced to disappear, criminal profiler Grace Foley and cops Spencer Jordan and Mel Silver join Frankie to clear their names and save Boyd from disgrace and possible prison. Told over five days, with each character taking turns to tell their story, this heart-stopping case sees them racing to beat the clock as the unthinkable unfolds. 
 
Written by Barbara Machin, who created Waking the Dead for BBC1, this electrifying drama stars the original cast of the Emmy-winning hit TV series – Sue Johnston, Holly Aird, Claire Goose and Wil Johnson.

The Unforgiven

The BBC Radio 4 Prequel to Waking the Dead

Christopher Lee

Christopher Benjamin and Amanda Redman star in two six-part BBC radio crime dramas, created by Christopher Lee 
 
In these two compelling murder mysteries, MI6 officers Henry Colvil and Alex Soames become involved in a pair of complex cases which take them to the very top of the political and religious spheres. 
 
In Series 1, the duo attend the funeral of an elderly Irish priest, and receive a tip-off that his death has controversial links. Probing further, they discover a shocking secret in Father Dominic’s past – and Henry’s faith is dealt a mortal blow. Can it withstand the whole truth? 
 
Series 2 opens with a disturbing murder on a Brighton beach. What seemed like a simple drug-related killing turns out to have unexpected complications – and as Colvil and Soames investigate, they uncover nefarious connections between the victim and a prominent politician, and a case that threatens to send shockwaves through government... 
 
Written by acclaimed historian, broadcaster and author Christopher Lee, these gripping spy thrillers star Christopher Benjamin (Pride and Prejudice, Doctor Who) as Henry Colvil and Amanda Redman (The Good Karma Hospital, New Tricks) as Alex Soames. 
 
 
Written by Christopher Lee 
Produced by Pete Atkin 
Starring Christopher Benjamin as Henry Colvil and Amanda Redman as Alex Soames 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 October-20 November 1996 (Series 1), 29 October-3 December 1998 (Series 2) 
 
Series 1 cast 
 
Arthur Guscott……………………Dudley Sutton 
Joseph Kutner……………………Stephen Thorne 
Mrs Wedlock……………………Colette O’Neil 
Monsignor……………………Peter Yapp 
Father Dominic Byrne……………………Joseph O’Conor 
Roger Brown……………………Neil McCaul 
Father Williamson……………………Christian Rodska 
Donna Hanley……………………Beth Porter 
Theresa……………………Elaine Claxton 
Porter……………………Denys Hawthorne 
 
Series 2 cast 
 
DCI Guscott……………………Dudley Sutton 
DS Gwen Jenkins……………………Sue Jones Davies 
Miranda Peel……………………Sheila Reid 
DCS Evans……………………John Hartley 
Sidney Carpenter……………………Neil Conrich 
Doctor……………………Stuart Organ 
Tom Margeson……………………Tom Cotcher 
Charlie Lofthouse……………………Alistair McGowan 
Maggie Lindley……………………Alphonsia Emmanuel 
Police Constable/Norman Tate……………………Brian Bowles

Colvil & Soames: The Complete Series 1-2

M.C. Beaton

After a lifetime spent in public relations, one-woman dynamo Agatha Raisin struggles to adapt to life in a quiet country village – but she soon finds that there is murder and mayhem aplenty to keep her busy. 
 
Agatha Raisin – sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining, delightfully intolerant and oh so magnificently non-pc – Anne Robinson 
 
If there is one thing better than watching Penelope Keith, it is listening to her - The Times 
 
Among the cases she has to deal with are a poisoned quiche; a vet who has been ‘put to sleep’; a hanged horticulturist; a murdered rambler and a curate who meets his Maker somewhat sooner than expected. Then there’s the treasure hunt with a rather nasty prize at the end; the secretive salon owner; the husband who is quite definitely ex; the murder on the dancefloor and the fairies at the bottom of the garden. 
 
With all this and handsome neighbour James Lacey to deal with, the ‘Columbo of the Cotswolds’ has her hands full! 
 
This Complete Radio Drama Collection includes the following stories: The Quiche of Death, The Vicious Vet, The Potted Gardener, The Walkers of Dembley, The Curious Curate, The Buried Treasure, The Wizard of Evesham, The Murderous Marriage, The Terrible Tourist and The Fairies of Fryfam.

Agatha Raisin

The Complete BBC Radio Drama Collection

Robert Barr

All four radio series of Robert Barr’s gripping London-based police drama 
 
Originally broadcast as Detective: Stories of Crime and Detection in London, this BBC radio drama ran for four series between 1980 and 1985. Written by the award-winning creator of Z Cars and Softly Softly, Robert Barr, it comprised 39 thrilling stories set in London’s criminal underworld, all of which are collected here for the first time. 
 
DS Dave Brook is a long-serving, ducking-and-diving police officer who takes armed robberies and violent crime in his stride. But then he is teamed up with young 'grammar school boy' DC Blair Maxton from sleepy Epsom. How will Max cope with the mean streets of his new patch? 
 
Among the thrilling cases in these four series, the detectives tackle an armed gang, confront a notorious crime family, search for a missing wife, investigate a gruesome axe murder and the death of a reclusive young woman, and assist ‘The Sweeney’ flying squad. It’s all in a day’s work for Brook and his team... 
 
Ray Brooks stars as DS Brook, with Christopher Blake as DC Maxton, David Daker as Chief Inspector Roach, Peter Cleall as DC Harrison, Jacqueline Tong as Judy and Stephen Garlick as DC Tully. 
 
Written by Robert Barr 
Produced and directed by Martin Fisher 
Starring Ray Brooks as DS Dave Brook 
First broadcast 3 January-27 March 1980, BBC Radio 4 (Series 1), 16 March-18 May 1982, BBC Radio 4, (Series 2), 27 June-15 August 1984, BBC Radio 2 (Series 3), 24 June-12 August 1985, BBC Radio 2 (Series 4)

Detective

The complete BBC Radio 4 crime drama

John Mortimer

Three thrilling full-cast dramas starring Julian Rhind-Tutt as the irrepressible Horace Rumpole 
 
Rumpole and the Golden Thread 
In Africa defending an old pupil in a murder trial, Rumpole is arrested. When Phillida arrives to bail him out, a spark between them is rekindled... 
 
Rumpole and the Official Secret 
Rumpole defends a civil servant accused of selling secrets and is embroiled in a wine fraud. Meanwhile, Phillida tells Rumpole she plans to leave her husband and asks him to keep it a secret, and Horace considers what that might mean. 
 
Rumpole and the Quality of Life 
Ballard’s wedding looms and Rumpole faces a life-changing decision about his own marriage. Hilda expects him to join her in Cornwall, but Phillida hopes he will leave to be with her at last… 
 
For fifteen years, Rumpole has fought, won and occasionally lost myriad cases – and fallen in and out of love with both wife Hilda and ‘the Portia of our Chambers’, Phillida Erskine-Brown. These three episodes leave us guessing until the very end – will Rumpole finally leave ‘She Who Must be Obeyed’ for Phillida? 
 
Julian Rhind-Tutt stars as Rumpole, with Jasmine Hyde as Hilda, Nigel Anthony as Claude Erskine-Brown and Cathy Sara as Phillida.

Rumpole: The Golden Thread & other stories

Three BBC Radio 4 dramatisations

Catherine Louisa Perkis

L Meade

Anna Greene

Wilkie Collins

A series of BBC Radio short stories, comprising of classic and period dramas featuring four female sleuths to rival Sherlock Holmes himself. 
 
The Redhill Sisterhood by Catherine Louisa Pirkis 
Autumn,1897. Victorian undercover agent Loveday Brooke investigates some suspicious nuns who appear to have forsaken their vows – and turned to burglary. 
 
Mr Bovey’s Unexpected Will by LT Meade and Robert Eustace 
Brilliant, beautiful Miss Florence Cusack is one of Victorian London’s most respected consulting detectives. Here, she investigates the extraordinary case of a man whose fate depends on his weight in gold. 
 
The Golden Slipper by Anna Katharine Green 
Vivacious debutante Violet Strange sparkles in New York society – but leads a secret life as a professional agency detective. In this case from 1910, she investigates 'The Inseparables', four wealthy young women suspected of a series of thefts. 
 
The Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins 
In this sensational Gothic tale from the author of The Woman in White and The Moonstone, new bride Valeria Woodville sets out to clear her husband of murdering his first wife. 
 
Starring Gayanne Potter as Loveday Brooke, Elizabeth Conboy as Florence Cusack, Teresa Gallagher as Violet Strange and Abigail Docherty as Valeria Woodville.

The Lady Detectives

Four BBC Radio 4 crime dramatisations

Bill Nighy returns as the loveably louche Charles Paris in this BBC radio dramatisation of Simon Brett’s novel 
 
When Charles Paris’ agent rings with the news that he has a part for him in a new musical, Charles is delighted – and somewhat amazed, as he can neither sing nor dance. 
 
But Maurice has an ulterior motive: as one of the show’s backers, he wants Charles to play detective and investigate a series of accidents that have dogged the production. The pianist has been shot in the hand and another cast member fell downstairs – or was he pushed? Anxious about their investment and their star, Chris Watt, the ‘angels’ are keen to ensure that nothing else goes wrong. 
 
Joining the company, Charles discovers that Chris, although amazingly talented, is a prima donna who has made enemies of almost everyone. When the accidents resume, it begins to look as if anyone who disagrees with him is being targeted. But would the star really sabotage his own show? Charles must find out – before things turn murderous… 
 
This thrilling adaptation by Jeremy Front stars Bill Nighy (Love Actually, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) as Charles Paris, with Suzanne Burden as Frances.

Charles Paris: Star Trap

Danny Brocklehurst

Hugo Speer stars as John Stone in Series 5-7 of the gritty, fast-paced crime drama created by Danny Brocklehurst 
 
Manchester detective DCI Stone and his team are faced with ten complex, morally challenging cases in this collection of hard-hitting radio dramas. 
 
As Series 5 opens, Stone is still reeling from the mishandled shooting of Callum Gartside, a gunman who had murdered his own family. With his personal life in tatters, he must find the strength to hold it together and do his job. In Dirt by Martin Jameson, he investigates a body in a flooded gravel pit; in Blood Money by Richard Monks, he looks into the hit-and-run killing of a cyclist; and in A Cut Above by Marcia Layne, he looks into a suspected case of female genital mutilation. Progress, by Alex Ganley, finds him searching for the murderer of a garden centre owner; while Broken, by Vivienne Harvey, centres around a missing pregnant woman. 
 
Series 6 includes Disclosure by Richard Monks, Wishing Well by Alex Ganley and Dan Allum, Casualties by Martin Jameson, and Damage by Vivienne Harvey. In these four episodes, Stone unearths dark secrets following an arson attack on a school; struggles to find the truth about a dead body on an abandoned travellers’ site; hits an unexpected obstacle in a murder investigation and goes undercover after a series of suspicious deaths among the homeless community. 
 
In Silence, Series 7 follows one case across ten episodes, written by Martin Jameson, Richard Monks, Cath Staincliffe, Alex Ganley and Vivienne Harvey. After a fire at a hostel, a body is found – but who is he? Stone’s enquiries lead him to re-examine a murder investigation from twenty years before, and uncover a web of lies and deceit that make him confront his past mistakes and lead to personal trauma.

Stone: The Complete Series 5-7

BBC Radio 4 full-cast crime dramas

Mark Tavener

The complete first and second series of Mark Tavener’s BBC Radio 4 comedy thriller set in a crisis-ridden Cambridge college 
 
When prominent don and celebrity TV historian Peter Devanti dies after dining at High Table, his colleague Gilbert suspects foul play and invites his former student Simon Harrison, a disillusioned health and safety officer, to investigate. Meanwhile, Simon’s former girlfriend Zoe, a freelance journalist, arrives to write an article about Devanti’s death: reopening old wounds for Simon. After another college member dies, more skullduggery is uncovered, and Simon must find out which of the many suspects is a murderer – while also trying to get back with Zoe and keep his day job... 
 
A year later, the college is recovering from the Devanti affair, but struggling for cash and riven by arguments between traditionalists and modernisers. Simon, now bereft of a job, jumps at the chance to become a don – but soon finds himself embarking on another murder investigation after a student is caught cheating and his accuser is found hanged. Can Simon unmask the killer before they strike again? 
 
Written by Mark Tavener (In the Red, Absolute Power), this brilliant black comedy stars Geoffrey Palmer as Gilbert, Samuel West as Simon and Sharon Small as Zoe, with Rebecca Front as Patricia, Michelle Fairley as Roisin, Michael Maloney as the Dean and Jonathan Coy as Bernard. 
 
Produced by Dawn Ellis

High Table, Lower Orders: The Complete Series 1 and 2

The BBC Radio 4 comedy drama

Described by his creator as 'short, fat and primitive', Evert Bäckström is a rather unique homicide detective but he is undeniably the real deal with it comes to modern policing. 
 
This series is blackly comic, thrillingly compelling and utterly real.

Bäckström

CAMP GOLD

Caedmon Aisquith

Cairo Trilogy

Can You Solve the Murder?

Capital

Care Bears

Cartoon Kid

Cath Kidston

A crime-fiction series with a twist - private investigator Catherine Berlin, is a damaged soul struggling with a heroin addiction, but she still manages to do her best, even when her own neck is on the chopping block.

Catherine Berlin

Celeste Express

Central Intelligence

Chaos and Flame

Charles Hayden

Charles Paris Dramatisations

Charlie Bass

Charlie Changes Into a Chicken

Charlie and Lola

Cherry Blossoms After Winter

Chevalier

Chinese Cinderella

Life at Tanglewood isn't all sleepovers, picnics and beach parties. Cherry, Summer, Skye, Coco and Honey all face some tough life challenges in this delicious series from bestselling girls' favourite Cathy Cassidy. Every sister has a secret to share. Which one will be your favourite?

Chocolate Box Girls

Christmas

Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

Churchminister

Welcome inside the violent, treacherous world of Roman politics, and learn how one man - clever, compassionate, devious, vulnerable - fought to reach the top.

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