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A A Gill

Andrew Swanston read law at Cambridge, but was inspired to write by his lifelong interest in early modern history. His Thomas Hill novels – The King’s Spy, The King’s Exile and The King’s Return – are set against the backdrops of the English Civil War, Cromwell’s Commonwealth and the early Restoration respectively. He is also the author of Waterloo: The Bravest Man and Beautiful Star and Other Stories. His first historical thriller set during the reign of Elizabeth I – Incendium (published in paperback as The Incendium Plot) – introduced readers to the academic, lawyer and intelligencer Dr Christopher Radcliff, whose adventures continue in Chaos. Andrew Swanston lives in Surrey.

A D Swanston

A E Langsford

A G Hopkins

A. J. BAIME is the New York Times best-selling author of The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War and Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans. Both books are in development for major motion pictures. Baime is a longtime regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Popular Science, and Men’s Journal. He lives in Granite Bay, California. Visit him at facebook.com/ajbaime and trumanbook.com.

A J Baime

A J Jacobs

A J P Taylor

Anthony James Pollard is a British medieval historian, specialising in the fifteenth century and in particular the Wars of the Roses. A leading authority in the field, he is profesor emeritus of Teesside University. His books include North-Eastern England during the Wars of the Roses, Richard III and the Princes in theTower, Imagining Robin Hood: the Late Medieval Stories in Historical Context and Warwick the kingmaker: Politics, Power and Fame.

A J Pollard

A J Rochester

A K Benjamin is a clinical neuropsychologist and the author of Let Me Not Be Mad: A Story of Unravelling Minds.

A K Benjamin

A. L. Berridge read English at Oxford, and taught for ten years before moving into television, where her production credits range from period drama and thrillers to long-running soaps. She has written two previous novels, Top Ten besteller Honour and the Sword and In the Name of the King. Into the Valley of Death is her third novel.

A L Berridge

Alison Gaylin's first job was as a reporter for a celebrity tabloid, which sparked a lifelong interest in writing about people committing despicable acts. More than a decade later, she wrote and published her Edgar-nominated first novel, HIDE YOUR EYES. 
 
She's since published nine more books, including the USA Today and international bestselling Brenna Spector suspense series, which has been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony and Thriller awards and won the Shamus award. 
 
She lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter, cat and dog.

A L Gaylin

A Maxwell-Hyslop

A McArthur

A P Wavell

A.S. Webb is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Daughter of Chaos, the first instalment of The Dark Pantheon Trilogy. She is inspired by stories rooted in history and mythology, that push the boundaries of imagination and urge us to reflect on what it means to be human.

A S Webb

A. A. Dhand is the author of six previous novels, and has been shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger Award. His DI Harry Virdee novels are currently being adapted for TV by the BBC. He was raised in Bradford and spent his youth observing the city from behind the counter of a small convenience store. After qualifying as a pharmacist, he worked in London and travelled extensively before returning to Bradford to start his own business and begin writing. The history, diversity and darkness of the city have inspired all his novels. For more information about A. A. Dhand and his books, follow him on X @aadhand, and on Instagram @aa_dhand.

A. A. Dhand

A. A. Gill

A. A. Milne

A. Anatoli

A. B. Poranek grew up sharing her time between Ontario, Canada and rural Poland, and eventually completed a veterinary degree at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. A lover of mythology and history, she enjoys exploring both in her writing. Her debut novel, Where the Dark Stands Still, an instant New York Times bestseller, is an ode to Poland's folktales, while A Treachery of Swans transports readers to a world inspired by 17th century France.

A. B. Poranek

A. Bradley

Professor A. C. Grayling is Principal of the New College of the Humanities at Northeastern University, London, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. He has written and edited over thirty books on philosophy, history, science and current affairs. For several years he wrote columns for the Guardian newspaper and The Times and was the chairman of the 2014 Man Booker Prize.

A. C. Grayling

A.D. Miller is the author of Snowdrops, The Earl of Petticoat Lane and The Faithful Couple. Snowdrops was a bestseller and was shortlisted for many prizes including the Man Booker and the CWA Gold Dagger. It was translated into 25 languages. As Moscow Correspondent of The Economist A.D. Miller has travelled across the former Soviet Union and covered the Orange Revolution in Ukraine; he is now the magazine’s Culture Editor based in London. 
 
admillerbooks.com

A. D. Miller

A. E. Ellis

A. E. W. Mason

A. Humphreys

A. Igoni Barrett was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 1979 and lives in Lagos. He is a winner of the 2005 BBC World Service short story competition, the recipient of a Chinua Achebe Center Fellowship, a Norman Mailer Center Fellowship, and a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Residency. His short story collection, Love is Power, or Something Like That, was published in 2013. In 2014 he was named on the Africa39 list of sub-Saharan African writers under 40. Blackass is his first novel.

A. Igoni Barrett

The short life of A.J.A. Symons (1900-41) was described by his biographer as an intricate and largely harmless confidence trick. His many interests included the collection of musical boxes and rare books as well as the study and practice of forgery; they left him time to edit an anthology of Edwardian verse and compose studies of H.M. Stanley and other notable figures. He is remembered for The Quest for Corvo, one of the most remarkable biographies ever written, and for co-founding the Wine and Food Society.

A. J. A. Symons

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Ian Rankin

Alexander Morton stars as the roguish detective Mr Cullender in two original radio dramas by Ian Rankin, and as Inspector Rebus in Let it Bleed – plus a selection of original stories 
 
Best known for his Inspector Rebus novels, Sir Ian Rankin is one of Britain’s most successful and acclaimed crime writers. He has won numerous awards, including the CWA Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement, and in 2023 he received a knighthood for services to literature and charity. 
 
He has also written extensively for BBC Radio, including two feature-length, full-cast period dramas set in Edinburgh in the 1790s, introducing the resourceful if low-born Mr Cullender (‘Cully’) – caddie, manservant and general dogsbody. This collection opens with those stories, in which the enterprising detective, played by Alexander Morton, goes in search of a double murderer (The Serpent’s Back) and investigates a series of ritualistic wine-cellar killings (The Third Gentleman). 
 
Next, Let it Bleed sees Morton starring as Detective Inspector John Rebus in the very first BBC Radio Rebus adaptation, in which the maverick cop probes political corruption and insider dealing – and uncovers the dark underbelly of 1990s Scotland. Among the supporting cast are James Bryce as DI Flower, Sarah Collier as DCI Gill Templer and Crawford Logan as Chief Superintendent Watson. 
 
Specially written for Radio 4, the gripping crime serial The Deathwatch Journal, read by Jimmy Chisholm, takes place inside an Edinburgh prison in 1962, where jailer Thomas Scott is watching over a condemned man sentenced to hang for the murder of his wife. But as they wait out the days until his execution, Scott begins to suspect that Telfer is innocent… 
 
Also included are eight of Ian Rankin’s short stories – some original tales commissioned for radio, others recorded from his collection Beggars Banquet: ‘The Only True Comedian’ (read by Steven McNicoll), ‘The Confession’ (read by Alec Heggie), ‘Unlucky in Love, Unlucky at Cards’ (read by Billy Riddoch), ‘A Deep Hole’ (read by Steven McNicoll), ‘Step Right Up’ (read by Dominic Cooper), ‘Facing the Music’ (read by James MacPherson), ‘Herbert in Motion’ (read by James Bryce) and ‘The Hanged Man’ (read by Steven McNicoll). Ranging from the comic to the macabre, they feature hit men, con men, comedians, a private eye, a road digger, an art curator, a serial killer – and Edinburgh’s very own John Rebus. 
 
 
Contents 
 
The Serpent’s Back 
The Third Gentleman 
Let it Bleed 
The Deathwatch Journal 
‘The Only True Comedian’ 
‘The Confession’ 
‘Unlucky at Love, Unlucky at Cards’ 
‘A Deep Hole’ 
‘Step Right Up’ 
‘Facing the Music’ 
‘Herbert in Motion’ 
‘The Hanged Man’ 
 
Copyright © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Cully & more

A BBC Radio Collection

John Dickson Carr

Four full-cast stories of suspense from the creator of Dr Gideon Fell 
 
The master of the ‘impossible crime’ novel, American author John Dickson Carr was renowned for his Golden Age detective stories featuring the eccentric genius Dr Gideon Fell. This collection brings together four of his captivating radio plays, including a time-slip murder mystery, a chilling supernatural tale, a menacing story of blackmail and retribution, and a life-or-death case for Dr Fell... 
 
Fire, Burn! – On a foggy night in 1960s London, Superintendent John Cheviot boards a taxi to Scotland Yard. But when he alights at his destination, the taxi is now a horse-drawn cab and the year is 1829... Pulled out of his own time, Cheviot finds himself investigating a seemingly inexplicable Regency murder – but can he avoid being framed? Starring Michael Denison, Rachel Gurney, Marjorie Westbury and John Westbrook. 
 
Blind Man’s Hood – Visiting their friends’ house on Christmas Eve, the Hunters are surprised to find the place deserted but for a mysterious young woman, who invites them in. As they sit by the fire, she proceeds to tell them the chilling tale of an unsolved Victorian murder, a sinister party game, and a spurned lover who wreaks a terrible revenge… Terrence Hardiman, Denys Hawthorne and Jill Bennett star in this eerie ghost story. 
 
The Speaking Clock – When Judith Ray and Ronald Gilbert arrive in a dimly lit antiques shop to confront their blackmailer, Charles Markham, they face a double surprise – and soon, events take an unexpected and dramatic turn... First broadcast in 1944 as part of the vintage horror series Appointment with Fear, this macabre tale stars Esme Percy, Belle Chrystall and John Dodsworth. 
 
The Clock Strikes Eight – A woman suffering from amnesia wakes in the middle of the night to find herself in an unfamiliar room, with no idea how she got there. To her horror, she is told that she is in a prison cell tor killing her lover – and that the hangman’s noose awaits her in the morning… Dr Fell is convinced of Helen Barton’s innocence – but can he uncover the truth in time to save her? Another classic 1944 episode from Appointment with Fear, starring Richard George and Grizelda Harvey. 
 
NB: Due to the age of these recordings, the sound quality may vary 
 
First published 1937 (Blind Man’s Hood), 1944 (‘The Speaking Clock’, ‘The Clock Strikes Eight’) 1957 (Fire, Burn!) 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Fire, Burn! & other mysteries

Four Full-Cast Vintage BBC Radio Dramatisations

Robert Barr

A double serving of thrilling vintage spy drama featuring the tenacious Captain Jim Nicholson 
 
A treat from the archive: two classic dramas from the writer of Z-Cars, Robert Barr, set during the height of the Cold War. 
 
The Dark Island is a thrilling story of espionage set among the remote, mist-veiled islands of the Outer Hebrides. Two Intelligence Officers discover an escape route for defectors from Britain. The route, ending behind the Iron Curtain, involves the use of Russian trawlers plying outside territorial waters. Edward de Souza (Coronation Street, Doctor Who) stars as Jim Nicholson in this full-cast drama packed with unexpected twists and turns that will keep you gripped until the very end. 
 
In Return to the Islands, the indefatigable Captain Jim Nicholson heads back to the atmospheric islands of the north when a body is discovered near a secret training base. Things take a sinister turn when an elite trainee is taken hostage. An enemy agent is captured and interrogated but can Nicholson and his team solve the mystery in time? When tragedy strikes, the team are pushed to their limit and embark on a deadly endgame… 
 
Former BBC war correspondent Robert Barr is best remembered writing for BBC TV’s police dramas Z-Cars and Softly Softly. He also wrote the long-running radio series Detective. The Dark Island was originally made for TV in 1962 as well as being published as a novel in 1972. This is a gem from the archive, perfect for fans of espionage thrillers and vintage drama performed by a great cast. 
 
Cast and credits 
 
The Dark Island 
Written by Robert Barr 
Produced by Peter Titheridge 
Jim Nicholson - Edward De Souza 
Bill Grant - Geoffrey Frederick 
Ian McLeod - Bryden Murdoch 
Lieutenant Ritchie - Roy Spencer 
Major Williams - Peter Hawkins 
Brigadier - Michael Kilgarriff 
Mary Somers - Rosemary Miller 
Colonel Jamieson/Hotel Manager - Alaric Cotter 
Alec Thompson - John Graham 
Major Williams - Peter Hawkins 
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19th September - 24th October 1969 
 
Return to the Islands 
Written by Robert Barr 
Produced by Peter Titheridge 
Jim Nicholson - Edward de Souza 
Ian McLeod - Bryden Murdoch 
Major Miller - John Graham 
Paul O'Donnell - Geoffrey Frederick 
Sergeant Finney - Clive Merrison 
Alan Shaw/Landlord - Andrew Neil 
Katy Evans - Gretta Gouriet 
Alec Rogers - Ian Dewar 
Doctor - Gerald Cross 
Prisoner - David Gooderson 
Miss Dalgliesh - Eva Stuart 
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10th October - 14th November 1971 
 
©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Captain Jim Nicholson: The Dark Island & Return to the Islands

Two Full-Cast Classic BBC Radio Spy Dramas

Olwen Wymark

Barbara Clegg

Michael Cochrane stars as a green-fingered private sleuth in a series of murder mysteriesA perfect listen for any fans of cosy crime, this series is packed with four brilliant stories to enjoy. Meet Jim Thackeray, a renowned landscape gardener who also happens to be a first-class private detective. As you will discover, this is very handy when murders happen to take place in gardens…In Green Fingered Thackeray’s Shakespearean-themed gardens are the scene of a murder. The victim is the ex-wife of a Turkish multi-millionaire and it’s not long before fingers start being pointed and both elements of Jim’s life are brought together with dramatic consequences. Can he solve the crime and save his reputation?In Battle Cry, someone is "accidentally" killed re-enacting a medieval battle. Jim is pulled in to investigate and finds his horticultural expertise can once again help the police solve the seemingly unsolvable.Thackeray's opportunity to redesign an Italian garden in This Blessed Plot is thwarted by the disappearance of his employer. Luckily for the local residents, Jim’s on hand to investigate the mystery.In Death and the Ice Maiden Thackeray's daughter Gail asks her dad to look into the strange deathbed confession of a friend's grandmother. Secrets are revealed and questions asked…Performed by a full-cast, this vintage bundle of cosy crime is a treat not-to-be-missed. Michael Cochrane is a star of TV, stage and screen but is perhaps best-known as the voice of Oliver Sterling in the long-running BBC Radio 4 drama series, The Archers. 
Note: This is a collection of a single story ('Green Fingered') plus a 3-part series.Cast and creditsWritten by Olwen Wymark and Barbara CleggProduced by Glyn Dearman and Alison HindellJim Thackeray - Michael Cochrane 
George Field - John Moffatt / John Hartley 
Shirley Field - Rosemary Leach / Doreen MantleMiss Birch - Irene Sutcliffe / Margaret JohnDave - Todd Boyce / Richard LomasGail - Charlotte BirdBryony - Melanie WaltersFurther parts played by Mary Wimbush, Nigel Anthony, David March, Giselle Wolf, Sean Barrett, Michael Tudor-Barnes, John Rye, Richard Pearce, Jane Whittenshaw, Simon Eastwood, James Greene, Howell Evans, Terry Dauncey, Gwyn Vaughan Jones, Carl Forgione, Vanessa Roper-Evans, Robert Rietti, Frank Rozelaar-Green, Rachel Atkins, Tonya Smith, Ruth Lloyd, and Simon LuddersFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14th Dec 1995, 27th Aug – 10th Sep 1997©2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Thackeray

Four Full-Cast BBC Radio Crime Dramas

G.K. Chesterton

Victor Whitechurch

Edgar Wallace

Marie Belloc Lowndes

Anna Katharine Green

Josephine Tey

A collection of thrilling tales from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, including six full-cast dramas and a short story read by Benedict Cumberbatch 
 
In the first half of the 20th century, the detective story exploded in popularity. Innovative authors penned whodunits, whydunits and clue-puzzle stories, and introduced iconic sleuths, creating works that would later become classics. This Golden Age, which reached its height during the 1920s and ’30s, saw the crowning of the ‘Queens of Crime’, the formation of the Detection Club and the laying down of new rules of crime writing – and the fiction produced during this period has had lasting appeal and influence, fundamentally shaping the ‘cosy crime’ novels of today. 
 
This collection gathers together seven sensational stories from Golden Age authors – some well-known, others unjustly overlooked – beginning with three by founding members of the Detection Club. The Blue Cross by G.K. Chesterton features the first appearance of one of the best-loved detectives in fiction: Father Brown, as he pursues arch-villain and master of disguise Flambeau. Andrew Sachs stars as the insightful cleric, with Olivier Pierre as his wily nemesis. 
 
In The House of the Arrow by A.E.W. Mason, starring Richard Pasco and Moir Leslie, a young woman living in Dijon is accused of murder, leading her lawyer to call in the Sûreté’s best officer, Inspector Hanaud. 
 
Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, The Affair of the German Dispatch-Box by Victor Whitechurch sees daring Edwardian sleuth Thorpe Hazell using his locomotive expertise to solve an ingenious and audacious railway crime. 
 
A legendary assassin and vigilante returns from the dead in The Ringer by Edgar Wallace, and Scotland Yard must find him before he exacts his revenge. David Davis stars as the ‘Gaunt Stranger’, and Alexander John as the tenacious Inspector Wembury. 
 
In An Unrecorded Instance by Marie Belloc Lowndes, Hetty Mingle ignores her dying mother's advice about fortune hunters – but will she end up regretting it? Starring Mary O’Farrell and Brenda Bruce. 
 
The Golden Slipper by Anna Katharine Green finds New York debutante (and reluctant detective) Violet Strange tasked with investigating four rich young women suspected of multiple thefts. Teresa Gallagher stars as the socialite sleuth, with Crawford Logan as her client, Driscoll. 
 
Concluding this collection is Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey, which finds psychologist Lucy Pym investigating a death at a women’s physical education college. Starring Julia Foster as Miss Pym and Joan Sims as her friend, headmistress Henrietta Hodge, this dark, engrossing psychological thriller is a late Golden Age gem. 
 
First published 1910 (The Blue Cross), 1912 (The Affair of the German Dispatch-Box), 1915 (The Golden Slipper), 1924 (The House of the Arrow, An Unrecorded Instance), 1929 (The Ringer), 1946 (Miss Pym Disposes) 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Golden Age: Mystery and Murder

Seven BBC Radio Adaptations of Classic Crime Mysteries

James Swallow

A thrilling full-cast adaptation bringing Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell universe to life 
 
Veteran Fourth Echelon agent Sam Fisher has a new mission recruiting and training the next generation of Splinter Cell operatives for the National Security Agency's covert action division. But when a lethal assassin from Fisher's past returns from the dead on a mission of murder, he is thrust into a race against time as a sinister threat to global security is revealed. With his daughter Sarah signed up as his newest recruit, Sam Fisher has everything to lose in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The father and daughter duo must work together to stop a deadly villain from executing a horrific plan. 
 
In this fast-paced and thrilling listen both Sam and Sarah are forced to face their past. Can Sarah steel herself to take a life? And will Sam finally come face-to-face with his old nemesis Dima Aslanov? 
 
Number one best-selling thriller writer Tom Clancy is best-known for his spy thrillers set during the Cold War. The Hunt for the Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger and the Jack Ryan novels have all been turned into popular films and TV shows. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell is a series of action-adventure video games with accompanying novels, on which this stunning radio production is based. Starring Andonis Anthony (The Archers, Emmerdale), Daisy Head (Guilt, The Syndicate), Will Poulter (Black Mirror, Guardians of the Galaxy), Sacha Dhawan (Doctor Who), Nikesh Patel (Starstruck) this is an all-star production not to be missed. 
 
This immersive, action-packed thriller is recorded in 3D binaural audio. For the surround-sound experience please listen on headphones. 
 
Written by James Swallow 
Adapted by Sebastian Baczkiewicz 
Directed by Nadia Molinari, Lorna Newman and Jessica Mitic 
Produced by Lorna Newman, Jessica Mitic, Nadia Molinari 
Sound design by Sharon Hughes and Steve Brooke 
 
Cast 
Sam Fisher - Andonis Anthony 
Sarah Fisher - Daisy Head 
Anna Grímsdóttir - Rosalie Craig 
Charlie Cole - Sacha Dhawan 
Brody Teague - Will Poulter 
Samir Patel - Nikesh Patel 
Stone - Mihai Arsene 
Eighteen - Olga Fedori 
Jan Freling/Kathy - Rina Mahoney 
Buzzard - Tijan Sarr 
Gator/Gary Borden - Tom Kiteley 
Train Guard/Operator/Policeman - Joe Belham 
Andriy Kobin/Chef Jean Claude - Riad Richie 
Nabil - Ali Gadema 
Delim - Lloyd Thomas 
First Pilot /Guard/LeBeau - David Hounslow 
Second Pilot/Guard/Reporter/Bray/Killer - Roger Ringrose 
Portuguese announcer - Charis Jardim-Hinds 
 
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2nd December - 20th January 2023 
 
©2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Firewall

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation

Robert Browning

BBC Radio dramatisations and readings of Browning’s most famous poems, performed by stars including Anton Lesser, Roger Allam and David Tennant, plus two bonus plays 
 
Victorian poet Robert Browning was renowned for his evocative dramatic monologues peopled with vivid, morally ambiguous characters. In 1846, he eloped with fellow poet Elizabeth Barrett, and they rapidly became Britain’s most famous literary power couple. This collection brings together four of Browning’s poetic masterpieces, juxtaposed with a play inspired by his work and a drama about Robert and Elizabeth’s romance. 
 
The Ring and the Book – In the aftermath of a triple stabbing, Rome is rife with speculation. Accused of murdering his young wife and her parents, Count Guido Franceschini is put on trial, and finds himself desperately fighting for his life. Anton Lesser, Roger Allam and Andrew Sachs star in this thrilling tale of of sex, lies, murder and justice. 
 
The Pied Piper of Hamlin – When a town fails to pay the rat-catcher who has lured all the rats away with his magic pipe, the piper takes a terrible revenge. Playing his music once more, he leads all the children from the town. Only one boy remains behind… David Tennant stars as the Narrator, with Bertie Gilbert as the boy. 
 
My Last Duchess – Based on Browning’s chilling poem about an aristocrat whose wife died young in suspicious circumstances, this intriguing dramatisation attempts to solve the mystery of what happened to the duchess, and who did the deed. Starring Roger Allam, Emily Mortimer and Tim McInnerny. 
 
Andrea del Sarto – Richard Pasco reads Robert Browning's monologue about the 16th-century Florentine artist known as ‘the faultless painter’, whose marriage was the source of deep unhappiness. 
 
The Contemplative Life – Brother James's loathing of oafish Brother Lawrence has led him to petty acts of destruction. As a punishment, he is forced to share a cell with him… Alan Rickman and Michael Aldridge star in this comedy inspired by Browning’s poem ‘Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister’. 
 
The Barretts of Wimpole Street – Starring Dorothy Tutin and Jeremy Brett, this radio version of Rudolf Besier’s celebrated stage play explores the secret courtship of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, which took place at No 50 Wimpole Street, her father’s forbidding household. 
 
First published 1842 (‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’, ‘My Last Duchess’), 1855 (‘Andrea del Sarto’), 1868 (‘The Ring and the Book’) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Robert Browning 
 
The Ring and the Book 
Cast: Anton Lesser, Roger Allam, Lou Brealey, Dominic Rowan, Andrew Sachs, Frances Jeater, Dan Starkey, Stephen Critchlow, Ben Crowe, Chris Pavlo, Joan Walker, John Rowe, Michael Maloney, Stephen Moore 
 
The Pied Piper of Hamelin 
Cast: David Tennant, Bertie Gilbert 
With music and songs written and performed by John Harle, lyrics by Joyce Harle, sung by Thomas Platts, head chorister at Canterbury Cathedral with the choir of Wingham School, Kent 
 
My Last Duchess 
Cast: Roger Allam, Emily Mortimer, Tim McInnerny, Robert Hands, John Hartley, Jacob Heringman 
 
Andrea del Sarto 
Read by Richard Pasco 
 
The Contemplative Life 
Cast: Alan Rickman, Michael Aldridge, David Garth, Brian Smith, Colin Starkey, David Sinclair, 
Trevor Nichols, John Webb 
 
The Barretts of Wimpole Street 
Cast: Dorothy Tutin, Jeremy Brett, Paul Rogers, William Eedle, John Rowe, John Samson, 
Robin Browne, David Valla, Christopher Good, Kate Binchy, Jane Knowles, Kenneth Fortescue, 
Helen Worth, Michael Kilgarriff, Rolf Lefebvre, John Ruddock, Sheila Grant 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Robert Browning: The Ring and the Book, The Pied Piper of Hamelin & more

BBC Radio dramatic reimaginings of five iconic poems

Guy de Maupassant

Francis King

Alexander Pushkin

Friedrich Dürrenmatt

H. G. Wells

Julian Symonds

Wilkie Collins

Honoré De Balzac

W. Somerset Maugham

Stacy Aumonier

Ten vintage dramas on the theme of murder, written by internationally recognised authors and set across the globe 
 
‘Murder is murder, anywhere in the world. The taking of life, the most terrible crime a human being can commit, is the same in any language, whether it springs from vengeance, greed, hate, love or whatever...’ 
 
Conceived by BBC World Service producer Derek Hoddinott, the 1976 anthology series Murder International comprised half-hour adaptations of famous murder mysteries by world-renowned writers past and present, set in locations ranging from Corsica to St Petersburg, Malaysia, France and Spain. Collected here are ten of those thrilling dramas, each with a different theme, ranging from ‘murder by the supernatural’ to ‘murder by duel’. Bringing them to life are a host of leading actors including Denis Quilley, Maureen O'Brien, George Cole, Christopher Cazenove, Joss Ackland, Michael Denison and George Baker. 
 
In The Hand by Guy Maupassant, an English aristocrat awaits his nemesis – alongside a gruesome trophy from his days in Africa. 
 
Mess, by Francis King, sees an adolescent boy taking extreme measures to escape his chaotic home life. 
 
The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin finds a high-stakes gambler risking his life and his sanity when he discovers the secret of how to win at cards. 
 
Face to face with the state assassin, a dissident writer defends his right to free speech in Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s Conversation at Night. 
 
Three men, maddened by greed for gold, turn on each other in The Treasure in the Forest by H.G. Wells. 
 
Serial wife-killer Clayton Allenby meets his match with bride number four in Julian Symons’ The Accident. 
 
The youngest son of the Monkton family seems afflicted with hereditary madness in Wilkie Collins’ Mad Monkton – but is he insane, or cursed? 
 
The Executioner, by Honoré de Balzac, centres on a young Captain in the Napoleonic wars, who is ordered to carry out a terrible crime. 
 
Somerset Maugham’s Footprints in the Jungle concerns a charming married couple with a shocking skeleton in their closet. 
 
In Stacy Aumonier’s The Fall, when a petty crook turns murderer, Inspector Tolozan uses the man’s greatest fear to extract a confession... 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio, 4 21 July - 29 September 1976 
 
With warm thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle 
 
NB: Some of the language on these vintage recordings reflects the era in which it was first broadcast, and due to the age of the source material, the sound quality may vary 
 
Conversation at Night © 1986 by Diogenes Verlag AG, Zurich 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Murder International

Ten Classic Full-Cast BBC Radio Crime Dramas

R.D Wingfield

A collection of vintage thrillers from popular crime writer RD Wingfield 
 
Well known as the creator of Inspector Jack Frost, RD Wingfield scripted numerous twisty, suspenseful dramas for BBC Radio between 1968 and 1995. Many of the thirteen tales in this collection were originally thought to be lost, but thanks to the diligent efforts of Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle, who tracked down the missing audio, they are once again available to enjoy. 
 
In Cat and Mouse Game, a wealthy woman goes missing, and her husband is suspected of murder. Ambitious security officer Hastler has a lot to lose when a surveillance operation goes wrong in Saturday Roster, and in Nightmare, a killer has escaped from a psychiatric ward and may be returning to the scene of his crime. Blood Money finds a branch manager forced to deal with a ransom demand, while Better Never than Late features a policeman on the brink of retirement determined to crack an unsolved kidnapping case. 
 
Warring colleagues Davenport and Desmond discover the advantages of working together in Compensating Error, and in Slow Fuze, an unexploded bomb proves to be a golden opportunity for Major Derry. The Tenth Anniversary concerns the strange disappearance of a detective inspector exactly a decade after the famous Monkstead murders, Death of the Insured sees a terminally ill private eye hired to find an errant husband, and Balance Brought Forward and The Night They Deliver The Money both focus on bank directors faced with potential disaster. Smiling and Beautiful Death, meanwhile, centres around a concussed motorist, a mysterious midnight funeral and a village full of sinister locals… 
 
Capping off our collection is the six-part serial The Killing Season, written under the pseudonym Arthur Jefferson and set in a sleepy town experiencing an unprecedented Christmas crime wave. Among the casts of these intriguing dramas are Nigel Havers, Frances Jeater, Leslie Sands, Garard Green, Deryck Guyler and Andrew Sachs. 
 
With warm thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by RD Wingfield 
 
Contents 
 
Cat and Mouse Game 
Saturday Roster 
Nightmare 
Blood Money 
Better Never Than Late 
Compensating Error 
Slow Fuze 
The Tenth Anniversary 
Death of the Insured 
Balance Brought Forward 
The Night They Deliver the Money 
Smiling and Beautiful Death 
The Killing Season 
Written by Arthur Jefferson (pseudonym of R.D Wingfield) 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

R.D Wingfield: Nightmare and Other Thrillers

13 Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

Tim Jackson

A full-cast environmental mystery set against the evocative backdrop of the Norfolk fens 
 
Mist rising over the fens. The haunting cry of the nesting bittern. But not everything is as pristine as it appears to be. The protection of nature and the pursuit of progress collide in this thrilling, full-cast, environmental drama. 
 
When Laura McLaren lands a much-needed job with the Environment Agency in Norfolk, her principal concern is the distance it involves from her fiancé Dean. But things soon change when Dean joins a development company, and Laura finds herself trying to help a young girl suffering from a mystery illness. As she seeks to unravel the source of a contamination in a local water supply, Laura quickly discovers greater distances, deeper mysteries, and concerns she had only previously dreamed about. Will the conflict between her career and her relationship with Dean change their lives irrevocably? And what can be done ensure the protection of the delicate eco-system of the fens in the face of relentless progress? 
 
Commissioned for Radio 4 by former Archers’ producer Vanessa Whitburn, this is a gripping full-cast dramatisation by author, playwright and economist Tim Jackson. Since 2016 Jackson has been Director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP), which aims to understand the economic, social and political dimensions of sustainable prosperity. His ground-breaking book Prosperity without Growth has been translated into twenty foreign languages and was named as a Financial Times ‘book of the year’ in 2010 and UnHerd’s economics book of the decade in 2019. 
 
Starring Rachel Atkins, Ian Pepperell, and Sean Baker, this series won the Public Awareness of Science (PAWS) Drama Fund award in 1997. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Tim Jackson 
Directed by Peter Leslie Wild and Vanessa Whitburn 
Music by Malcom McKee performed by Paul Arden Taylor 
 
Laura McLaren - Rachel Atkins 
Dean Finch - Ian Pepperell 
Alice Tibbett - Lesley Carvello 
Tom Tibett - Terry Molloy 
Alex Sawyer - Sean Baker 
Other parts played by Helen Palmer, Peter Tuddenham, Kelly Hunter, Tina Gray, Eric Allan, David Holt, Bella Hamblin, Joe Crowley, Marian Kemmer, Norman Bird, Use Stuart, Daphne Neville, Martin Cookson, Sunny Ormonde, Graham Padden, Peter Gunn, Ian Brooker and James Thackwray 
 
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15th February - 26th March 1999 
 
©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Cry of the Bittern

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Drama

Henry Cecil

Eight thrilling tales from the writer of Brothers in Law, featuring courtroom cases, legal wranglings, conspiracy and blackmail 
 
Barrister and county court judge, Henry Cecil wrote numerous comic stories set in the legal world, most famously Brothers in Law. Collected here are eight vintage dramas based on his works, beginning with an adaptation of his debut novel, The Painswick Line, a tale of a judge and his somewhat unconventional family starring Cecil Parker and Monica Grey. 
 
The Disagreeable Man, starring Norman Shelley and David Spenser, finds a peaceful English village disrupted by the arrival of two newcomers, one of whom is most unpleasant. In Alibi for a Judge, an attractive young woman enlists the co-operation of the elderly judge who had convicted her husband of robbery to prove his innocence. It stars Andrew Cruickshank and Lesley Burford. 
 
Next are two very different family dramas. Daughters in Law, starring Cecil Parker and Naunton Wayne, is a lighthearted story about a lawyer-loathing squire who discovers his sons have fallen in love with a judge’s twin daughters, one a barrister and one a solicitor. Fathers in Law, meanwhile, deals with the thorny issue of adoption, as the rights of a childless couple wishing to adopt a baby boy are set against those of his natural father. Alan Barry, John Westbrook and Joan Matheson star in this heartrending drama leavened by touches of humour. 
 
Inspired by a real-life case, A Matter of Speculation depicts the 1814 trial of aristocratic naval officer Admiral Lord Cochrane, on a charge of conspiracy to defraud the London Stock Exchange. No Fear or Favour, Henry Cecil’s last radio play, concerns an imprudent judge threatened by an unscrupulous blackmailer, and stars Paul Daneman, Sarah Badel and Peter Sallis. Finally, in The Buttercup Spell, the pollen of the humble yellow flower is found to have unusual and beneficial effects, causing everyone to love their fellow man. Peter Williams stars in this delightful 1975 fantasy. 
 
 
With thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle 
 
NB: These are vintage radio productions and the audio quality reflects the age of the recording 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Henry Cecil 
 
The Painswick Line 
Starring Kenneth Hyde, Cecil Parker, Monica Grey, Frederick Treves, Alan Haines, Gordon Faith, Ralph Truman, Timothy Harley, Denys Blakelock, Stephen Thorne, Michael Goldie, Beatrlce Kane, George Merritt, John Boxer, Hamlyn Benson. 
 
Produced by H. B. Fortuin 
 
The Disagreeable Man 
Starring Norman Shelley, David Spenser, Margaret Wolfit, James Thomason, Humphrey Morton, Ronald Herdman, Alan Dudley, Hilda Kriseman, Noel Hood, Anna North, Duncan McIntyre, Wilfred Babbage, Antony Viccars, Geoffrey Wincott. 
 
Adapted by C.E. Webber from an episode in the book Ways and Means by Henry Cecil 
Produced by Martyn C. Webster 
 
Alibi for a Judge 
Starring Andrew Cruickshank, Amanda Grinling, Aubrey Woods, Jonathan Scott, Trader Faulkner, Peter Howell, Michael Shannon, Clifford Norgate, Hector Ross, Carole Boyd, Michael Burlington, Anthony Smee. 
 
Adapted by Henry Cecil and Felicity Douglas 
Directed by John Tydeman 
 
Daughters in Law 
Starring Cecil Parker, Antony Viccars, John Pullen, Gudrun Ure, Diana Olsson, William Eedle, Will Leighton, Naunton Wayne, Peter Claughton, Malcolm Hayes, Rolf Lefebvre, Philip Leaver, Haydn Jones, Derek Birch. 
 
Produced by H. B. Fortuin 
 
Fathers in Law 
Starring Hector Ross, Alan Barry, John Westbrook, Joan Matheson, George Curzon, Gordon Faith, Patricia Leventon, Michael Gough, Allan McClelland, Nigel Graham, Philip Guard, Monica Grey, Michael McClain, Fraser Kerr, Molly Rankin, Betty Huntley-Wright, Denys Blakelock, Peter Marinker. 
 
Produced by H. B. Fortuin 
 
A Matter of Speculation 
Starring Cecil Parker, Noel Howlett, Garard Green, Basil Jones, John Boxer, William Fox, Alan Haines, Stephen Thorne, Hector Ross, Fraser Kerr, Nigel Graham, Eric Anderson, Mary Wimbush, Norman Shelley. 
 
Produced by Archie Campbell 
 
No Fear or Favour 
Starring Paul Daneman, Sarah Badel, Peter Sallis, Timothy Bateson, Hector Ross, Peter Williams, Manning Wilson, Michael Shannon, Peter Howell, Antony Higginson, Michael Burlington, Michael Cochrane. 
 
Adapted by Henry Cecil 
Produced by Harry Catlin 
 
The Buttercup Spell 
Starring Peter Williams, Gerald Cross, John Ruddock, Leslie Heritage, John Challis, John Samson, Malcolm Hayes, William Fox, Philip Leaver, Geoffrey Beevers, Edward Kelsey, Lewis Stringer, Peter Bartlett, Peter Marinker, Katherine Parr, Sheila Grant. 
 
Produced by Archie Campbell 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Alibi for a Judge & other plays

Eight Full-Cast Vintage BBC Radio Dramatisations

Thirteen dramatised courtroom tales of conflicting evidence, exasperating witnesses and slippery counsel, from the writer of Brothers in Law 
 
What does it feel like to be a Judge? Listen to these self-contained dramas and you can almost feel you are looking at proceedings from the lofty position of the Bench. With a collection of eccentric and amusing characters, Henry Cecil brings to life the trials in a County Court and exposes the complex and often contradictory workings of the English legal system – but which stories are based on fact, and which are pure fiction? 
 
Inspired by his long career as a county court judge, Henry Cecil wrote a string of comic novels about the legal system, including Brothers in Law, which was adapted for TV and radio starring Richard Briers. In these dramas, he draws on his own experience and his powers of invention to tell a series of entertaining stories with a twist in the tale. 
 
Andrew Cruickshank stars as Judge Henry Cecil, presiding over a baker’s dozen of cases ranging from an argument between two motorists over a damaged watch, and an unwise remark from a judge that has unfortunate consequences, to the dispute between two betting partners over their joint winnings, and the rumours and suspicions surrounding the mysterious Mr Partridge. 
 
With guest stars including Tony Britton, Irene Handl, Raymond Huntley, Hattie Jacques and Denys Hawthorne, and a supporting cast featuring the likes of Lockwood West, Haydn Jones and Leonard Fenton, these sparkling vignettes are reminiscent of the Rumpole stories, and will appeal to fans of both courtroom dramas and vintage comedy. 
 
NB: This is a vintage radio production and the audio quality reflects the age of the recording 
 
Written by Henry Cecil 
Starring Andrew Cruickshank as Judge Henry Cecil, Mr Justice Broadbent and Mr Justice Blank 
Produced by HB Fortuin 
With thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle 
 
Episodes: 
Perjury 
The Truth 
Abuse of Power 
Something for Nothing 
The Limit 
The Hidden Money 
Contempt of Court 
Free for All 
Near Miss 
Chef’s Special 
The Wanted Man 
Made to Measure 
Retrial 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, December 1967- April 1969 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Brief Tales from the Bench

13 Full-Cast Vintage BBC Radio Courtroom Dramas

Gaston Leroux

Full-cast radio adaptations of two classic mysteries by the writer of The Phantom of the Opera 
 
Gaston Leroux was one of the pioneers of the detective story, alongside Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allen Poe. Best known for The Phantom of the Opera, he also wrote a series of crime novels featuring journalist and amateur detective Joseph Rouletabille. Included here are dramatisations of the two best-known books in the series, The Mystery of the Yellow Room and its sequel, The Perfume of the Lady in Black, starring Nicholas Boulton as Rouletabille and Charles Simpson as his friend and assistant Sainclair. 
 
The Mystery of the Yellow Room – Described by John Dickson Carr as ‘the finest locked-room tale ever written’, this celebrated mystery finds young reporter Rouletabille investigating an impossible crime. How was Professor Stangerson’s daughter Mathilde knocked unconscious, strangled and left for dead in the Yellow Room, when the door was bolted from the inside and the windows barred? And how did her attacker manage to vanish into thin air? 
 
The Perfume of the Lady in Black – France’s most dangerous man is dead, and few people mourn his passing. Of the scattering of people at his funeral, one in particular stands out: a mysterious, heavily-veiled woman, dressed in swathes of black. Rouletabille recognises her perfume – lavender with a hint of jasmine – and is convinced they’ve met before: but where? To solve the puzzle, he must look to his own past, and a secret he has kept hidden for many years... 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Gaston Leroux 
First published 1907 (The Mystery of the Yellow Room), 1908 (The Perfume of the Lady in Black) 
Directed by David Blount 
 
The Mystery of the Yellow Room 
Joseph Rouletabille – Nicholas Boulton 
Inspector Frédéric Larson – Geoffrey Whitehead 
Mathilde Stangerson – Becky Hindley 
Jean Sainclair – Charles Simpson 
Robert Darzac – Alastair Danson 
Professor Stangerson – Hugh Dickson 
Corbeau/Judge – Stephen Thorne 
Jacques/Innkeeper – Brian Parr 
 
Dramatised by Stephen Sheridan 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 June 1998 
 
The Perfume of the Lady in Black 
Rouletabille – Nicholas Boulton 
Sainclair – Charles Simpson 
Larson – Geoffrey Whitehead 
Mathilde – Suzanna Hamilton 
Rance/Uncle Marius – Stephen Thorne 
Darzac/Steward – Alastair Danson 
Beauvais/Captain – David Timson 
Edith/Postmistress – Alison Pettitt 
 
Dramatised by Stephen Sheridan from a translation by Margaret Costa 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 August 2000 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Adventures of Rouletabille: The Mystery of the Yellow Room & The Perfume of the Lady in Black

Two Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

Abir Mukherjee

A Highland heist from award-winning author Abir MukherjeeSunita lives a quiet life in the village of Glentorrance, running the local post office. When a letter arrives on her doorstep, her husband’s shady past threatens to disrupt their lives, spurring Sunita into an unwanted adventure which will change everything. Her peace is soon shattered when she finds an intruder in her shop, and as the past catches up with her, she must figure out who she can turn to and who she can trust…Can Sunita rely on Margot from the village shop to help her? Will Roddy’s craft whisky, fit for the finest palate, be enough to save the terrified postmistress? And what are the plans of Primakov, the mysterious billionaire with a temper and a taste for the best?Read by Sudha Bhuchar (Virdee, Eastenders, Coronation Street), this gripping story was written specially for BBC Radio.Writer Abir Mukherjee is the author of the award-winning Wyndham and Banerjee series of action-packed thrillers set in Raj-era India.Cast and creditsWritten by Abir MukherjeeProduced by Eilidh McCreadieRead by Sudha BhucharFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3rd - 7th February 2025© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Raiders of the Lost Cask

A Highland heist thriller specially written for BBC Radio 4

Philip Levene

Robert Beatty stars as Quentin Barnaby: Fire Investigator in Philip Levene’s gripping 1960s crime series 
 
A prolific writer for radio and TV, Philip Levene scripted numerous crime dramas and serials for the BBC in the 1960s. One of the most popular was Destination – Fire!, inspired by his fascination with the varied motivations of those who commit arson. Intrigued by ‘the puzzle of the charred remains of a burnt out building’, he came up with the idea of an investigator who would work out how a fire was started, by whom, and why. 
 
Starring Robert Beatty, who was well known for playing Irish detective Philip Odell on BBC radio, Destination – Fire! ran for three series on the Light Programme between 1962 and 1966. Of the original 33 episodes, 19 have sadly been lost, but the remaining 14 are all included here. Among the cases tackled by the tenacious ‘Q’ Barnaby are a blaze in a cinema, a fire aboard ship, the destruction of a theatre, an incident in a recording studio involving a pop singer, and a double arson insurance fraud which sparks murder… 
 
These thrilling standalone dramas feature a full cast of established actors, including Gudrun Ure as Valerie Chrane, Duncan McIntyre as Inspector Hackett and Anthony Hall as Alec Groves. 
 
Produced by Martyn C. Webster 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Destination – Fire!

14 Full-Cast Vintage BBC Radio Crime Dramas

A collection of intriguing thrillers by Philip Levene 
 
Philip Levene was a prolific radio dramatist who also penned 19 episodes of ITV’s The Avengers, which won him a Writers’ Guild Award. While many of his works have unfortunately been lost, this collection of surviving recordings showcases his exceptional talent. Produced between 1957 and 1973 and arranged in chronological order, they range from murder mysteries to psychological dramas with unexpected twists and turns, and feature full casts including Rolf Levebvre, Timothy West, Joan Sanderson, Frederick Treves, Betty Huntley-Wright, Margot Boyd and Eileen Derbyshire. 
 
Suspicious Mind centres on a thriller-loving old lady with a vivid imagination; while in Torment, a troubled young student claims to have committed a murder. Did it really happen, or is he just fantasising? In False Witness, a chip-shop owner finds that a murder case hangs on his identification of the perpetrator, and in Trump Card, an unhappy husband becomes infatuated with the maid and decides to take action. Murder in Mind finds beekeeper Herbert determined to stop his wife from selling their house, The Nightwatchman revolves around a mystery man admitted to hospital following an accident at a frozen food company, and The Ears of Dr Jeremy features a sharp-eared doctor who becomes concerned about the strange sounds emanating from a patient. 
 
A sensitive composer is forced to commit a terrible act in The Invader, and in Cold Storage, a man is accidentally locked in a cold store – and finds his imagination running wild. Obsessed with his prize-winning lawn, a retired stockbroker’s pride turns to paranoia in The Velvet Carpet, and in The Birthday Present, an antique paperweight sparks disturbing thoughts in the mind of a psychologist. A lecturer is murdered at a police training college in Murder is My Subject. All the witnesses are professionals – but so are all the suspects… Question of Guilt finds Peter Harris in prison for killing his landlady, but he swears he’s innocent. If he didn’t do it, who did? Three people whose close relatives had met with accidental death attend a séance in Murder Beyond. When a murder occurs, suspicion falls on each of them. And in Guardian Angel, ex-prisoner Ernie applies for a job as a security guard. Will it be his lucky day? 
 
With thanks to Keith Wickham of the Radio Circle for supplying the audio recordings. 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Murder is My Subject & other thrillers

15 Full-Cast Vintage BBC Radio Dramas

Jill Hyem

Eddie Maguire

Dawn Pavitt

Terry Wale

Andrew Sachs

Arnold Yarrow

Who is behind the mysterious advert reading ‘Wife available – what offers?’ 
 
What prompted a ‘third girl’ to suddenly pack her bags and leave her flatshare? 
 
And when a newly married couple’s honeymoon period comes to an abrupt end, is the wedding dress to blame? 
 
Conceived by respected writer Philip Levene, whose writing credits include 19 episodes of ITV’s The Avengers, these ten full-cast dramas read between the lines of newspaper personal ads to tell captivating tales of the human condition – each with an unexpected twist. 
 
The stories range from a rookie blackmailer who learns the pitfalls of the business and a husband and wife who get more than they bargain for when they try to sell some old jewellery, to a lonely librarian who hires a personal escort for an important date and a dodgy insurance broker who takes drastic measures to try and avoid exposure. 
 
Written by esteemed TV scriptwriters and starring a host of well-known names including Carole Boyd, Bernard Horsfall, Anne Stallybrass, George Cole and Wendy Craig, this entertaining and varied anthology is a treasure trove from the golden age of radio. 
 
This series of vintage radio plays was first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme, 20 March – 25 September 1967. 
 
Episodes:Findings Keepings by Philip LeveneEvening Out by Jill HyemNo Square Deal by Eddie MaguireThird Girl Wanted by Jill HyemOff to a Good Start by Dawn Pavitt & Terry WaleWhat Am I Bid? by Eddie MaguireHome and Away by Dawn Pavitt & Terry WaleTime for a Coat by Andrew SachsThis Column Every Friday by Arnold YarrowThe Companion by Philip Levene 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Personal Column

10 Full-Cast Vintage BBC Radio Dramas

Colin Dexter

The very first Inspector Morse novel adapted for radio, plus two bonus short stories 
 
A must-listen for fans of Colin Dexter’s famous detective, this never-before-published 1985 dramatisation marks Inspector Morse’s first ever appearance on radio – preceding the hit TV series by a full two years. It is accompanied by two captivating short stories, one featuring Morse and the other a standalone thriller. 
 
‘If you love Inspector Morse, and more importantly, the literary world of the detective as imagined in print by author Colin Dexter, then you are likely to find a lot to enjoy in this audio collection.’ Greg Jameson, Entertainment Focus 
 
Last Bus to Woodstock – Tired of waiting at the bus stop, two girls decide to hitch a lift. But one of them, Sylvia Kaye, will never make it back home, for later that night she is found brutally murdered in a pub car park. With no obvious leads, it will take all of Inspector Morse's deductive skills to track down the killer… Starring Andrew Burt as Inspector Morse and Christopher Douglas as Sergeant Lewis. 
 
‘The Burglar’ – When the old lady across the street observes a suspicious stranger peering into her neighbour’s living room, Morse and Lewis find themselves faced with a new puzzle. John Turner reads this short tale, specially written for the 1995 Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. 
 
‘Monty’s Revolver’ – Hearing that Field Marshal Montgomery’s service revolver has come up for auction, one gun collector knows its reserve price is more than he can afford. But little does he imagine that he will soon end up looking down its barrel... Read by Joe Dunlop. 
 
NB: Last Bus to Woodstock was written in 1975 and reflects the attitudes of the time. 
 
Text copyright © Colin Dexter 1975 (Last Bus to Woodstock), 1993 (‘Monty’s Revolver’), 1995 (‘The Burglar’) 
 
Last Bus to Woodstock 
Insp Morse – Andrew Burt 
Sgt Lewis – Christopher Douglas 
John Sanders – John Hartoch 
Sylvia – Deborah Appleby 
Mrs Jarman/Matron – Patricia Gibson 
Jennifer – Deborah Cranston 
Sue/Sarah – Jane Bickerton 
Bernard – Alan Thompson 
Palmer/Peter – Graham Blockey 
Margaret – Maggie Tarver 
Dramatised by Melville Jones 
Directed by Brian Miller 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 June 1985 
 
‘The Burglar’ 
Read by John Turner 
Produced by Ned Chaillet 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 September 1995 
 
‘Monty’s Revolver’ 
Read by Joe Dunlop 
Produced by Sarah Kilgariff 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 September 1993 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Inspector Morse: Last Bus to Woodstock

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisation plus two short stories

Jane Harris

Full-cast adaptations of two of Jane Harris’s gripping novels - plus an interview with the author 
 
Listen now to these two stunning, suspenseful historical dramas, performed by a full cast and based on the novels by best-selling author, Jane Harris. 
 
The Observations transports listeners to Scotland, 1863. A young Irish girl, Bessy Buckley, escapes her former life as a prostitute when she's hired as a maid in a big house near Edinburgh. But her new employer, Arabella, has secrets of her own. She encourages Bessy to write her thoughts and experiences in a journal, and subjects her to odd experiments. Bessy quickly grows attached to her mistress but things change when Bessy discovers Arabella has been writing a book, ‘The Observations’, a study of the ‘habits and nature of the Domestic Class’. Bessy is incensed, and concocts an act of revenge… Starring Lucy Paterson and Candida Benson (The Crown). 
 
In Gillespie and I, it’s 1888 and Harriet Baxter, an art-loving Englishwoman, arrives in Glasgow for the city's International Exhibition. She meets the Scottish painter, Ned Gillespie, and his wife, Annie - but tragedy is about to strike the Gillespies. A chilling listen, involving anonymous letters, sleazy journalism and a notorious court case. This gripping story is performed by a full cast including Phyllis Logan (Downtown Abbey), Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones) and Liam Brennan. 
 
Also included here is an interview with Jane Harris from Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, in which she discusses Gillespie and I. 
 
Jane Harris is a best-selling writer whose novels have been published in over 20 countries worldwide and translated into many different languages. In 2007 The Observations was short-listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction. Harris was nominated for the British Book Awards Newcomer of the Year and the Southbank Show/Times Breakthrough Award the same year. Gillespie and I was longlisted for the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction. 
 
©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Observations & Gillespie and I

Eight full-cast dramatisations starring Ron Donachie as Ian Rankin’s legendary detective 
 
John Rebus is Edinburgh’s most famous fictional detective – a hard-drinking, music-loving maverick with a defiant disregard for authority and a stubborn determination to get to the truth. Alongside his loyal colleague and friend Siobhan Clarke, he traverses Scotland’s dark and dangerous underworld investigating violent crimes – many of them involving his sparring partner and nemesis, notorious gangster Ger Cafferty. 
 
These eight thrilling dramas find him tackling suspicious deaths, serial killers and stone-cold cases. In Strip Jack, he probes the disappearance of an MP’s wife and the discovery of two dead bodies; while The Black Book sees him delving into an unsolved murder – with the help of a notebook full of coded clues. Black and Blue finds him travelling from Edinburgh to Glasgow and then Aberdeen as he pursues the psychopathic copycat behind the ‘Johnny Bible’ killings. Meanwhile, in Set in Darkness, the dour DI follows a trail of corpses found during construction at the new Scottish Parliament. 
 
A wealthy banker’s daughter goes missing in The Falls, and the only leads are a series of carved wooden dolls inside miniature coffins and a cryptic online role-playing game. In Resurrection Men, as an investigation into the murder of an Edinburgh art dealer begins, Rebus is ordered to undergo ‘retraining’ – and carries out a secret undercover mission of his own. A Question of Blood sees him enquiring into a school shooting, only to find himself the main suspect in a house fire. And in Fleshmarket Close, Rebus’ skills are put to the test when the teenage sister of a rape victim vanishes, two skeletons are found in a pub cellar and an illegal immigrant is murdered on a city housing estate. 
 
Ron Donachie stars as Rebus, with Gayanne Potter as Siobhan Clarke, Gary Lewis and Sandy Neilson as Cafferty and a supporting cast including Liam Brennan, Steven McNicoll, Iain Robertson, Brian Ferguson, Sarah Collier, Paul Young and Kenny Blyth. 
 
Text copyright © Ian Rankin 1992 (Strip Jack), 1993 (The Black Book), 1995 (Black and Blue), 2000 (Set in Darkness), 2001 (The Falls, Resurrection Men), 2003 (A Question of Blood), 2004 (Fleshmarket Close) 
 
Written by Ian Rankin 
Dramatised by Chris Dolan and Bert Coules 
Produced and directed by Bruce Young 
 
Contents: 
Strip Jack 
The Black Book 
Black and Blue 
Set in Darkness 
The Falls 
Resurrection Men 
A Question of Blood 
Fleshmarket Close 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Rebus

Eight Full-Cast BBC Radio 4 Dramatisations

Peter Lovesey

Three full-cast dramas by popular crime writer Peter Lovesey, plus a selection of short stories recorded for radio 
 
Peter Lovesey is well known for his murder mysteries featuring Victorian policeman Sergeant Cribb, Bath detective Peter Diamond and Bertie, Prince of Wales. He has won numerous awards, including the Crime Writers’ Association Silver Dagger, Gold Dagger and Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement. Collected here are adaptations of three of his historical whodunnits, alongside four short stories with a twist in the tale. 
 
Keystone – 1916. Arriving in Hollywood looking for a job, British actor Warwick Easton is hired to play a Keystone Cop. But no sooner has filming begun than comedy turns to tragedy… Set among the real stars of the silver screen in the heyday of silent movies, this diverting thriller stars Mark Straker and Jennifer Ehle. 
 
Rough Cider – Evacuated to a Somerset farm, nine-year-old Theo is unwittingly involved in a terrible murder. Twenty years later, he is forced to return and relive his childhood memories. Did he contribute to a miscarriage of justice? Rob Edwards stars in this gripping drama set in the 1960s. 
 
Bertie and the Crime of Passion – Paris, 1891, and the Prince of Wales turns royal sleuth to investigate a fatal shooting at the fashionable night club Moulin Rouge – aided and abetted by France’s most famous and glamorous actress, Sarah Bernhardt. Starring Robert Lang as Bertie and Jane Lapotaire as Sarah. 
 
Vandals – Miss Parmenter takes an instant dislike to the young man on her doorstep. In his leather jacket and jeans, he looks no better than a vandal. But she has been waiting a long time for this opportunity, and she is not going to let it slip away. Read by Auriol Smith. 
 
Curl Up and Dye – A captive client finds himself at the mercy of a talkative barber with a hair-raising story to tell. Read by John Baddeley. 
 
The Stalker – Months after his resignation from the police, the senior detective in the Sharon Eakins murder investigation sets down the extraordinary truth about the case. Read by James Bryce. 
 
Murdering Max – Peter Lovesey is proud to have written the world’s first, and only, ‘youdunnit’. So when he discovers that a rival writer has come up with the same idea, he sets about getting rid of him… Read by James Bryce. 
 
Text copyright © Peter Lovesey 1983 (Keystone), 1986 (Rough Cider), 1993 (Bertie and the Crime of Passion, ‘Vandals’), 1996 (‘Curl Up and Dye’), 2002 (‘The Stalker’, ‘Murdering Max’) 
All rights reserved 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Peter Lovesey 
 
Keystone 
Cast: Mark Straker, Jennifer Ehle, Roger Gartland, Kerry Shale, Lorelei King, Don Fellows, Ann Windsor, John Church, Gordon Reid 
 
Rough Cider 
Cast: Rob Edwards, Briony Glassco, Neville Jason, Tina Gray, Oona Beeson, Peter Whitman, 
David Jarvis, Malcolm Ward, Frances Jeater, Don McCorkindale, Lyndam Gregory, Gavin Muir, William Wortley 
 
Bertie and the Crime of Passion 
Cast: Robert Lang, Jane Lapotaire, Olivier Pierre, David Timson, Andrew Branch, Roger May, 
Paul Jenkins, Tracy Wiles, Geoffrey Whitehead, John Hartley, Zulema Dene, Linda Regan, Tessa Worsley, Diana Payan, Stephen Critchlow, Daniel Philpott 
 
‘Vandals’ 
Read by Auriol Smith 
 
‘Curl Up and Dye’ 
Read by John Baddeley. 
 
‘The Stalker’ 
Read by James Bryce 
 
‘Murdering Max’ 
Read by James Bryce 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Peter Lovesey: A BBC Radio Crime Collection

Three Full-Cast Dramatisations

Tracy Aston

Pat Anderson

Stephen Butchard

Jeff Young

A long weekend in Liverpool, one murder and four stunning dramas A fantastic four-part series, this story of interwoven lives is set in Liverpool over a long weekend, created in collaboration by four Liverpudlian writers. In each of the stories the characters gently touch each others lives, bring a richness and depth to the narrative, centred around the mystery of a local murder.In Friday both Edith and Albert are on the run. Edith from the Old Folks' Home and Albert from his family and fast-approaching insanity. Having discovered Albert talking to a dead body in the cathedral gardens, Edith takes him away from the scene and under her wing.The story continues in Saturday as Carol, who works at the barber’s, feels her body clock is ticking - like a time bomb waiting to go off. Her boyfriend's answering machine mocks her, and God deserts her. Carol's life is about to change but will it be for the better?In Sunday we meet Joe, a former a priest and his mother, Mary. Joe has taken work in a local bookies and become the topic of local gossip. Even a murder on the community's doorstep can't shift him from the spotlight.The story concludes in Monday with Eddie, alias ‘Edward the Confessor’. He is a petty thief and seller of chocolates and bin bags. Separated from his wife and daughter, he searches for recognition. There's been a murder in town and, if nicking chocolates hasn't made him ‘someone’, then maybe his next confession will…This listening treat is a love song to Liverpool and a great listen for any fans of beautiful narratives and mysteries featuring the talents of local playwrights Tracy Aston, Pat Anderson, Stephen Buchard and Jeff Young. Cast and creditsDirected by Kate RowlandFriday Written by Tracy AstonEdith - Patricia HayesAlbert - Michael AngelisDawn - Sunetra SarkerEddie - Alan IgbonGeorge - Tom WilliamsonNm - Pauline FlemingDolly - Ina CloughGusker - Jake AbrahamSaturday Written by Pat AndersonCarol - Cathy TysonGraham - Phil Hearne Dawn - Sunetra SarkerEddie - Alan IgbonGood Good - Tom WilliamsonTony - Jake AbrahamAngela - Paula SimsAlan - Michael ChristopherSunday Written by Stephen BuchardMary - Val LilleyJoseph - Michael ChristopherEdith - Patricia HayesTony - Jacob AbrahamAngela - Paula SimsCarol - Cathy TysonAlbert - Michael AngelisGeorge - Tom WilliamsonDawn - Sunetra SarkerMonday Written by Jeff YoungEddie - Alan IgbonGood Good - Tom WilliamsonSusan - Constance BrancheWife - Paula SimsWally - Phil HearneDJ - Neil AnthonyJoseph - Michael ChristopherFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 - 22nd Dec 1993©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Crack

Four Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

Greg Haddrick

Jeremy Fox

Spies, lies and the origins of the CIA – an epic story starring Kim Cattrall and Ed Harris 
 
Listen now to this utterly gripping drama revealing the inside story of the CIA, featuring an all-star cast. Told from the perspective of Eloise Page (Kim Cattrall), who joined on the Agency’s first day in 1947 and, in her 40-year career, became one of its most powerful women. Eloise takes the listener on a journey through the highs and lows of US foreign policy, spanning the staggering world events that shaped not only her career, but also her personal relationships with early CIA leaders, Allen Dulles (Ed Harris) and Richard Helms (Johnny Flynn). 
 
From its inception the CIA has been at its heart a secretive organisation, wielding phenomenal power and influencing events on a global scale. The story begins as tensions with Russia in war-torn Europe rise, and a letter is found in Hitler’s safe. As the new agency grows in both reach and power, Eloise takes us on a thrilling journey through Europe, as the Iron Curtain descends, then to Iran where a fearful Shah meets a secret operative and eventually to Central America where the implications of short-terms wins lead to unforeseen consequences. Featuring spies, traitors, secret operations, regime change, murder and the internal politics of an organisation that defined the shape of global politics for over half a century, this is a stunning listen from start to finish and performed by an impressive A-list cast. 
 
Kim Cattrall is a multi-award-winning actress, perhaps best known for her role as Samantha Jones in the popular TV series, Sex in the City. In a career spanning over four decades she has appeared in films, on TV and on stage in both the West End and Broadway. Ed Harris is an Academy Award nominated actor known for his roles in The Truman Show, Pollock and The Hours. He recently starred in the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. Johnny Flynn is a British actor best known for his role in TV comedy drama Lovesick and for playing David Bowie in the biopic Stardust. He recently performed on stage at the National Theatre as Richard Burton in The Motive and the Cue directed by Sam Mendes, and is also the composer and singer of the theme tune for The Detectorists. 
 
Written by Greg Haddrick, who created the series with Jeremy Fox 
Directed by John Scott Dryden 
Produced by Emma Hearn 
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott Dryden 
Original music by Sacha Puttnam 
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4 
 
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13th September - 15th November 2024 
 
©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Central Intelligence: Series 1

The Inside Story of the CIA

Rod Beacham

A collection of seven ingenious full-cast thrillers and crime dramas by Rod Beacham 
 
Actor, dramatist and founding member of Laurence Olivier’s National Theatre, Rod Beacham wrote over 15 plays for BBC Radio. This collection comprises seven crime dramas first broadcast on Radio 4’s ‘Saturday Night Theatre’ strand between 1980 and 1987, ranging in tone from tense whodunnits to light-hearted comedy thrillers. 
 
The Inter-City Contract – A chess-playing Hungarian, a concert harpist and a septuagenarian lady mountaineer are just some of the passengers on the overnight express to Edinburgh. Lurking amongst them is a hired assassin and his intended victim… Michael Maloney, Melinda Walker and Steve Hodson star in this gripping mystery set on a sleeper train. 
 
The Gortys Triangle – Crete is the setting for this suspenseful drama, which revolves around a young man’s death by drowning. Attempting to uncover the truth, his archaeologist cousin navigates the world of the super-rich and meets the mysterious Candy, who appears to be the key to it all. Starring Patrick Mower and David March. 
 
Thanks for Looking After Jeannie – When Dicky Doyle drops dead in Wormwood Scrubs, he takes the hiding place of some stolen jewels to his grave. Or does he? Criminal mastermind Jack Prince thinks otherwise – and this spells trouble... Peter Vaughan stars in this entertaining comedy thriller. 
 
Prince of Thieves – This sequel to the previous play finds arch-villain Jack Prince planning a gold bullion heist. But it’s not until he meets nutty computer expert Mad Doc Pargeter that he sees a way to break through the vault’s electronic doors… Starring Peter Vaughan, Bryan Pringle and June Tobin. 
 
Go Down in Darkness– Susan Penreith walked out of university in her second year, and has since vanished. She was always convinced that something terrible would happen to her when she was 25 – but what was she so afraid of, and why is her ex-boyfriend Matt suddenly having terrifying dreams about her? Steve Hodson, Frances Jeater and Glynis Brooks star in this eerie thriller. 
 
Disconnection – Peter Taylor has worked hard all his life for achievement and success, and now it finally seems within his grasp. Only then he makes a phone call – and the voice on the other end fills him with apprehension and terror… Starring David Daker. 
 
The Hubris File – Senior civil servant Pargeter is missing, and the only clues to the mystery lie in his diary. It reveals that he was under increasing strain – and that he was on the trail of a traitor within the ranks of the Intelligence Department. Could this double agent be responsible for his disappearance? Geoffrey Collins stars in this absorbing tale. 
 
 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Inter-City Contract & more

Seven Full-Cast BBC Radio Crime Dramas

Avie Luthra

Gary Brown

Jon Sen

Mike Harris

Newly-elected MP Bobby Khan navigating the corruption and tricky world of politics, power and community life.Bobby Khan has a bright future ahead of him. Young, charismatic and ambitious, he’s recently got married to his long-term girlfriend Lucy, and has just won an important by-election in the Northern constituency of Floxton West.As an Asian MP, he hopes to improve race relations in his community and bring people together – but when a white DJ is found beaten to death, and a Muslim constituent is arrested for his murder, Bobby faces pressure from the accused’s family to get involved. Then his cousin Wasim is imprisoned on terrorism charges, and Bobby’s idealism is shattered as he becomes embroiled in a series of personal and political dilemmas.Two years later, the dust has settled, and Bobby is a rising star in Westminster, with his sights set on a ministerial position. But a family bombshell and a blackmailer turn his life upside down once more – and when he backs an animal-testing laboratory in his constituency, he finds himself facing a violent backlash...Nitin Ganatra and Zubin Varla play Bobby in this thrilling tale of politics, power, corruption and betrayal. Among the stellar cast are Vincent Ebrahim, Bhasker Patel, Barbara Marten, Christopher Bisson, Gillian Kearney, Nicola Stephenson and Sacha Dhawan. 
Content Warning: Contains strong language and deals with themes of racism 
 
 
 Production creditsSeries 1 written by Avie Luthra and Gary BrownSeries 2 written by Mike Harris, Jon Sen and Avie LuthraProduced and directed by Pauline HarrisCastBobby Khan – Nitin Ganatra/Zubin VarlaElizabeth – Barbara MartenImran – Vincent Ebrahim/Bhasker PatelWasim – Christopher BissonTerry – John McArdleAyesha – Archie PanjablLucy – Gillian Kearney/Nicola StephensonPaul Deacon – David FleeshmanRashid Choudry – Amer NazlrRhobina Choudry – Rani MoorthyCraig Williams – Sam CurtisJerome – Aaron CobhamNewsreader – Mark EdwardsonMartha Kearney – HerselfHarry/Hanif – Sacha DhawanDI Brown/Pathologist – Seamus O’NeillMike Winters – Michael FeastBarry – Lee BoardmanIsabella – Fiona ClarkeDavid/Geraint – James QuinnSara – Millie Rose KinseyShazia/Woman – Balvinder SopalAli – Darren KuppanGraham – Jonathan KeebleKarl – Graeme HawleyMinister – Malcolm RaeburnHelen – Christine BrennanNews reporter – Shari VahlSchool children from St Mary's Church of England Infant and Junior School, ManchesterFraud adviser: Shari VahlPolitical adviser: Andrew RussellMusic consultant: Philip TagneyFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 May-8 June 2007 (Series 1), 31 July-14 August 2009 (Series 2)© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Prospect

A BBC Radio Political Drama

Julian Simpson

A super spy, a mysterious death and a world of yachts, private planes and underground bases - but only one question – who really is Aldrich Kemp?Enjoy this fast-paced, action-packed series, available for the first time as a complete download. Featuring a stellar cast including Phoebe Fox, Tim McInnery and Nicola Walker. The washed-up body of a man presumed dead seven years earlier marks the beginning of Clara Page's mission to find the elusive Aldrich Kemp…Who is Aldrich Kemp?Series one plunges intelligence analyst Clara Page into the glamorous and sometimes improbable world of the mysterious Aldrich Kemp. Encountering Euro-villains and murderous housekeepers she learns some surprising family history along the way. When events take a shocking turn can she reply on the man she is hunting to save her…?Who Killed Aldrich Kemp?Our heroine Clara Page returns, and this time the question is deadly serious - Who Killed Aldrich Kemp? Series two is another rollercoaster ride, from the Italian Riviera to the unexplored Malaysian jungle - via afternoon tea at Themis House and a medieval village. There are new faces and new challenges in store. Cup of tea anyone?Where is Aldrich Kemp?The gang is back in series three! When details of an incredibly rare flower are stolen during a break-in at the Linnean Society, there are fears the thieves turn it into the most deadly biological weapon the world has ever seen. Clara sets out for the Himalayas, where she run into murder, mayhem, the ancient secret society that rules the world, and several familiar faces who are already on the trail of the Nepalese Flower for their own idiosyncratic reasons...This pacy and globe-trotting drama takes you from the depths of The Black Windmill in Holland to the exclusive clubs of Mayfair to the techno clubs of Berlin and half way up the Himalayas. With witty dialogue and standout sound production Aldrich Kemp is a listening treat, not to be missed."What's so enjoyable about this series…is the way it uses audio. Oh, and the OTT action. There's a hilarious section in episode two where you follow what's going on through the sound of explosions and motorbike revving and automatic gunfire and the pouf of a silenced bullet and "Oh crap!". It made me laugh out loud. It's joyous….Aldrich Kemp is an excellent audio version and this daft series is just the tonic for rainy weekends or the horribleness of news."?Observer Cast and creditsWritten and directed by Julian SimpsonProduced by Sarah TomblingExecutive Producer Karen RoseMusic composer Tim ElsenburgSound Designer David Thomas 
 Series 1Clara Page - Phoebe Fox 
Mister Bartholomew - Tim McInnerny 
Aldrich Kemp – Ferdinand KingsleyMrs Boone – Nicola WalkerSebastian Harcourt – Kyle SollerNakesha Kemp – Karla CromeAunt Lily – Susan Jameson 
Secretary - Louise Brealey 
Howlett - Ben Crowe 
Tom - James JoyceCyclist/Nurse - Louise BrealeyThe Underwood Sisters – Jana CarpenterConrad Spijker - Steven MackintoshSeries 2 Clara Page - Phoebe FoxAldrich Kemp – Ferdinand KingsleyMrs Boone – Nicola WalkerSebastian Harcourt – Kyle SollerNakesha Kemp – Karla CromeAunt Lily – Susan JamesonThe Underwood Sisters/Forsaken McTeague – Jana CarpenterSabine Seah – Rebecca BoeyRemington Schofield – Barnaby KayMiss Lotte Amutenya – Cherrelle SkeeteMrs Bartholomew – Kate IsittBlue 2/Novak - Ben CroweWinslow/Blue 1/Camera Assistant/Film Director/Co-Pilot - James JoyceSeries 3 Clara Page - Phoebe FoxAldrich Kemp – Ferdinand KingsleyMrs Boone – Nicola WalkerSebastian Harcourt – Kyle SollerNakesha Kemp – Karla CromeAunt Lily – Susan Jameson©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Aldrich Kemp: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Three BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Crime Thrillers

Guy Meredith

Forgery, theft, death and notoriety amidst the inflated valuations of the art worldEnjoy this perfect pair of quirky crime dramas featuring art theft, forgery, murder and double-dealing. Craft, tells the story of failed artist, Adam Bax. He is amazed when one of his paintings sells for a large sum, unexpectedly giving him overnight fame. Though still deeply disillusioned with the world of art, he embarks on a little nefarious money-making scheme, aided and abetted by his estranged wife, Tessa. Cashing-in in a way you wouldn’t quite imagine this comedy drama follows the twists and turns of the over-inflated underworld of the British art scene.The story continues in The Tokyo Correction, plunging the listener back into the world of organised crime, deception and the art world. It’s ten years on and disreputable painter Adam Bax is back in London. He’s been on the run in Spain but the big city is calling him home. Penniless and jobless, he's taken under the wing of an old student. He soon finds himself tangled up in a major art deception – and then discovers one of his collaborators has been murdered…These two thrilling and funny dramas are perfect for fans of classic comedy capers and quality drama. Norman Rodway stars as the artist Bax and James Grout as the animated policeman investigating his activities. Ex-wife Tessa is played by Carole Boyd, best known for her iconic role as Lynda Snell in The Archers. Writer Guy Meredith is the talent behind many original radio plays and dramatisations, including Prix Italia-nominated The Surprise Symphony. He was also at the heart of a powerful dramatisation of Albert Camus’s novel La Peste and wrote Mad, Bad, the BBC’s entry for the Prix Futura, starring Bill Nighy.Cast and creditsWritten by Guy Meredith 
Directed by Cherry CooksonAdam Bax - Norman Rodway 
Robert - Geoffrey Collins 
Quatermain - James Grout 
Tessa - Carole Boyd 
Constantine - Neville Jason 
Fenwick - John Rye 
His Manservant/Sergeant - John Webb 
Susan - Helena Breck 
Nutley/Sergeant - Colin Starkey 
Colonel Dalby - Garard Green 
Rivetti - Michael Percival 
Beth - Ellen McIntosh 
Nicholas Bonalack - David Ashton 
Terry Harman - Steve Hodson 
Herman Dorff - Jonathan Adams 
Judith - Sandra James-Young 
Principal - John Baddeley 
Customer - Melinda WalkerFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4th Mar 1984 & 4th Feb 1993©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Craft

Two Full-Cast BBC Comedy Crime Dramas

Simon Passmore

A collection of taut psychological dramas from one of radio’s leading thriller writers 
 
Simon Passmore is an acclaimed author and scriptwriter, who has also produced numerous films and TV series including Foyle’s War. This box set features all six of his compelling, character-driven radio dramas, each writhing with twists and heavy on menace. 
 
Offshore – Sailing out of Poole Harbour in a borrowed luxury yacht, Chris and Sam are looking forward to their cross-channel boat trip. But their idyllic weekend soon turns into a nightmare. Richard Lintern and Nadine Marshall star in this tense thriller. 
 
Accomplices – Former City lawyer Alice will do anything to escape the relentless grind of a life that’s careering downhill. But the price she must pay is getting higher by the minute… Starring Claudia Harrison as Alice, with Emily Joyce, Stephen Hogan, Lizzy Watts and Paul Rider. 
 
Going to Ground – Kent, 1940. With England braced for a German invasion, a secret resistance unit leaps into action. Whatever happens, none of them expects to see their families again. Starring Ivan Kaye, Anthony Flanagan, Rupert Evans, Guy Henry and Joshua Jenkin. 
 
The Patient – A doctor's night-time visits are sent off course when she starts receiving mysterious phone calls from a former patient. Lucy Akhurst stars in this eerie drama. 
 
Leverage – A high-flying investment banker is found dead, and at the funeral, his former girlfriend is unexpectedly questioned about when she last saw him. Retracing his last movements, her suspicions mount – can she expose a murder before it’s too late? Starring Claire Foy, Blake Ritson and Charlie Cox. 
 
Earworm – Tasked with producing an item for a show about Britain’s worst film director, TV researcher Mia (Chloe Pirrie) sets out to track down a long-lost cult horror movie. Undeterred by the urban myths surrounding the notorious video nasty, she seeks out the film’s secret – and puts herself in danger… 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Leverage & other thrillers

Six Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

Ernest Dudley

Leslie Phillips stars in this eight-part radio comedy thrillerFamous Mayfair hairdresser Hilaire knows all the secrets of feminine beauty. His VIP clients trust him implicitly and take him into their confidence, telling him things they wouldn’t dare tell their husbands or lovers. But unbeknownst to them, he leads a double life as a secret agent, working for London’s top man, Major Selby.Sent to Hamburg on a mysterious mission to steal an important tape recording from an opera singer’s dressing room, Hilaire soon finds himself in a dangerous predicament. In the course of one eventful evening, he is arrested, confronted by a knife-wielding maniac and beguiled by an attractive blonde. And when the lovely Caresse ends up half-strangled in his sleeping compartment on the Nord Express, he realises his straightforward assignment has just turned deadly.Who is the would-be killer on the train, and how is he connected to the mysterious ‘Josef’? What is the significance of the red carnation? And what part does Selby’s arch-rival, Lord Dulane, have to play in the affair? Hilaire must comb through the clues and tease out the truth – or it will be a case of hair today, gone tomorrow…Written by Ernest Dudley, the creator of the popular radio crime series A Case for Dr Morelle, this fast-paced tale of murder, blackmail and wigs stars Leslie Phillips as Hilaire, with Irene Sutcliffe as Caresse and Simon Lack as Selby.Cast and creditsWritten by Ernest DudleyProduced by Guy VaesenHilaire – Leslie PhillipsErich/Francois-Jules/Airport officer/Policeman/Newsreader/Detective Sergeant – Ian ThompsonSecond detektiv/First night porter/Hotel receptionist – David BrierleySelby – Simon LackWeber/Waiter/Stranger – Leroy LingwoodStage doorman/Taxi driver/Sleeping-car atttendant/Airport announcer/Judo instructor/Dining-car attendant/Second night porter – Michael HarbourBrigit – Hilda SchroderFirst detektiv/Barman – John WyseCaresse – Irene SutcliffeNicolette – Ann MurrayAgent – James BeattieLady Dulane – Carol MarshLord Dulane – Henderson TateFirst detective – Nigel GrahamSecond detective – Malcolm YoungHall porter – Graham ArmitageDriver – Ronald HerdmanZoe Bellamy – Barbara MitchellHotel detective – Denis McCarthyDrunk – Ralph TrumanDetective Inspector – Geoffrey WincottFirst broadcast BBC Radio 2, 27 Nov – 21 Dec 1967© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution

The House of Unspeakable Secrets

A Vintage BBC Comedy Thriller

Graham Greene

Alan Bennett, Claire Skinner, Charles Dance and Judi Dench are among the star casts of these superlative BBC Radio productions 
 
Graham Greene was the 20th century’s master of plot, an expert chronicler of Catholic guilt, Cold War intrigue, conflict and crime. A prolific polymath, his work incorporated serious novels, thrillers, short stories, screenplays, stage plays and more. 
 
This wide-ranging box set includes the finest examples of his early work, written between 1932 and 1948, and contains over 15 hours of unmissable drama. It includes captivating adaptations of his classic novels Stamboul Train, Brighton Rock, The Confidential Agent, The Power and the Glory, The Ministry of Fear and The Heart of the Matter, performed by an array of A-list actors including Joseph Millson, Claire Skinner, Kenneth Cranham, Stephen Rea, Charles Dance, Harriet Walter and Tom Hollander. 
 
Also featured are Greene’s only original radio play, The Great Jowett, starring Alan Bennett as the titular Oxford don, and an adaptation of his BAFTA-nominated screenplay The Fallen Idol, starring acclaimed classical actor Richard Pasco and a young Judi Dench. 
 
Concluding this definitive collection are two bonus pieces. Great Lives: Graham Greene sees war reporter Tim Butcher and presenter Matthew Parris exploring the strange world of Graham Greene, and in a fascinating 1971 interview from Radio 4’s Now Read On, the author himself discusses his novels with Magnus Magnusson – and reveals which book he considers to be his best... 
 
Contents 
Stamboul Train 
Brighton Rock 
The Great Jowett 
The Confidential Agent 
The Power and the Glory 
The Ministry of Fear 
The Heart of the Matter 
The Fallen Idol 
Great Lives: Graham Greene 
Now Read On 
 
Text copyright © 1932 (Stamboul Train), 1938 (Brighton Rock), 1939 (The Great Jowett, The Confidential Agent), 1940 (The Power and the Glory), 1943 (The Ministry of Fear), 1948 (The Heart of the Matter, The Fallen Idol) 
 
With thanks to Keith Wickham of the Radio Circle for supplying several of the audio recordings. 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Graham Greene BBC Radio Drama Collection: The Early Years

Eight full-cast productions including Stamboul Train, Brighton Rock & The Power and the Glory

The year is 1Q84. This is the real world, there is no doubt about that. But in this world, there are two moons in the sky. Discover the 1Q84 Trilogy by Haruki Murakami.

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