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Title: A Pocket Full of Rye

Author: Agatha Christie

Narrator: Joan Hickson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-27-06

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 31 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Rex Fortescue, king of a financial empire, was sipping tea in his "counting house" when he suffered an agonising and sudden death. On later inspection, the pockets of the deceased were found to contain traces of cereals. Yet, it was the incident in the parlour which confirmed Jane Marple's suspicion that here she was looking at a case of crime by rhyme.

©1953 Agatha Christie Limited. A Chorion Company. All rights reserved; (P)1994 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, London UK

Critic Reviews:

"Ingenious." (Times Literary Supplement)

"A model of complex skulduggery." (The New Yorker)

"This is the best of the novels starring Christie's Miss Marple." (The New York Times)

Members Reviews:

The nightmare of my childhood - dreamy again

The Joan Hickson Miss Marple series was a staple in my house when I was little, and I was always quite fond of watching them. All except A Pocket Full of Rye. That one always felt too gory. It scared the hell out of younger me.

So purchasing this audio was by way of being an act of courage as well as an attempt at a corrective experience... and I must say it worked out marvelously.

Ms. Hickson is a marvel. Engaging, dramatic, subtly-voiced and remarkably skillful at bringing to life this terrible tale of murder and malice. She's taken my once-avoided source of dismay and transformed it into an instant favorite.

I very much recommend it. Worth every penny.

Pocket full of rye

Yet again Joan Hickson's perfect clipped English diction makes for wonderful listening. She is the perfect Agatha Christie narrator and tells this story beautifully. Very well written, keeps you guessing.

Joan Hickson IS Miss Marple

So I'm biased but I simply love Joan Hickson narrating this series of books. Miss Marple has always been my favourite Christie character and to find the series narrated by Joan Hickson is a bonus. Christie fans you simply can't go wrong!

wonderful narration and a good whodunnit!

I just love Joan Hickson's narration and although I knew from the tv series who the murderer was, I still enjoyed it thoroughly.

Another good one

If your a keen Agather Christie fan than this is a memorable listen. Jam packed full of murder, intrigue, sadness!

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Title: The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes

Subtitle: Volume One (Dramatised)

Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Narrator: full cast

Format: Original Recording

Length: 2 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-21-06

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 38 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Clive Merrison and Michael Williams star as Holmes and Watson in the fifth collection of stories from the unique fully dramatised BBC Radio 4 canon.

'The Illustrious Client': An Austrian adventurer who corrupts young women proves one of Holmes' most evil adversaries in what Conan Doyle judged as one of his best stories.

'The Blanched Soldier': Holmes works without Watson to help an ex-serviceman from the Boer War uncover a friend who has mysteriously disappeared.

'The Mazarin Stone': One of the world's largest diamonds is stolen. To recover it, Holmes sits in 221B Baker Street and waits to be murdered.

'The Three Gables': Holmes faces a formidable female criminal and a gang of intimidators when he agrees to help the widow of an old client who has received an unusual offer to sell her house... and all its contents.

Members Reviews:

Another excellent instalment from the BBC's complete Holmes dramatisation

This series remains a personal favourite of mine. Whenever I'm after an enjoyable listen this is always an excellent contender. The cast are excellent, with Holmes & Watson being for me personally one of the more definitive depictions of these great characters.

The stories are well paced with the feel of the books being maintained whilst still allowing the advantages of a radio play to be employed. I heartily recommend this series to any Holmes fans, or fans of good radio adaptation.

Absolutely Classic Holmes

I was brought up listening to Carlton Hobbs as THE wireless Sherlock Holmes and thought him wonderful. So much so I became addicted to Holmes stories. But then came Clive Merrison and Michael Williams to add to my joys. The exacting timbra and authority of Merrison's voice partnered with the whimsical solemnity of Williams - now sadly not with us - make these stories and their telling timeless and compelling. There are few 'plays' and their rendering I can listen again and again ... these dramatisations are worth being a part of again and again.

Truly wonderful

Would you listen to The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes again? Why?

Yes, there is such depth in the writing, performances and production. Each time I listen I find something new.

What other book might you compare The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes to, and why?

This review is for ALL of the Sherlock Holmes BBC Radio audio downloads which I'm sure Sherlock fans will have in their library in their entirety.

Have you listened to any of Full Casts other performances? How does this one compare?

Yes. I have all of the Sherlock Holmes BBC Radio dramatisations - and all are of equal five star quality.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The stories are all well known. What the BBC has brought to them is a three dimensional depth of audio that really does become immersive.

Any additional comments?

I was naive enough to first review The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Volume 3 based on playing the audio through my smartphone speaker, at night, whilst in bed. I said then there was a voice clash between Holmes and Watson. Now, listening through headphones, the full and exciting subtlety of the BBC's amazing production becomes all too clear. Marvelously acted and wonderfully differentiated voices.

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Title: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Subtitle: Volume One (Dramatised)

Author: Bert Coules, Andrew Sachs

Narrator: full cast, Clive Merrison

Format: Original Recording

Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-21-06

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 75 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

In the 56 short stories and four novels Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about his great detective, there are many passing references to successful cases that are never actually written about. These four stories, written by the main dramatist on the complete BBC Radio 4 Sherlock Holmes canon, imaginatively flesh out the cases behind those references, to wonderful effect. As in the complete dramatised canon, Clive Merrison plays the great sleuth, with the role of Doctor Watson played by Andrew Sachs. The cast includes Tom Baker, Eleanor Bron, Jane Asher, Tim West, and Toyah Willcox. This volume includes:

© and (P)2002, 2005 BBC Audiobooks LTD

Members Reviews:

Didn't you always wonder?

Being fairly obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, I often wondered about those obscure references made in the stories, or what happened to the characters once the story ended. Didn't you? If so, listen to Bert Coules' attempt to answer the questions with his own imaginings in this entertaining short selection.

Naturally the stories are not of Conan Doyle caliber. Of course not. I wouldn't expect them to come close. They are diverting specualtions to be enjoyed as such.

The roles are cast well. I enjoyed Clive Merrison as Holmes in the original dramatizations, but found Andrew Sachs a surprising Watson in this series. I really enjoyed him in the role! The supporting actors are just as delightful: the series opens with Timothy West and Eleanor Bron, and we get to hear the incredible Tom Baker in the third. Can't say fairer than that.

I treated myself to all four volumes. The only thing that jarred slightly throughout is the occasional "modernism" in a turn of phrase, or something else that breaks the illusion that we are in old England but that is almost to be expected.

For Holmes trivia fans, these are the springboards for the stories:

"The Madness of Colonel Warburton" was inspired by a reference in "The Engineer's Thumb" (1892); "The Star of the Adelphi" by "The Second Stain" (1904);

"The Savior of Cripplegate Square" by "The Sign of the Four" (1890);

and "The Singular Inheritance of Miss Gloria Wilson" by "The Problem of Thor Bridge" (1922).

Absolutely Wonderful

What made the experience of listening to The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes the most enjoyable?

I am one of the biggest Holmes fans of this century and I can assure anyone looking at this audio book that its well worth the money. I listen to them at work and even though I'm working in my mind I'm in Victorian London, following the master detective and his companion Dr Watson through the streets of White-chapel and Batter-sea. The ambiance is very well done, and while the stories differ ever so slightly from the originals they are in my opinion done in such a way that they do not detract from the story. Well done BBC!!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The stories, of course, or wonderfully suspenseful.

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Title: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Subtitle: Volume Two (Dramatised)

Author: Bert Coules

Narrator: full cast, Andrew Sachs, Clive Merrison

Format: Original Recording

Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-21-06

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 72 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

In the 56 short stories and four novels Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about his great detective, there are many passing references to successful cases that are never actually written about. These four stories, written by the main dramatist on the complete BBC Radio 4 Sherlock Holmes canon, imaginatively flesh out the cases behind those references to wonderful effect. As in the complete dramatised canon, Clive Merrison plays the great sleuth, with the role of Doctor Watson played by Andrew Sachs. The cast includes Tom Baker, Eleanor Bron, Jane Asher, Tim West, and Toyah Willcox. This volume includes:

© and (P)2004 BBC Audiobooks LTD

Members Reviews:

Clive Merrison is terrific!

If you could sum up The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in three words, what would they be?

Not enough words to describe the excellence of story and actors.

Which character as performed by the narrators was your favorite?

Holmes of course.

Any additional comments?

I purchased the full set of the Sherlock Holmes cannon on cassette tape, then I purchased them on CD. I ran across these and bought them just on the fact Clive Merrison was once again doing Holmes. He does a terrific job as Holmes on all of the recordings and I would recommend ANY of them to Holmes fans. Well worth the money and very enjoyable to listen to while working around the house or driving. The stories are quite good and Andrew Sachs does a good job as Dr. Watson. If you don't know him, he was on Faulty Towers and Going Postal. Did a very good job on those also.

Fantastic radio dramitization of Sherlock homes!

The actors were perfect. The classic style is fantastic I couldn't say more good things about it!

love these! this one is my first and favorite

I have ptsd and being able to lose myself in these old performances helps me like nothing else. the comedy and the slight mono tone of the day has helped me in many ways! great stories and actors! wish I had more storage space to keep all of them.

very enjoyable

loved this. A very enjoyable listen while traveling. Will purchase more of the same soon.

brilliant

Andrew Sachs an Clive Merrison bring to life a new side of sherlock+Watson I like and enjoy with energy + upmost pleasure I can listen again and again

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Title: Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery (Dramatisation)

Author: Francis Durbridge

Narrator: Full Cast

Format: Original Recording

Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-20-06

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 58 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

From 1938 to 1969, crime novelist and detective Paul Temple and his Fleet Street journalist wife, Steve, solved case after case in one of BBC radio's most popular serials. They inhabit a sophisticated, well-dressed world of chilled cocktails and fast cars, where the women are chic and the men still wear cravats - and where Sir Graham Forbes of Scotland Yard always needs Paul's help with a tricky case. Now, Paul Temple is being brought into the 21st century in this brand-new eight-part recording of a lost-archive Paul Temple mystery, starring Crawford Logan and Gerda Stevenson.

Members Reviews:

"Old Time" Radio

Dramatic shows were still being broadcast on radio when I was a child and I loved listening to them. By the time I was in grade school television was becoming the "go to" medium for scripted shows. I still enjoy listening to old radio dramas.

I did not enjoy this program as much as some of the earlier shows I have heard. Convoluted plots were part of the fun of this series. This story seemed a little repetitive to me. Many of the earlier shows ended with a cocktail party - this one doesn't. I was a little disappointed about that.

The acting and production are excellent.

If you like old radio shows, I'd recommend some the earlier episodes.

Jolly Good!

Another Paul Temple mystery which are so sweet and formulaic. You know who the bad guy is as soon as you meet them but Paul Temple, Steve and the Police bumble about for a bit and have terribly exciting adventures. I love the music and the very quaint accents. Fantastic escapist fun which really helps to pass the time when painting the house. I can't wait for more tokens to arrive so I can download more. Also great to have on when the kids are around as no swearing or adult themes, it is just a very sweet and innocent mystery story.

BRILLIANT & FANTASTIC Paul Temple

I love to listen to these on a cold lazy Sunday afternoon as I can snuggle up & relax to a charming good detective story for over 3 hours. These are pure joy as you follow the husband & wife team to find the murderer. Set in UK 50' & 60's these are excellently produced with a fantastic sound track of guns, parties, fires, speedboats & all sorts of exciting goings on. I bought the full collection. Steve & Paul are becoming like old friends. Love it

Not the best Paul Temple

Usually love Paul Temple stories, but Steve's phoney 40's accent is irritating and the Cairo-based plot doesn't hold together.

Paul Temple & The Sullivan Mystery

Another excellent tale from the Paul Temple series! Thoroughly enjoyable & a pleasure to listen to!

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Title: Paul Temple And The Margo Mystery (Dramatisation)

Author: Francis Durbridge

Narrator: Full Cast

Format: Original Recording

Length: 3 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-20-06

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 60 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury star in another intriguing case for BBC radio's smoothest sleuth and his glamorous wife.

© and (P)2004 BBC Audiobooks LTD

Members Reviews:

Formulaic, but a great dramatisation

These Paul Temple books are basically 'MacMillan & Wife' meets Agatha Christie: Famous/well-connected 40-something husband, plucky fashionable younger wife, multiple deaths, implausible 'coincidences' - and solving the crime without using a shred of actual forensic evidence.

(For example, I've listened to several of these in the past week or two, and not ONCE has anyone talked about dusting for fingerprints.)

However, once you get over these hurdles - which, after all, are common to all mystery/thrillers, especially of this time period - this is a great series. Well-acted, well-produced...sure, if you listen to a whole bunch in a row like I have, you start to see how formulaic they are, but that doesn't make them less enjoyable.

Recommended for anyone who likes mysteries or radio plays.

Predictable, Entertaining Fun

This is a BBC radio show from the 1960's. This series ran for over 30 years on the BBC.

If you have listened to and enjoyed other Paul Temple dramas, you will probably enjoy this one. It doesn't stray from the usual format. This is a vintage radio show. It is not even close to being "cutting edge."

I am old enough to remember when dramas were broadcast on the radio. There are times when I want a change from current TV, with it's edgy, often violent dramas. Those are the times when I listen to, and enjoy, Paul Temple.

An outstanding English mystery performed by a cast

This was the first Paul Temple mystery that I have heard. It certainly won't br the last. I particularly enjoyed the full cast performance.

love it

loved it .. good old-fashioned drama that takes you away very relaxing fun by Timothy!!

Wonderful!

Tongue in cheek? Yes.... but so easy to listen to. BBC Radio have some wonderful old plays which have been resurected and this is one of them..

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Title: Mrs. McGinty's Dead

Author: Agatha Christie

Narrator: Hugh Fraser

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-17-06

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 23 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Poirot believed he could save the man from the gallows. What he didn't realise was that his own life was now in great danger.

Critic Reviews:

"The plot is perfect and the characters are wonderful." (San Francisco Chronicle)

"The best Poirot since such pre-war classics as Cards on the Table." (New York Times)

"So simple, so economical, so completely baffling. Every clue scrupulously given, with superb sleight of hand." (Sunday Times)

Members Reviews:

The best mystery!

So easy to listen and so addictive! keeps us guessing until the very end of the story.

Love it

I love Hugh Fraser narrating Agatha Christie

now own almost all of the them. Definitely recommend

One of her best

Not as well known as 'orient express' or 'death on the Nile', but this book is one of her best with solid back story (where are they now) and excellent characterisations of all the residents at Broadhinney. Coupled with High Fraser's narration this is one of the best Christies I've download.

You can't go wrong with Agatha Christie. Time and again I return to her books (spoken or word) due to the timeless quality and appeal of her work.

Mrs McGinty dead

A blast from the past waiting for Poirot DCI SPENCE his cases has just been heard in court on his evidence and testimony he's found guilty and condemned to death, but they're problems SPENCE doesn't think he's done it again turns to Poirot can he find the real killer in 3 weeks

Brilliant

This is my favourite Agatha Christie, Poirot, story. Whilst one suspects the murderer pretty quickly, the twists and turns and individuals stories are fascinating as they unfold.

Hugh Frasier's narration is superb. His vocal characterisations brilliant. I love his voice, and his range of accents etc is extraordinary. You could be listening to a play, he is so good.

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Title: The Murder at the Vicarage

Author: Agatha Christie

Narrator: Joan Hickson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-13-06

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 34 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

It was a careless remark for a man of the cloth. And one which was to come back and haunt the clergyman just a few hours later. From seven potential murderers, Miss Marple must seek out the suspect who has both motive and opportunity.

Critic Reviews:

"The acknowledged queen of detective fiction." (Observer)

"When she really hits her stride, as she does here, she is hard to surpass." (Saturday Review of Literature)

"Joan Hickson: You can't beat her, you know. So enjoy this not-so-fluffy old lady doing her Marple thing. Genius." (Time Out)

Members Reviews:

Joan Hickson is perfect

Not perhaps Christie's best, being the earliest of the Miss Marple mysteries, but the puzzle is neatly constructed, and Joan HIckson is the perfect narrator - not simply because she IS Miss Marple, but because she can handle the range of voices, characters and scenes with extraordinary effectiveness

Like truly living the story.

Loved the audio book. Joan Hickson is the best story teller ever and she pulls us into the mystery and entangling us in the action.

Joan Hickson - the Eternal Christie Queen

Everything Joan Hickson touches turns to gold

the command she has over her voice is incomparable and her performance with this Marple classic is as always - excellent. She brings the story alive.

Murder at the Vicarage

Brilliant! Joan Hickson is a gem, speaks like a real upper class English lady and creates a wonderful atmosphere for this clever tale. Thoroughly recommended.

Wonderful introduction to Marple

The fluffy old village cat shows her claws in this wonderful village mystery. Beautifully read by the incomparable Joan Hickson; you get a lovely sense of the cosy village atmosphere, and she gives Miss Marple just the right degree of deceptive vagueness when she finally unveils the solution to the baffled police force.

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Title: The Dark Tunnel

Author: Ross MacDonald

Narrator: Tom Parker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-09-06

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 26 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

The Dark Tunnel was originally published in 1944 under Ross Macdonald's real name, Kenneth Millar.

Critic Reviews:

"Ross Macdonald gives to the detective story that accent of class that the late Raymond Chandler did." (Chicago Tribune)

Members Reviews:

Read Lew Archer series first

Written during WWII, Ross MacDonald's spy thriller is only partly satisfying. The plot is only so-so and the protagonist is less than believable, but the distinctive writing style clearly establishes MacDonald as a force to be reckoned with. As a writer, MacDonald only comes into his own in the Lew Archer series. Readers new to MacDonald should read all of the Lew Archer books first. After that, savor this little book for what it is: a early effort by someone who would go on to be a great writer.

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Title: Cards on the Table

Author: Agatha Christie

Narrator: Hugh Fraser

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-25-06

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 27 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Mr Shaitana was famous as a flamboyant party host. Nevertheless, he was a man of whom everybody was a little afraid. So, when he boasted to Poirot that he considered murder an art form, the detective had some reservations about accepting a party invitation to view Shaitana's private collection.

©1936 Agatha Christie Mallowan; (P)2003 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, London UK

Critic Reviews:

"The finest murder story of her career...Mrs Christie has never been more ingenious." (Daily Mail)

Members Reviews:

Another cracking story

Agatha Christie again has the listener wondering who has done the deed. The return of a number of characters, such as the wonderful Mrs Oliver and Superintendent Battle to accompany Hercule Poiret on his quest for the truth, plus the usual twists and turns of plot. An enjoyable story, once again brought to life by the narrator.

Entertaining preposterous tale.

This I enjoyed, unlike the humourless and misanthropic Curtain. Good old fashioned murder mystery, like a game of Cluedo, twists and turns, Ariadne Oliver as comic relief and gentle mockery of the profession of crime novelist, Poirot (and the police) employing dubious methods which eventually reveal the worst villain.

The relationship between the two young women now seems ambiguous, and I wonder what the authors intentions were - as I did in Cat among the Pigeons, or even the first Styles novel. This was England with a large US market, not France...

Hugh Fraser brilliant!

I have read this story many times but I always enjoy hearing Hugh Fraser narrate he really makes the characters come alive.

One of the best Poirot stories.

Really great performance. I think this story is a perfect Poirot mystery. It can be thought of a pure psychological mystery where solid evidence is lacking. The superb performance matchs the story.

Cards on the Table

An easy to listen to audio book, with all that you'd expect from Agatha Christie.

Four sleuths & four murderers and one host. At the end of the night one is DEAD.....