We start Season 3 with an absolute cracker as Lynda, Cass and Jon discuss the forensics behind the Great Train Robbery with some of those who were involved. In a world first, Listening to the Dead brings together the son of the robbery's mastermind, Bruce Reynolds, with a fingerprint expert who worked on the case back in 1963. Sit back and enjoy a lively discussion about planted evidence, bungling robbers, the swinging Sixties, betrayal, distrust and life on the run.

Jack Deans was just starting out in the Met Police's fingerprint department when the robbery happened and remembers manually searching the Met's paper database for the robbers' prints. He went on to have a 50 year career in fingerprinting.

Nick Reynolds was a toddler when the robbery was committed and his earliest memories are of being on the run with his father in Central America along with 'uncles' Ronnie and Buster. After his father's arrest Nick visited him in prison and was part of the team that brought Ronnie Biggs back to the UK in 2001. Today he is a successful musician and frequent contributor to documentaries on the robbery.

Chris Pickard worked with Ronnie Biggs on his renowned autobiography Odd Man Out (an updated edition is publishing this year) and is an authority on the Great Train Robbery.

 

Lynda's new novel Vanished is out on March 31st 2022 in hardback, ebook and audiobook. 

Discover more at: www.lyndalaplante.com/listening-to-the-dead/

 This podcast was made by Bonnier Books UK

 Host & Director: Jon Watt

 Producer: Laura Makela

 Sound Engineer: Chris Attaway

 Theme music: Game Over by Magic in the Other

 End music: Sweeney by Mike Relm