Author:Robert Barr,Ray Brooks,Full Cast
All four radio series of Robert Barr’s gripping London-based police drama
Originally broadcast as Detective: Stories of Crime and Detection in London, this BBC radio drama ran for four series between 1980 and 1985. Written by the award-winning creator of Z Cars and Softly Softly, Robert Barr, it comprised 39 thrilling stories set in London’s criminal underworld, all of which are collected here for the first time.
DS Dave Brook is a long-serving, ducking-and-diving police officer who takes armed robberies and violent crime in his stride. But then he is teamed up with young 'grammar school boy' DC Blair Maxton from sleepy Epsom. How will Max cope with the mean streets of his new patch?
Among the thrilling cases in these four series, the detectives tackle an armed gang, confront a notorious crime family, search for a missing wife, investigate a gruesome axe murder and the death of a reclusive young woman, and assist ‘The Sweeney’ flying squad. It’s all in a day’s work for Brook and his team...
Ray Brooks stars as DS Brook, with Christopher Blake as DC Maxton, David Daker as Chief Inspector Roach, Peter Cleall as DC Harrison, Jacqueline Tong as Judy and Stephen Garlick as DC Tully.
Written by Robert Barr
Produced and directed by Martin Fisher
Starring Ray Brooks as DS Dave Brook
First broadcast 3 January-27 March 1980, BBC Radio 4 (Series 1), 16 March-18 May 1982, BBC Radio 4, (Series 2), 27 June-15 August 1984, BBC Radio 2 (Series 3), 24 June-12 August 1985, BBC Radio 2 (Series 4)
Her best book yet, an astonishingly complex and moving literary detective story that made me sob but also snort with laughter. It's the sort of novel you have to start rereading the minute you've finished it
—— GuardianSharp humour, together with a number of unexpected twists makes this a typically pacey and intelligent read
—— Daily MailA greedy feast of a story by a masterful author...A profound, exciting and lingering read
—— Daily ExpressTriumphant...Her best book yet...A tragi-comedy for our times
—— Sunday TelegraphTo read it is to enter a hall of mirrors...Part complex family drama, part mystery, it winds up having more depth and vividness than ordinary thrillers and more thrills than ordinary fiction...A wonderfully tricky book
—— New York TimesAs satisfying as anything dreamed up by Raymond Chandler, but the beauty of the novel lies in its spot-on characterizations, pitch perfect observations of contemporary culture and a sharp, wisecracking narrative voice
—— Time OutShot through with sharp, black humour, and introducing a loveable hero in Brodie, this is storytelling that satisfies at every level
—— Marie Claire (Book of the Month)Atkinson is very good indeed... more satisfying than many detective novels. Everyone who picks it up will feel compelled to follow it through to the last page
—— GuardianBrilliantly playful, witty and original... massive and consistent talent for comedy
—— The ScotsmanIntriguing and affecting... she has also created a compelling central chracter in world-weary private investigator Jackson Brodie, who is determined to bring justice to all the lives that lie fractured around him
—— Red (Book of the Month)Civilised, funny, life-affirming and hugely enjoyable
—— Literary ReviewBrilliantly detailed and unexpectedly funny
—— MirrorPerceptive and engaging
—— IndependentMurder, mystery and Atkinson's skill make for an atmospheric and moving story
—— EveFunny, furious fourth novel rumbustiously drives a path through the genre of detective fiction, demolishing its careful, forensic summation of human behaviour and replacing them with bloody, believable, vigorous tales
—— Rachel CuskVivid, multifaceted... Case Histories manages to be such an ultimately joyful novel.. I found myself captivated throughout by the vivacity and big-hearted humour... skilled juxtaposition
—— WBQNot just the best novel I have read this year...but the best mystery of the decade. There are actually four mysteries, nesting like Russian dolls, and when they begin to fit together, I defy any reader not to feel a combination of delight and amazement. Case Histories is the literary equivalent of a triple axel. I read it once for pleasure and then again just to see how it was done. This is the kind of book you shove in people's faces, saying 'You gotta read this!
—— Entertainment WeeklySometimes touching, sometimes shocking
—— Daily MailA rollicking read that should not be picked up at bedtime, or you'll be done for in terms of a good night's sleep
—— StylistNeill's characters are so cleverly depicted, you feel as if you've met at least one of them before
—— VogueNeill's plotting is beyond compare . . . an utterly absorbing account of deception and desire
—— Nicola MoriartyI thoroughly enjoyed this brilliantly observed novel about a family in meltdown
—— Kathryn HughesCracking
—— PrimaContemporary issues are tackled here with both humour and realism, making for an engrossing read
—— My WeeklyThe Hot List
—— Inside SoapWonderfully dark, gently creepy and completely bloody heartbreaking. Alex North is a fantastic writer. The Whisper Man left me in pieces
—— Susi HollidayA nerve-shredding emotional rollercoaster that'll keep you up late at night, whether you're still reading it or not. A compulsive read that's sure to give you nightmares
—— Ed James, bestselling author of The Hope That KillsA phenomenal read. Terrifying and heartbreaking in equal measure and if it wasn't so hot I'd definitely be sleeping with the windows shut tonight! The Whisper Man will be the book everyone's talking about next summer, mark my words
—— Michelle Davies, author of Gone AstrayA riveting page turner! Dark and unsettling, this one creeps under your skin
—— J.D. Barker, author of The Fourth MonkeyOne of the best crime novels I've read in ages. Alex North has crafted a book that manages to be thrilling, terrifying and genuinely moving.
—— Mason Cross, bestselling author of The SamaritanThere's a soft voice outside your window and it demands your attention. The Whisper Man is coming. In fact, he's already here. Get ready to be unnerved. This novel is thrilling
—— Brad MeltzerThe Whisper Man is a tour de force, utterly absorbing and brilliantly realised
—— Mel McGrath, bestselling author of Give Me The ChildThe Whisper Man is a chilling, gripping read but also deeply moving. It's a novel that succeeds on all kinds of levels and deserves all the success that is no doubt coming it's way
—— William RyanNo one does Dark with a Heart like Alex North and The Whisper Man delivers a sucker punch that stays with you. Beautifully crafted, chilling & emotional, this's going to be topping Books of the Year lists as soon as it's out
—— Sarah HilaryI read The Whisper Man in one go, barely remembering to breathe. North writes brilliantly about the cruelties of life, great and small, and the terrors that afflict young children (not to mention their parents). Tender, terrifying and utterly compelling, The Whisper Man will haunt you to the final page and beyond.
—— Jane CaseyA creepy, serial killer-inflected thriller
—— iMore than just superbly creepy, this beautifully written thriller might just break your heart a little, too
—— HeatWith a tender theme about the complexity of father son relationships at its heart, this thriller is immaculately plotted, superbly written, and so good it deserves to be shouted about
—— The PeopleA psychological thriller that's both terrifying and heartbreaking - you won't want to miss this one
—— Woman's Weekly[A] superb thriller... Readers will have a tough time putting down this truly unnerving tale, with its seemingly unexplainable elements and glimpses of broken and dangerous minds
—— Publishers WeeklyExtraordinarily well-written, deeply moving . . . The stories are deftly marshalled and interwoven by North with a mastery that would be astonishing were he a debut novelist
—— Irish TimesALEX NORTH'S tightly plotted crime thriller presses all the right buttons for the genre
—— Press AssociationSummer Books of 2019
—— Barry Forshaw, Financial TimesThis exceptionally creepy thriller is also a touching portrait of a bereaved father and son learning to depend on each other
—— Morning StarA debut that will disturb and intrigue in equal measure
—— WomanA debut novel set to disturb and intrigue. Truly chilling
—— Woman's OwnAs much an exploration of grief and of the father-son bond as it is a nerve-shredder, this is a good choice for Stephen King fans
—— Meath ChronicleHollywood has snapped up this psychological thriller - and no wonder
—— SunStandout thriller
—— Daily ExpressDeliciously dark and twisty, this is a page-turner from start to finish
—— Connaught TelegraphIf you like a touch of Stephen King mixed with British crime, then this is for you . . . this is a spooky read, but also holds its own as a police procedural novel
—— People's FriendThis flawless thriller will touch your heart and live long in your memory
—— Daily ExpressThis flawless thriller lives long in the memory
—— Daily Mirror