Author:Sarah Maxwell,Francis Matthews,Edward de Souza,Full Cast,Margaret Robertson,Ronald Herdman
Francis Matthews stars in this trilogy of crime capers spoofing 1930s Hollywood movies
Paul Temple star Francis Matthews gives his best Cary Grant impression as suave PI Dick George in these three comedy adventures, with Margaret Robertson channelling Katherine Hepburn as his glamorous ex-wife Dora, 'Man in Black' Edward de Souza as his valet, Blore, and Ronald Herdman as Pasta the dog.
The Case of the Cool Canary - Dick George's leisurely breakfast is disturbed by the arrival of a mysterious, satin-clad beauty, who promptly passes out on his doorstep. Heiress Ruth-Anne Rogers is in trouble - can Dick and Dora protect her from gangsters intent on stealing her fortune? Starring Lisa Jacobs, Nigel Anthony and Harry Towb.
The Case of the Substitute Spouse - Married once more, the Georges are spending a weekend in Maine with Dora's old school pal, Connie Morgan. But, arriving at her holiday cottage, they find a sheriff's car parked outside, a body on the rug, and Connie under suspicion of murder. It's up to Dick and Dora to clear her name - and find the killer. Starring Bonnie Hurren, Liza Ross, Bob Sherman and Don Fellows.
The Case of the Vanishing Vamp - Dick and Dora are on the brink of divorce - again - and Dick's planning to make film star Loretta Raine the next Mrs George. But his romance with 'The Oops Girl' takes a back seat when he sets out to trace missing ingenue actress Irene Smith. Meanwhile, Dora's playing the leading role in a drama of her own... Starring Liza Ross, Ed Bishop and Nicky Croydon.
Cast and credits
Written by Susan Maxwell
Directed by Glyn Dearman
Starring Francis Matthews as Dick George, Margaret Robertson as Dora, Edward de Souza as Blore and Ronald Herdman as Pasta the dog
The Case of the Cool Canary
Ruth-Ann Rogers/Lucille Lamont - Lisa Jacobs
Louie - Nigel Anthony
Mugsy Moran - Harry Towb
Charlie - Alan Tilvern
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 September 1986
The Case of the Substitute Spouse
Antony Legrange - Liza Ross
Barrett Legrange - Blain Fairman
Zebediah - Don Fellows
Connie Morgan/Operator/Librarian - Bonnie Hurren
Sheriff Johnson - Bob Sherman
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 February 1989
The Case of the Vanishing Vamp
Mugsy Moran - Harry Towb
Loretta Raine - Liza Ross
Harry Loomis - Ed Bishop
Jonathan Dane - Peter Whitman
Marie Celeste - Nicky Croydon
Central Casting - Bonnie Hurren
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 July 1992
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Shari Lapena is one of the best thriller writers in the business.
—— Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of THIRTEENThe End of Her is a slippery eel of a novel – just when you think you have it in your grasp, it slithers away on a new current. I consumed it in a day, desperate to discover the fate of the evil Erica. Unputdownable.
—— Louise CandlishShari Lapena has done it again – another cracking domestic thriller, and trust me, ‘the end’ will leave you clamouring for more.
—— Cara HunterAnother unputdownable suburban thriller with the finest love-to-hate characters and a wickedly paced mystery.
—— Elizabeth KayI read the cracking The End of Her in one sitting. All hail the Mistress of the Page Turner.
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—— Liz NugentI absolutely adore Shari Lapena's compulsive thrillers and her new novel is her best yet. More twists than a roller coaster.
—— John BoyneI tore through it. It kept me on my toes throughout and the ending was just fantastic. Really tense!
—— Harriet Tyce, bestselling author of BLOOD ORANGEGripping stuff from this masterful storyteller!
—— My WeeklyShari Lapena knows how to wrack up the tension.
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—— Karen HamiltonYou won't want to put down Shari Lapena's latest engrossing thriller, which is chock-full of shocks and twists.
—— Choice MagazineOne neighbourhood, four couples, an amateur burglar and one dead body – this is a masterful whodunnit, perfectly paced and expertly plotted, that had me guessing all the way through. Like Desperate Housewives with bite. I loved it and couldn't put it down.
—— C. L. TaylorShari Lapena just gets better and better.
—— Cara HunterA smart, unpredictable novel that makes for highly recommended summer reading
—— Den of GeekThis joyous space romp is a smart and satisfying ode to the power of science and the ties that bind us.
—— Daily Express[I]f it ain't broke, don't fix it, especially when it's as much fun as Project Hail Mary.
Weir returns with gusto . . . his writing flows naturally, and his characters and dialogue crackle with energy. With this novel, he takes his place as a genuine star in the mainstream SF world.
—— Booklist (starred review)A suspenseful portrait of human ingenuity and resilience [that] builds to an unexpectedly moving ending. A winner.
—— Publishers Weekly (starred review)Fun, fast and oh so factual. It's perfect if you're a fan of smart people solving their problems by being smart . . . A book that will undoubtedly be seen circling the book clubs and coffee tables of even the most casual fiction fans, but that shouldn't detract from the fact that it is a passionate sci-fi, where even the most hardcore readers can enjoy its bounty of philosophical predicaments and technical takeaways
—— SciFiNowAn unforgettable story of survival and the power of friendship - nothing short of a science-fiction masterwork.
—— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)The Martian author Andy Weir returns with another space-survival saga, chocka dense with dry scientific debate, but also humour, humanity, a nourish case of memory loss and a credible injection of fantasy.
—— Total FilmScience and fiction in near-perfect harmony . . . Few novels are such a brilliant advert for STEM. Science-ing the shit" out of a problem is what [Weir] is best at.
—— SFXAnappara impressively inhabits the inner worlds of children lost to their families
—— Maria Russo , *Editor's Choice* New York TimesA first novel of true distinction… There is true Dickensian vigour in the way Anappara evokes the noise and smells, the timeless boredom and the fear of life in the Basti, the slum dwelling… I cannot recommend this too highly
—— A.N. Wilson , TabletA stunningly original tale. I stayed up late every night until I finished, reluctant to part from Deepa Anappara’s heart-stealing characters
—— Etaf Rum, New York Times bestselling author of A Woman Is No ManLife in the slums of an Indian city is vividly described in this novel... Though the subject matter is heartbreaking, this debut author handles it with lightness
—— Good HousekeepingA dazzling journey into the heart of India and its most vulnerable citizens -- its impoverished and disenfranchised children. A novel at once brimming with the wonder of childhood innocence, and constrained by the heartache of living amidst injustice and prejudice. Deepa Anappara shows us a modern, dangerously divided India that has long needed to be seen
—— Nazanine Hozar, author of AriaA profoundly emphatic work of creative genius that will stay with you forever
—— Sonia Faleiro, author of Beautiful ThingCreated from whole cloth, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is a richly textured rendition of a world little seen in Indian literature. There is no desire to smooth and tidy in fiction what is untidy in life, but instead there is a pay off for the reader in a story that is as quietly troubling as it is convincing
—— Mridula Koshy, author of Not Only the Things That Have HappenedDjinn Patrol on the Purple Line is unlike any book I have ever read—surprising, vividly imagined, and full of humor and humanity—and I fell head over heels for Jai, the police-show-obsessed narrator on a quest to find his missing classmate. Deepa Anappara is a writer of rare insight and a sure-footed storyteller. This book will charm you on one page, and rip your heart out on the next
—— Amy Jones, author of Every Little Piece of MeDeepa Anappara takes us inside urban India with astonishing specificity, into a funny and heartbreaking child’s world of wonder and cruelty. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is addictive and unforgettable. Once you’re in Jai’s neighbourhood you don't want to leave
—— Todd Babiak, author of The Empress of IdahoInformed by her times as a journalist in Mumbai and Delhi, Deepa Anappara’s debut is a fine portrait of modern-day India… an utterly convincing voice–lively, cheeky and irrepressible… Anappara skilfully reveals the harsh reality that lies just beyond Jai’s understanding of his world
—— Alice O'Keeffe , BooksellerA story full of humor, warmth, and heartbreak … Jai's voice is irresistible: funny, vivid, smart, and yet always believably a child's point of view … Engaging characters, bright wit, and compelling storytelling make a tale that's bleak at its core and profoundly moving
—— Kirkus, starred reviewDjinn Patrol on the Purple Line is likely to be one of the country's standout works of fiction in 2020
—— Asian Image, *Books to Look Our For in 2020*Vivid writing and a gripping plot with an unforgettable narrator
—— BN1 MagazineDjinn Patrol on the Purple Line is less a reading experience than an encounter with a life force. The rattle-tattle energy of the basti will pull the readers in as they experience the smells, colours and tastes of this captivating world. From relaying the rampant poverty to inherent cultural barriers, to corruption including openly bribing police, the book is utterly mesmerising
—— Umbreen Ali , Asian ImageAnappara’s debut novel immediately charms through Jai’s voice, and Anappara has caught the scale of a child’s world perfectly… Djinn Patrol is the kind of novel you both can’t stop reading and don’t want to end, because it means letting go of characters who feel like friends
—— Sarah Ditum , In the MomentThis moving and stylish book pulls off a difficult trick. It is an engaging, amusing tale, powered by Jai’s ebullient personality; at the same time it is an insightful portrait of the underside of 21st-century India… As Dickens did, Ms Anappara understands the power of fiction to bring alive the plights of people readers might otherwise overlook
—— EconomistWhat really sets Djinn Patrol apart…is the authenticity of Jai’s voice. Narrating in the first person, Anappara immerses us not only in Jai’s world of deep social inequities, but also in his internal world… Anappara creates an endearing and highly engaging narrator to navigate us through the dark underbelly of modern India
—— Hannah Beckerman , Observer