Home
/
Fiction
/
Inspector Steine
Inspector Steine
Jan 22, 2025 1:53 AM

Author:Lynne Truss,Michael Fenton Stevens,Jan Ravens,Matt Green,John Ramm,Samantha Spiro,Full Cast

Inspector Steine

All four series of Lynne Truss's comedy thrillers set in 1950s Brighton - plus Christmas special

'Delicious fun'Sunday Times

Brighton, 1957: a sunny seaside resort with a sinister underbelly. This den of villainy is policed by the touchingly innocent Inspector Steine, who naively believes he wiped out all the hoodlums in the Middle Street Massacre six years earlier. Can long-suffering Sergeant Brunswick and keen Constable Twitten persuade him that a criminal mastermind is at large - and that the station's charlady, Mrs Groynes, might bear investigation?

Inspector Steine - A headless corpse on the ghost train, a murdered theatre critic, a bank robbery and a beautiful fish-and-chip-shop owner spell trouble for the hapless Inspector. Meanwhile, a deranged criminal escapes from Broadmoor seeking revenge...

The Casebook of Inspector Steine - A matinee at the Hippodrome gives Mrs Groynes an idea, a day out in a vintage car proves eventful, Brunswick organises a police open day and goes undercover in a girls' school, and Steine meets a shady aristocrat - and finds his life in danger.

The Adventures of Inspector Steine - When his chance to shine is scuppered by Steine, Brunswick wants to kill him. But is he behind the attempts on Steine's life - or could it be the Unknown Villain, or old adversary Mrs Vine? Events are further complicated by a criminal convention and the reappearance of Brunswick's old flame, Doris...

The Return of Inspector Steine - Second World War bomb disposal hero Captain Hoagland limps into the station, with an award for Sergeant Brunswick and a head in a box. The latter is a warning that Adelaide Vine is back - and sadistic criminal Terence Chambers is heading for Brighton too, hell bent on havoc.

Christmas for Inspector Steine - It is December 1957, the year of the Queen's inaugural Christmas broadcast and Mrs Groynes' first seasonal celebrations with new husband Captain Hoagland. But only Twitten has the festive spirit...

Michael Fenton Stevens stars as Inspector Steine, with John Ramm as Sergeant Brunswick, Matt Green as Constable Twitten and Jan Ravens and Samantha Spiro as Mrs Groynes.

Production credits

Written by Lynne Truss

Produced and directed by Karen Rose and Marilyn Imrie

Original music by Anthony May

Sound design: David Thomas

A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4

Starring Michael Fenton Stevens as Inspector Steine, John Ramm as Sergeant Brunswick, Matt Green as Constable Twitten and Jan Ravens and Samantha Spiro as Mrs Groynes

Cast

Maisie - Carla Mendonça/Rachel Atkins

Georgie/BBC announcer/Chaplain/Albert/Bobby/Cecil/Pierre/Diamond Tony - David Holt

Boy - Cameron Cleaver

Stanley/Bouncer - Michael Roberts

Cook - Allan Corduner

Johnnie - Jason Hughes

Ruby - Carolyn Backhouse

Ventriloquist Vince/Warder - Kim Wall

Adelaide Vine/Gloria's mother - Janet Ellis

Brian the Brain/Mystery guest/Terence Chambers - Ewan Bailey

Rudi - Ethan Brook

Doris - Rachel Atkins

Roy - Will Keen

Hinge - Nicholas Le Prevost

Phyllis - Michelle Tate

Female panellist - Sophie Dearlove

Lord Melamine - Mark Heap

Jupiter - Philip Jackson

Unknown Villain - Adrian Bower

Roy - Douglas Hodge

Captain Hoagland - Robert Bathhurst

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 January-2 March 2007 (Inspector Steine), 4 April-9 May 2008 (The Casebook of Inspector Steine), 2 September-30 October 2009 (The Adventures of Inspector Steine), 17 October-21 November 2011 (The Return of Inspector Steine), 23 December 2013 (The Christmas of Inspector Steine)

© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

(p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Reviews

Buckle your seatbelts, as Hervé le Tellier takes you on an extraordinary ride. You won't want to put this book down until the very last page!

—— Leïla Slimani , author of Lullaby, winner of the 2016 Prix Goncourt

Wow, what an exciting, original blend of theory and heart. It's astonishing. I can't describe it, except to say: read it, and prepare for a whole new perspective on your own existence - and plane travel

—— Janice Hallett , Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal

A mind-bending, prize-winning speculative thriller

—— Guardian

A good idea, elegantly executed

—— Daily Telegraph

A funny, smart thriller that surfs the Zeitgeist with typical elan

—— Adrian McKinty, bestselling author of The Chain

A really intriguing novel

—— John Boyne

The Anomaly is one and ten novels at once, brilliantly connecting every mystery of intimacy with the great mystery of humanity

—— Michel Bussi

It's a phenomenal read. I loved how it tied together. So clever yet also so gripping

—— Harriet Tyce , Sunday Times bestselling author of Blood Orange

This high-concept SF thriller is enormous fun: a French prize winner spiced with Oulipian theory and literary in-jokes, riddling away at existential questions in the guise of a breakneck page-turner'

—— Guardian, 'Summer Reading: The 50 Hottest New Books'

Amusing, affecting, effervescent

—— Guardian

It is intricate, ingenious, propulsive - but it is also affecting

—— Scotsman

An extraordinary mix of existential thriller and speculative fiction. Questions of philosophy, mathematics and astrophysics bend this novel far from the typical mold, and Le Tellier's characters must confront the deepest questions of existence. This thought-provoking literary work deserves a wide readership

—— Publishers Weekly

A French literary phenomenon...The Anomaly captured a moment when the pandemic stopped the world and existence veered toward the virtual. It swerves between various genres - science fiction, a thriller, love stories, an introspective work - without being confined by any of them

—— New York Times

Written with such page-turning conviction that readers are guaranteed a thoroughly enjoyable intellectual workout

—— The Times

The buzz around this Goncourt prize-winner is richly deserved, and just when you think you've worked it out . . . well, you probably haven't

—— Daily Mail

Intriguing

—— SFX

A flight of imagination you'll be rolling over in your mind long after deplaning

—— Washington Post

A striking thought experiment...Le Tellier delivers some sharp social comedy here. But behind the comedy are more profound psychological questions about individual freedom. The Anomaly is priceless

—— Times Literary Supplement

A witty, erudite novel, teeming and minutely detailed, a treat throughout, with-at its centre-that head-spinning conceit that will leave you deep in thought for a long time after reading the final page. It is rare to have so much fun with something so intelligent

—— Nicolas Mathieu , author of And Their Children After Them, winner of the 2018 Prix Goncourt

The Anomaly is thought-provoking and philosophical yet thrilling too, with superbly drawn characters, a dynamic plot, and a fascinating question at its heart - what if the entire world as we know it is a lie?

—— Andrew Hunter Murray

A speculative thriller from literary powerhouse Hervé le Tellier. Perfect for those who like their realities unstable

—— Crime Reads

Mind-bending

—— The Times

Humorous, captivating, thoughtful - existentialism has never been so thrilling

—— Kirkus Reviews

Manifest meets Lost in The Anomaly...a puzzle box of a sci-fi thriller

—— PopSugar

An extraordinary, fast-paced, disturbing novel, perfect for these extraordinary, fast-paced, disturbing times. Think Steven Spielberg meets Umberto Eco with a side order of black humour, generously sprinkled with genuine emotion

—— Sam Taylor , author of The Island At The End Of The World

A uniquely, gloriously, provocatively French contribution to the sci-fi thriller genre - it will keep you guessing, get your heart pounding, and make you feel and wonder and - above all - think

—— Sam J. Miller , Nebula-Award winning author of Blackfish City

In The Anomaly, Hervé Le Tellier has delivered a volatile and compelling thriller that has you hurtling toward the mystery at the heart of the novel from page one. The Anomaly is a gripping and moving blend of Blake Crouch's Dark Matter, the television show Lost, with a bit of The Philadelphia Experiment thrown in for good measure. I couldn't put it down.

—— Terry Miles , author of Rabbits

Exhilarating, thought-provoking, funny, and devastating. The Anomaly is unlike anything else I've read this year

—— Laure Van Rensburg , author of Nobody But Us

I was completely blown away by this genre-defying masterpiece. Part thriller, part philosophical rumination on what makes us human, and with a dash of theoretical physics; this is an absolute must-read

—— Sarah Bonner , author of Her Perfect Twin

The Anomaly is a brilliant balancing act of a novel, a fantastic rush and ride that works on myriad levels, at various depths, and in a multitude of styles. It's a precise and erudite literary treat, a comedic sociopolitical-religious skewering of these contemporary times, a philosophical-scientific-mathematical dive into the puzzles of possibility, space, and time, and an ingenious thought experiment that lends itself easily to ad infinitum analysis and dissection. It's also entirely grounded in human nature. Le Tellier's pointillistic characters are, like all of us, buffeted by desires, seeking love, striving, aging, making good and bad decisions, choosing the right or wrong paths, believing they know and understand themselves, utterly trusting in free will. Highly intelligent, ironic without cheap cynicism, The Anomaly is an immensely fun novel, an immersive experience that leaves the reader analysing everything anew

—— Cherise Wolas , author of The Resurrection of Joan Ashby and The Family Tabor

The year has only just begun but I will be surprised if I read something as astonishing as The Anomaly in the next 12 months

—— Scotsman

It's dizzying, exhilarating, brilliant!

—— Nicholas Carreau , Europe 1

An intoxicating mix of the magical and life's big questions

—— Financial Times

Hervé le Tellier's new novel is an exquisite, insane surprise. Quite simply astounding

—— Le Journal du Dimanche

An addictive page-turner, The Anomaly flirts with thriller and science fiction, and mirrors the best televisions series in its very effective orchestration of suspense. Filled with fascination existential and metaphysical questions, this is an effective, funny and discreetly melancholy novel

—— Le Monde

A brilliant, extremely inventive book. Like an astounding screenplay for an American blockbuster, written by a Frenchman who is having fun with it

—— Olivia de Lamberterie , France 2

Hervé le Tellier has written an impossible novel. It's a thriller but also a fantasy. A choral novel, which is also surrealist. An adventure, a page turner, a bestseller, but also an experimental, highly literary work

—— Frederic Beigbeder , Le Figaro Magazine

A delight. Intricate, ingenious, propulsive - but also affecting, with numerous moments that are terribly poignant along with its puzzles and winks

—— i

How would society respond to the inexplicable? This is the question the author tries, with intelligence, elegance and humour, to answer. Hervé le Tellier has written a frank and gripping novel with complex, moving characters. You won't be able to put it down!

—— Claire Bitaudeau , Librairie Millepages

Effervescent playfulness . . . Hilariously deadpan

—— Guardian

The novel is a tour de force which both dives into the personal lives of several characters and at the same time gives a group perspective on an international event which verges on science fiction. The taut rhythm of the investigation keeps the reader on tenterhooks

—— Toute La Culture

The situations are mad, but the questions they raise, far less so. Such is the profundity of this astonishing book: it makes light of itself, lending an air of fantasy to the fates of its characters, while Hervé le Tellier holds a mirror up before us

—— Le Figaro

A master of one-touch characterisation. Le Tellier's genius is in making the unimaginable feel authentic

—— Metro

Le Tellier, throughout this flight, deposits on the tarmac his stunned reader, ready to applaud

—— L'Opinion

Le Tellier is a masterful writer and his staggering story verges on thriller and science fiction

—— Version Femina

Somewhere between fable and science fiction, it's a fascinating novel

—— La Depeche du Midi

The novel weaves a surprising story out of several narrative threads which give Hervé le Tellier the opportunity to touch on as many literary genres as he does themes, in a biting and often funny critique of the start of the 21st century

—— En Attendant Nadeau

Excellent...at once zeitgeisty, intelligent, and entertaining

—— Charlie Hebdo

Fantastic...The Anomaly wears its name well: it's rare in France that a work combines the best of American TV series with an impeccable mastery of the French psychological novel

—— Elle France

Dizzying, compelling

—— RTE Guide

Mind-bending. Herve Le Tellier's emotional and intellectual rollercoaster is well worth the ride

—— The Times Literary Supplement

A delightfully confounding thriller . . . Le Tellier's prose is beautifully efficient and capable of quiet devastation

—— London Review of Books

Compelling . . . A disturbing and complex tale about dysfunctional mother-daughter relationships. It's not always an easy read but it's absolutely one you won't be able to put down

—— Culturefly

Included in 'Books for 2021'

—— Sun

The mother of all thrillers! Like The Girl on the Train - but better!

—— Daily Mail

Utterly mesmerising. Ashley Audrain's powerful debut novel explores the challenges of motherhood and the terrifying isolation of being trapped within a sinister truth that no-one else believes.

—— Fiona Valpy, bestselling author of The Beekeeper's Promise

One of the most anticipated novels of this year . . . fast-paced, it has the ability to distract you from anything. Exactly what we need right now

—— Grazia

Written with an unflinching eye and a stylistically sharp, tight economy The Push is a single-sitting read, as suspenseful as any thriller, as thoughtful as any literary novel, with an almost physical force behind each of its turns and revelations. By the end, the reader will feel wrung out in the way only the best of books leaves you. Audrain's debut is a stunning, devastating novel and, frankly, one hell of a way to start a year of reading

—— Toronto Star

Included in 'Books to Watch 2021'

—— Evening Standard

Hooks you from the very first page and will have you racing to get to the end

—— Book Club Selection , Good Morning America

Included in 'Best New Books'

—— New York Post

This is a sterling addition to the burgeoning canon of bad seed suspense, from an arrestingly original new voice

—— Publishers Weekly

This taut and tense hurricane of a debut is best devoured in one sitting

—— Newsweek

This dazzling debut mixes page-turning suspense with a psychological drama

—— Working Motheer

Once you start in on this story, it becomes difficult to control yourself. A twisted, tight, and exhilarating drama

—— Goop

This psychological thriller about a mother's bond with her daughter will keep you turning pages

—— Woman's Day

This nuanced book challenges the notion of nature versus nurture, and whether a mother's love is enough. It's disturbing, painful and brilliant, holding a mirror up to society

—— Woman's Weekly

The Push is a thriller that is also a compelling examination of motherhood and of how trauma is passed down through generations

—— Herald

A tense, chilling dip into the dark side of motherhood . . . The Push is uncomfortable and provocative, like a train wreck that demands your gaze

—— Washington Post

The most tense, thrilling read that will chill and enthral in equal measure

—— Sun

Disturbingly brilliant . . . will render you speechless

—— Woman & Home 'Book of the Month'

A page-turning debut crafted with shrewd expertise - read it before the inevitable screen adaptation

—— Metro

Unflinching, moving and very, very powerful

—— Grazia

The clever and powerful psychological thriller everyone has been talking about . . . an unsettling, breathtaking and powerful read about obsession and our deepest fears that will stay with you long after you turn the final page

—— My Weekly

Audrain has the ability to mesmerise . . . heart-wrenching. A dark, pacy read

—— My Weekly

A compelling, visceral and bruising portrayal of motherhood that once read cannot ever be forgotten

—— Woman & Home

A chilling and beautifully written novel that will strike dread into the heart of any new parent. The ending gave me goosebumps

—— Mark Edwards, bestselling author of Here To Stay

A powerful debut about obsession and our deepest fears . . . will have you hooked

—— Living North

Exploring the dysfunctional lives of three generations of women, The Push deals with the way damage is handed down

—— Literary Review

A thought-provoking novel that delves deep into the emotional crevices of motherhood

—— Courier

Taut and gripping, this is a provocative look at motherhood

—— Psychologies

The Push is an unsettling and powerful read about obsession and our deepest fears that will stay with you long after you turn the final page

—— Eastern Daily Press

A gripping and vivid thriller . . . It's easy to understand why The Push has caught the attention of Hollywood film producers

—— Business Post

Compelling

—— The Herald

Remarkably told story which I couldn't put down. Deftly drawn characters...What a book! And the last line is creepy, haunting perfection

—— Christina Sweeney Baird, author of The End of Men

The danger that simmers throughout is so unbearably tense! A wonderful incisive look at maternal guilt ... the effect is staggering

—— Imran Mahmood

Fasten your seatbelt because this book is a face paced, page turning, psychological drama that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last line

—— The Avondhu

Challenges the idyllic picture of motherhood, and will change what you know about being a mother. It is tenacious and really makes you think about what it's like when women aren't taken seriously

—— Female First

For fans of mum noir, The Push is an unsettling, breathtaking and powerful read about obsession and our deepest fears that will stay with you long after you turn the final page

—— Eastern Daily Press

This dark, psychological thriller offers such twists and turns that we start to doubt what we believe . . . And that sharp-intake-of-breath ending!

—— Manx Independent

I didn't sleep for a week after I finished it, but that's a small price to pay for a great book

—— Lauren Weisberger, author of The Devil Wears Prada

An unflinching examination of motherhood. Audrain lets no one in the Connor family off the hook, yet every character managed to elicit my sympathy. Brilliant, insightful, compassionate, and horrifying. I wish I could read it for the first time over and over. One of the best books I've read all year

—— Stephanie Wrobel

One of the most talked-about books of the year. This nuanced psychological book will make you question the notion of nature vs nurture. Disturbing, painful and brilliant

—— Woman & Home

This unsettling debut was so riveting it had me devouring pages and then reading slowly with widened eyes

—— Prima

Addictively readable . . . shines a disturbing light into the darkest recesses of motherhood

—— Daily Mail, Must Read Paperbacks

Compulsively readable

—— Daily Express

An unsettling, breathtaking and powerful read about obsession and our deepest fears that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

—— Eastern Daily Press

A raw and visceral exploration of a mother-daughter relationship; a haunting and heartbreaking novel that will leave you thinking about it for days after you finish the last page

—— Female First
Comments
Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdbook.com All Rights Reserved