Author:Ian McMillan,Dave Sheasby,Martyn Wiley,Fine Time Fontayne,Judy Flynn,Full Cast
Fine Time Fontayne stars as pitman-turned-private eye Stephen J Blackburn in this whimsical detective series
When he’s made redundant from his job at a South Yorkshire pit, Stephen J Blackburn sets out to forge a new career as a private investigator. With his trainee assistant Tracey, he looks into a series of complicated cases ranging from plagiarism to missing persons.
In Series 1, the duo are confronted with Hungarian exiles, a philandering husband, a long-lost brother, a purloined TV script and a time-share cash con. Series 2 finds them faced with seven stolen sculptures, a ransomed Filofax, a husband who reappears after 30 years, and a routine marital case that starts to look like their final investigation. And in Series 3, Steven and Tracey get digging in the murky world of flowers, crack a pub quiz fraud scam, look into the theft of a ventriloquist’s dummy and track down an Irish labourer– a case which turns out to be far more complex than expected...
Starring Fine Time Fontayne (Coronation Street) as Stephen J Blackburn and Judy Flynn (The Brittas Empire) as Tracey Duggan.
Written by Ian McMillan, Martyn Wiley and Dave Sheasby
Directed by Dave Sheasby
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 July-15 August 1989 (Series 1), 20 June-11 July 1991 (Series 2), 18 March-8 April 1993 (Series 3)
Cast
Stephen J Blackburn……………………Fine Time Fontayne
Tracey Duggan……………………Judy Flynn
Mam……………………Rita May
Dad……………………John Branwell
One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories
—— GuardianA supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness
—— IndependentThe most addictive of writers . . . a unique teller of tales
—— ObserverAn outstanding novel from start to finish, possibly the best book I've read this year. An entrancing thriller that lures you into the dark secrets of the neon streets of Tokyo. Riveting
—— The Courier, Book of the WeekPraise for Nicolás Obregón
—— -Harrowing and gripping. An astute police procedural . . . Switching between LA, Mexico and Tokyo both Iwata's present and past are cleverly interwoven in a truly heart-rending climax
Fresh and convincing . . . the dialogue is worthy of the great chronicler of LA's dark side, Raymond Chandler. But really, Obregon's writing has a unique flavour all of its own, wherever his books are set
—— Jake Kerridge , Sunday ExpressSins as Scarlet is a searing LA crime story, as poetic as it is brutal, as tender as it is disturbing
Thanks to the excellent Iwata, you get a gripping mystery with a real conscience
In the heady tradition of Raymond Chandler and Michael Connelly, Sins as Scarlet lays bare the bruised heart and broken soul of Los Angeles. Extraordinary stuff: a diabolically clever police procedural, a wrenching character study, and a merciless chronicle of a city in decay. I'm awestruck.
A dark, brutal ride through the underbelly of LA
Masterpiece - that's the only way to describe Sins as Scarlet. Obregón's brilliant novel is, at once, a classic noir, a psychological thriller and a riveting examination-sometimes dark, sometime moving to the point of tears--of life in a less-than-angelic Los Angeles
Evocative, perceptive writing
This bleak, richly descriptive and haunting thriller walks of the wild side of Los Angeles
A brace of cutting-edge themes are threaded into the abrasive narrative . . . It is a combustible mix, but as in the earlier Blue Light Yokohama, the author has the full measure of his difficult material. With his vividly evoked Mexican and LA settings [he] delivers a pacey, page-turning thriller, but the underlying seriousness gives real texture. Iwata is a richly drawn, conflicted hero, and this is another savage journey into the dark heart of America
—— Barry Forshaw, Financial TimesObregón keeps the unpredictable plot of Sins As Scarlet churning with myriad surprises that are grounded in believability
Sets the bar high for every other thriller this year
—— John MarrsDiabolically clever and propulsive as a rollercoaster. If you like twisty thrillers that leave you guessing till the very last page, this is a must-read
—— Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger and The DeepAnother black fist of doom, smashing into the feeble world . . . loved it!
—— Max WesolowskiSuch intricate and enthralling storytelling. Evocative and creepy
—— Amanda ReynoldsThis book is chilling. It's the type of book you need to read with the lights on and the doors locked but it's so gripping you won't regret the mild night terrors
—— Yahoo! Style UKC. J. Tudor has crafted an intense novel that gets right to the heart of what it means to love and to grieve . . . Intriguing, dramatic and heartbreaking
—— Woman & HomeA chilling psychological thriller, pulsing with atmosphere and plot twists
—— CandisA well-crafted story that blends a mystery with some supernatural chills. You'll want to leave the light on
—— BestA chilling, atmospheric tale of justice, revenge, and the darkness lurking on the fringes of society
—— Daily ExpressVivid characterisation, lots of mystery as well as a twisting plot, it makes for a gripping page turner
—— NB MagazineThe chilling new novel by the bestselling author of The Chalk Man is an absolute page-turner. We'll just say the author isn't referred to as the 'Queen of Creepy' for nothing
—— That's LifeComplex thriller which is suffused with loss, longing and vengeance. Touches of the supernatural add to the spine-tingling thrills
—— The PeopleA novel with a formidable emotional pull
—— Financial TimesC.J. Tudor is mastering the suspense/horror genre . . . It's quietly disconcerting, completely relatable and shows you that humans have a wonderfully dark side
—— Woman's WeeklyKidnap mystery and horror suspense all rolled into one as a man is haunted by his abduction of his daughter while the woman who knows what happened is on the run for her life
—— Love it!Praise for C. J. Tudor
—— -CJ Tudor taps into those things that woke you up in the night when you were a kid and then stay with you when you're an adult
—— Richard ArmitageBritain's female Stephen King
—— Daily MailSome writers have it, and some don't. C. J. Tudor has it big time
—— Lee ChildA dark star is born
—— A. J. FinnAn intense novel that gets right to the heart of what it means to love and grieve
—— WomanWonderfully gripping and doubt-inducing
—— Woman & Home