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The Toff
The Toff
Oct 5, 2024 3:33 AM

Author:John Creasey,Terence Alexander,Full Cast,Robert Dorning

The Toff

Terence Alexander stars in these two classic crime dramas, adapted from the novels of John Creasey

Meet The Honourable Richard Rollison - a.k.a the Toff. A debonair aristocrat and ace amateur sleuth, he's the scourge of London's criminal underworld: sometimes working alone, sometimes hand-in-glove with the police. But wherever he goes, he leaves his distinctive calling card: a jaunty caricature featuring a top hat, a monocle, a bow tie and a cigar. In these two gripping thrillers, he finds himself involved in rural intrigue and a wedding-day mystery...

The Toff on the Farm - When the Toff is offered the opportunity to buy a small farm in Sussex, he politely declines - he's never had any inclination to be a country squire. But when he hears that there's a mystery attached to the place, he agrees to drive down and take a look. On arrival, he discovers that several other potential buyers are keen to get their hands on the property - and the owner's brother has vanished. Can the Toff uncover the secrets surrounding Selby Farm?

The Toff and the Runaway Bride - Barbara Lawn is about to marry the Toff's old chum, Major Guy Lessing, against her father's wishes. But on the morning of the big day, she receives a distressing phone call - and later, at the reception, a letter arrives bearing shocking news. When she flees her husband en route to the honeymoon, the Toff finds himself investigating a heinous case of blackmail and murder...

First published 1958 (The Toff on the Farm), 1959 (The Toff and the Runaway Bride)

Cast and credits

Written by John Creasey

Dramatised by Roy Lomax

Produced by John Fawcett Wilson

Starring Terence Alexander as the Toff and Robert Dorning as Jolly

The Toff on the Farm

Gillian Selby - Heather Stoney

Mr Lodwyn/Vicar - Jeffrey Segal

Monty Morne - Terrence Hardiman

Bert - Frank Jarvis

Red Brandt/Eddie Forbes - Ed Bishop

Inspector Bishop - Derek Newark

Smith - Reg Lye

Police Sergeant - Paul Meier

Superintendent Grice - Duncan Lamont

Lola Bridge - Liz Gebardt

Alan Selby - Alaric Cotter

Bert Ebbutt - Douglas Blackwell

William T Brandt - Alan White

Other parts played by the cast

First broadcast BBC World Service, March 1977

The Toff and the Runaway Bride

Barbara - Rosalind Shanks

Aunt Gloria - Peggy Ann Wood

Holy Joe/Sergeant/Carruthers - David Graham

Maggie - Frances Jeater

Major Guy Lessing - Alan Cuthbertson

Doctor - Dennis McCarthy

Kevin Brennan - Robert Lawn

Superintendent/Inspector Reno - Godfrey James

Police Officer - Clifford Norgate

Rose Lessing - Denise Buckley

Inspector Ellerby - Roger Gartland

Sergeant - Michael Shannon

Robert Lawn - Kevin Brennan

Police Constable - John Bull

Inspector - Jean Dryant

Other parts played by the cast

First broadcast BBC World Service, June 1975

Copyright © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

(P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Reviews

Patterson knows where our deepest fears are buried... there's no stopping his imagination.

—— NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

No one gets this big without natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades.

—— LEE CHILD, bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series

Patterson boils a scene down to a single, telling detail, the element that defines a character or moves a plot along. It's what fires off the movie projector in the reader's mind.

—— MICHAEL CONNELLY

James Patterson is the boss. End of.

—— IAN RANKIN, bestselling author of the Inspector Rebus series

James Patterson is the gold standard by which all others are judged.

—— STEVE BERRY, bestselling author of the Colton Malone series

Patterson is in a class by himself.

—— VANITY FAIR

James Patterson is the gold standard by which all others are judged

—— Steve Berry, bestselling author of the Colton Malone series

Patterson is in a class by himself

—— Vanity Fair

Horowitz shows that he knows the Fleming books backwards, offering plot twists that are homages to the master's novels. This nicely imagined book... is an amusing and thought-provoking addition to the post-Fleming bond canon.

—— The Times *Audiobook of the Week*

[Horowitz's Bond] is once again in safe hands, not departing much from Fleming’s entertaining formula... Horowitz’s light touch and smooth plotting create something close to the ideal holiday read.

—— Irish Examiner

An enjoyably compact thriller, with an absolutely killer last line.

—— Guardian

Forever and a Day is an explosive prequel to Casino Royale which promises to please Bond aficionados and a new legion of fans.

—— Northern Insight **Book of the Month**

This is another great new James Bond novel from Horowitz, who’s filling the shoes of Ian Fleming with apparent ease.

—— Trucking

Highly enjoyable.

—— Metro

Anthony is an enthusiastic writer who relishes the world of adventure he conveys.

—— Tina Jackson , Writing Magazine

A timeless Bond... has all the elements of a rollicking read.

—— Irish Examiner

Horowitz proves himself so adept at getting inside the iconic character, and Fleming’s writing style, that it’s difficult to see the join. Rip-roaringly recommended.

—— Pat Carty , Hot Press

Horowitz…captures the mood, pace and style of Fleming very well… the story thunders along with action galore in the Bond tradition. It whets the appetite for the 25th Bond film.

—— Alex Gordon , Peterborough Evening Telegraph

A rattling good thriller from an undoubted master of the genre.

—— Choice

Exciting, atmospheric and with non-stop action.

—— i

Anthony Horowitz writes Bond in the style of Fleming... Total brain candy in the best possible fashion.

—— Rick O'Shea , RTE Guide

Authentic, exciting and shot through with a very Flemingesque ennui.

—— Daily Express, *Books of the Year*

A clever and highly-satisfying espionage thriller... Horowitz nails precisely why Ian Fleming's novels were so popular in the first place. Put simply, he gets James Bond.

—— Entertainment Focus

Readers will love the way Horowitz stays loyal to the winning formula of Bond creator Ian Fleming, confronting an old enemy with new energy.

—— Eastern Daily Press

There seems an inexhaustible appetite for all things 007. One day, we might tire of him, but if his fictional incarnations remain as entertaining as With a Mind to Kill, we will be hoping that Bond doesn't hang up his Walther PPK for a while yet.

—— Observer

Masterly... There's an enjoyably mischievous tension between Bond, whose entire time in Russia is bleak...and Horowitz, who's plainly having a ball subjecting him to this ordeal.

—— Sunday Times, *Thriller of the Month*

A gloriously entertaining and surprisingly poignant novel that would make a better movie than many of the Bond stories that actually made it to the big screen.

—— RTÉ

A powerful puzzle of a murder mystery, as impossible to solve as it is to put down. What starts as a delicious thriller becomes a fascinating investigation of amorality, vengeance, and redemption. A powder keg of a debut.

—— Robin Wasserman, author of Girls on Fire

Stick a bunch of devious psychopaths together and what could possibly go wrong? (...) a completely original, clever whodunit from a talented new arrival to the world of psychological suspense.

—— Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Mrs.

Sharp, original and extremely entertaining. The portrayal of psychopathy is nuanced and sensitive - something you don't see enough of in thriller fiction.

—— Nancy Tucker, author of The First Day of Spring

Truly original. Vera's main characters are believable and likeable, despite their nature. A very intriguing read.

—— Joy Kluver, author of Broken Girls

'The Retreat is a delightfully creepy thriller set in a fantastic gothic location. I loved it!'

—— G. R. Halliday, author of From The Shadows
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