Author:Alan McDonald,Paula Wilcox,Full Cast
A BBC Radio 4 crime drama about a Merseyside mum-turned-private eye
Single mum Rosie Monaghan is 39 and redundant. Wondering what to do with the rest of her life – and with two kids to support – she decides to start a new career as a private detective.
In Series 1 she begins her first investigation, involving a mystery client and a seemingly innocent death that no one else thinks is murder. But being a private eye proves trickier than she thought. The job itself is fraught with problems (how do you tail someone without them noticing?), and the demands of love, children and her bank manager are all jostling for her attention. Can she solve the case and confront the murderer? And will the guilty be brought to justice?
Series 2 finds Rosie back in business, with a rent-free corner of an office, and an ‘anything investigated’ ad in the paper. Among the cases that come her way are a mysterious briefcase full of cash, a missing wife whose husband is ‘one card short of a full deck’, and a series of racial attacks on a corner shop.
Written by Alan McDonald, this intriguing crime series stars Paula Wilcox (Upstart Crow, Mount Pleasant) as Rosie.
Cast
Rosie Monagahan – Paula Wilcox
Margie – Elizabeth Estensen
Jerry – Christopher Bramwell
Bob – Dominic Grounsell
Carol – Helen Roberts
Mike – Steve Hodson
Martin Bullivant – Paul Barber
Andrew Stephenson – Kim Wall
Bill Jones/Deputy Chief Constable – Dominic Letts
Elsie/Dorothy – Pauline Yates
Detective Sergeant Murdoch – Gareth Armstrong
Hickey – Michael Onslow
Helen Thackray – Rachel Atkins
James MacLeish – James Telfer
Old woman – Diana Payan
Graham – David Thorpe
Auntie – Jillie Meers
Paddy/Daz – Peter Kenny
Debbie – Barbara Dryhurst
Barbara Rowan/Jessica – Elaine Claxton
Joe Geoghegan/Gregson/Derek – Gavin Muir
Dan McGuinness/Billy – Tom Bevan
Mr Khadur– Lyndam Gregory
Mrs Khadur – Nina Wadia
Gricewell – Don McCorkindale
Planner – Don Warrington
Peggy – Margaret John
Ginny – Tina Gray
WPC/Chantal – Deborah Berlin
Miranda – Tara Dominick
Bren – Siriol Jenkins
Nat – Paul Panting
With Federay Holmes, Matthew Morgan, Nicholas Murchie, Teresa Gallagher, Vivienne Rochester, James Taylor, Malcolm Ward, Suzannah Corbett and Dominic Traynor
Written by Alan McDonald
Directed by Tracey Neale
Music composed by Peter Howell
Series 1:
Ep 1: Down These Mean Streets
Ep 2: Following From In Front
Ep 3: Back Against the Wall
Ep 4: If Looks Could Kill
Ep 5: Count Your Blessings
Ep 6: In Dreams
Series 2:
Ep 1: Starting Over
Ep 2: Softies
Ep 3: The Front Man
Ep 4: Massaging the Truth
An all-out nonstop action thriller. The best one yet. The story hits the gas pedal and never taps the brakes. Having an enemy that is essentially a mirror image of the hero adds extra suspense and mayhem. The characters truly seem in jeopardy, and nothing will ever be the same
—— Mail OnlinePraise for Clive Cussler
—— -The Adventure King
—— Sunday ExpressCussler is hard to beat
—— Daily MailDelivers what it promises
—— Financial TimesMy favourite historical crime series by far. The dark days of the British Raj are so vividly painted. Utterly magnificent
—— MW Craven, author of The Puppet ShowThe gloriously atmospheric Death in the East is his [Mukherjee’s] best book so far, a cracking read
—— Jackie McGlone , ScotsmanDeath in the East is an outstanding work of historical fiction that brings characters and their imagined histories to life like no other writer.
—— Imran Mahmood, author of You Don't Know MeMukherjee’s style is elegantly conversational, his research is convincing and one of his murder methods is ingenious
—— Natasha Cooper , Literary ReviewMukherjee not only steeps us in the atmosphere of the Raj but also recreates a teeming early-twentieth-century London, exploring issues of migration and xenophobia, matters all too relevant to our current moment. The author spoils us by presenting not one but two locked room mysteries, the second particularly devilish.
—— Vaseem Khan, author of the Baby Ganesh Agency seriesIssues of identity, nationalism, historical memory…and cultural hybridity course through Mukherjee’s hugely entertaining novels. Like their creator, they are both good-humoured and socially engaged
—— Teddy Jamieson , HeraldMukherjee brings sardonic wit to his portrayal of British rule in India, and the action is perfectly paced. It’s his best yet
—— Jake Kerridge , Daily MirrorA brilliant change of pace, displaying Mukherjee’s growing confidence as a writer
—— Joan Smith , Sunday TimesDeath in the East is as vivid and atmospheric as its predecessors
—— Laura Wilson , GuardianA rip-roaring adventure
—— VelvetAn absolute delight
—— Anthony Cummins , Daily Mail, *Books of the Year*Mukherjee’s series…is emerging as one of the finest in contemporary crime fiction
—— Craig Brown , Mail on Sunday, *Books of the Year*I feel my skin prickle with the heat when I read Mukherjee’s books, and I’m desolate when I come to the final page and realise there is no more. In Death in the East, he employs a dual narrative which, despite being set a century ago, draws disturbing parallels with society today.
—— Damon Fairclough , Northern Soul, *Books of the Year*Almost criminally entertaining… offering contemporary crime readers a complete package of well-conceived characters, compelling crimes to be solves, a rip-roaring rollercoaster ride of plot, a smattering of sardonic humour, a vividly evoked setting and thought-provoking insights into the historical context of the period Abir is writing about
—— Tina Jackson , WritingIn a story rich in historical detail and intrigue, spending time with Wyndham and Banerjee is a joy. This is a contender for thriller of the year
—— Charlotte Heathcote , Daily MirrorA brilliantly conceived murder mystery set amidst political and social turmoil - beautifully crafted
—— C. J. Sansom on Smoke and Ashes[A] fine series of crime novels . . . tightly plotted portraits of British rule in India
—— The TimesMukherjee, who only gets better and better with each book, has established himself as a leading historical mystery writer
—— Publishers Weekly[It] is the flamboyant evocation of Calcutta that makes this such a mesmerising read
—— GuardianI felt compelled to read on and find out what would happen next
—— GNTxReadsA timely and powerful literary thriller which makes for a thought-provoking and unsettling read
—— Hair Past a Freckle blogThought provoking and intelligent . . . I cannot recommend highly enough.
—— Amanda Duncan, My Bookish BlogspotOffers a really interesting perspective on how women are represented in life
—— VarietatsIt is insidiously unnerving in such a clever way . . . had me well and truly hooked!
—— Bookish ChatDark, unforgiving, suspenseful and thought-provoking
—— Emma's Bookish CornerCampus novel satire and the high drama of a thriller combine in a fiendishly readable interrogation of the allure of violent fiction
—— SARAH MOSS, GuardianOne of the most believable heroines I've seen on the page in a long time. The final chapters deliver the heart-in-mouth genre denouement we’ve been waiting for
—— TLSA brilliant portrayal of love and complex family relationships, with all the features of a Gothic mystery.
—— PsychologiesA lushly written, psychologically suspenseful narrative that's not easily forgotten.
—— Hephzibah Anderson , Mail on SundayA darkly disquieting thriller... The descriptions are vivid enough to stop you in your tracks, and the narrative draws to a psychologically apt conclusion.
—— Lucy Whetman , TalkTalk NewsA multi-dimensional shocker, where everything is not as clear cut as it initially seems, leading to a devastating conclusion. Fans of the darker and more mysteriously menacing work of Stephen King or the contemporary horror of Andrew Michael Hurley will adore Sisters.
—— David Nobakht , Buzz MagazineJohnson has cultivated a striking style with recurring images and themes... [her] stories contain minimal dialogue and very little straightforward narration. They are instead characterised by the accumulation of sensory detail, the gradual revealing of character, and a building sense of dread.
—— Anna Leszkiewicz , New StatesmanJohnson pulls off a great feat in this book. We are propelled by her story, even while we barely know what it is; absorbed by characters at once abstract yet fully drawn. She allows just enough clarity to pierce through, like flashes of an image amid white noise, until finally we can grasp and appreciate the whole picture that has so thrillingly eluded us.
—— Maria Crawford , Financial TimesSisters echoes Brontë's Wuthering Heights not only in its gothic elements and sombre descriptions of English landscapes but also in the idea of doomed love, love which becomes an omnipotent, harmful power... Sisters is chilling and unrestful in a way many horror stories aren't, the world of the novel itself a disturbing and anxious place.
—— Elizaveta Kolesova , UpcomingAn absorbing tale of sibling love and envy.
—— Citizen FemmeIt's hard to deny the uncanny thrill generated by Johnson's blend of horror, nature writing and magical realism... As dazzling as a photographer's flash.
—— Anthony Cummins , Literary ReviewHeld me rapt until the very end
—— Lucy DiamondI didn't want to put it down
—— Katherine WebbA beautiful and intriguing page-turner
—— Dinah JefferiesRich and atmospheric
—— Rachel Hore