AuthorSimon Brett, Jeremy Front
NarratorBill Nighy, BBC Full-Cast
SeriesCharles Paris Mysteries, Book 17
Duration1h 51m
CategoriesAdult Fiction, Crime, Thriller and Mysteries, Plays and Dramatisations, Cosy Crime
PublisherBBC Audio
VersionUnabridged
Bill Nighy stars as actor and amateur sleuth Charles Paris in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Simon Brett's novel
Charles' career is on the up. He's starring in a revival of a popular (though hackneyed) 70's farce – and while his fellow actors aren't exactly who you'd want to find yourself in bed with, he's happy to be in work.
But while there may be comedy on stage, offstage it's rapidly turning into a whodunnit. First the director drops dead, then another premature death follows soon after when an audio producer doing a promo for the show dies in suspicious circumstances.
The cast are hiding some shady secrets, and have plenty of skeletons in their cupboards which they don't want rattled, but would anyone go as far as murder to protect themselves? Charles is determined to find out, and turns detective in an attempt to find out if foul play is afoot...
This witty, stylish dramatisation by Jeremy Front stars Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Skylight, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) as Charles Paris, with Suzanne Burden as his long-suffering wife Frances.
Written by Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett.
Author: Simon Brett
Author Simon Brett
Narrator Various
SeriesFather Paolo Baldi Mysteries Series 4, Book 1
Duration 43m
On sabbatical from the Franciscan order, Father Paolo Baldi is working as a philosophy lecturer in Dublin when his life takes an unexpected turn and he finds himself helping the police to solve crimes. In Cross Purposes, Father Baldi teams up with a surprisingly adept Father Troy to solve some crossword-related murders in Dublin's literary circles....
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A Charles Paris Mystery Book 15: A Reconstructed Corpse
Author: Simon Brett
Author Simon Brett
Narrator Bill Nighy
SeriesCharles Paris Mysteries, Book 15
Duration 1h 52m
Bill Nighy returns as Charles Paris: unsuccessful actor, bad husband and dipsomaniac. Desperately in need of work, having been kicked out of the marital home, Charles jumps at playing a missing property developer in a crime reconstruction programme. But the missing person case soon turns to murder when severed body parts begin to appear. Television...
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Author: Jeremy Front
Author Jeremy Front
Narrator Full Cast
Duration 27m
Beth just wants what's best for her 11 year old son; a solid secondary education at the kind of school that recognises his genius, as well as his aptitude for baroque music. A school like Folgate. But when the family is edged out of Folgate's catchment area, a battle begins. Beth takes on the might of the council with a mixture of community action,...
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A Charles Paris Mystery Book 6: The Dead Side of the Mic
Author: Simon Brett
Author Simon Brett
Narrator Full Cast
SeriesCharles Paris Mysteries, Book 6
Duration 1h 52m
Actor and reluctant sleuth Charles Paris is facing chaos on the domestic front. He's lodging with his ex-wife Frances, and now their pregnant daughter has moved in as well. It's all a bit much... So he is over the moon when he lands a job on the BBC Radio Rep - but the ink is barely dry on his contract when a murder takes place in Broadcasting Hous...
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Author: Simon Brett
Author Simon Brett
Narrator Various
SeriesFather Paolo Baldi Mysteries Series 1, Book 1
Duration 44m
On sabbatical from the Franciscan order, Father Paolo Baldi is working as a philosophy lecturer in Dublin when his life takes an unexpected turn and he finds himself helping the police to solve crimes. Keepers Of The Flame sees Father Baldi solving the murder of a leading University academic. He follows the trail which leads into the past of one of...
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Author: Simon Brett
Author Simon Brett
Narrator Various
SeriesFather Paolo Baldi Mysteries Series 1, Book 5
Duration 44m
On sabbatical from the Franciscan order, Father Paolo Baldi is working as a philosophy lecturer in Dublin when his life takes an unexpected turn and he finds himself helping the police to solve crimes. Death Cap sees Father Baldi visiting a monastic retreat far out in County Cork. A sudden death among the Franciscan brothers causes Paolo to suspect...
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A Charles Paris Mystery Book 4: An Amateur Corpse
Author: Simon Brett, Jeremy Front
Author Simon Brett, Jeremy Front
Narrator Bill Nighy, Full Cast
SeriesCharles Paris Mysteries, Book 4
Duration 1h 52m
Charles is out of work again, and to make matters worse his mother has come to stay and he's no way of escaping her. So when he's offered some voiceover work by old friend, Hugo, he's delighted to get out of the house. But Hugo's marriage is in trouble: his much younger wife, Ellie, spends all her time at her Amateur Dramatic Group, and Hugo is dri...
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Author: Simon Brett
Author Simon Brett
Narrator Various
SeriesFather Paolo Baldi Mysteries Series 3, Book 2
Duration 43m
On sabbatical from the Franciscan order, Father Paolo Baldi is working as a philosophy lecturer in Dublin when his life takes an unexpected turn and he finds himself helping the police to solve crimes. The Bookcase sees Father Baldi help a librarian investigate the link between her young lover's death, a shifty Chicago cop, and an illegal trade in...
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A Charles Paris Mystery Book 9: Murder In the Title
Author: Simon Brett
Author Simon Brett
Narrator Bill Nighy
SeriesCharles Paris Mysteries, Book 9
Duration 1h 50m
Charles Paris is his own worst enemy, a louche lush who can resist anything except temptation - especially in the form of women and alcohol. He's been out of work so long now he feels he may never get a job and he's driving Frances, his semi-ex-wife, mad. So when he's offered a small role in a play, she nearly pushes him out of the door. But it see...
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Author: Simon Brett
Author Simon Brett
Narrator Various
SeriesFather Paolo Baldi Mysteries Series 2, Book 4
Duration 42m
On sabbatical from the Franciscan order, Father Paolo Baldi is working as a philosophy lecturer in Dublin when his life takes an unexpected turn and he finds himself helping the police to solve crimes. Not For Life covers the story of a girl's suspected suicide. When questions are raised as to whether her death was accidental, Paolo follows the tra...
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