Mark and Molly, a married couple, share the same birthday although occupy different positions on the astrological chart. Molly is fastidious, devoted and frugal and hopes that Mark can appreciate her approach to life and adopt it for the sake of their growing family. A poignant story about the innate power of nature over nurture and the pointlessne...

Written with biting satire, much humor and a pervading melancholy, this story is a fine example of Fay Weldon's exquisite and accomplished talent for short story writing.

A classic and puzzling Father Brown mystery to amaze and delight with twists and turns galore and wonderful characterization by Edward Hardwicke - TV's Dr. Watson from The Adventures of Sherock Holmes. Hardwicke's gravelly low tones are a perfect suit to any detective story and a reader will be totally captured after his first few words.

This chilling classic Irish short story is one of the best in the genre and is read in a fitting Irish brogue by T.P. McKenna. The very beautiful Nora Guare and her Mother live in the lonesome district of West Munster in Ireland. Their cabin is the only one within a three mile radius. One day along comes the Brown man on his Brown horse wearing Bro...

Legal loopholes, mistaken identity and unreliable evidence all feature in this story of a murder trial where all is not as 'cut and dried' as it seems. An old woman has been murdered, but who did it, and will retribution be forthcoming?

A selection of fictional murders committed by reason of love and hate: crimes passionnel. Stories: Mad / de Maupassant First Hate / Algernon Blackwood A Double Tragedy / Louisa M. Alcott Inside Information / Stephen Phillips Who Killed Zebedee? / Wilkie Collins. A thrilling and involving collection of blood-thirsty and psychologically intreguing cr...

After an automobile race outside Dublin, a 26-year-old Irishman named Jimmy, the son of a wealthy former butcher, accompanies the French team back into the city. Then follows an evening of eating, drinking, yachting and gambling, which Jimmy, or more likely his wallet, may live to rue.

A coming-of-age story of sorts, which follows a boy from Dublin as he fantasises over his friend's sister. Also a tale of disillusionment and 'growing up', the story is a skilful expose of the naivety of youth and the unrealistic expectations we place on others. A stunning examination of an adolescent mind and the conflicts between youth and adulth...

Mrs. Mooney, separated from her husband, a butcher who descended into alcoholism, runs a boarding house for working men. Her daughter Polly entertains the boarders by singing and flirts with them. When Mrs. Mooney learns that her daughter is having an affair with one of the men, she starts to wonder how she may manipulate the situation. An interest...

Another top-notch selection of Irish stories, once again superbly read by that master story-teller, T.P. McKenna. Stories: Grace - James Joyce, Home Sickness - George Moore, The Ghost & The Bone-setter - Sheridan Le Fanu, Two Or Three Witnesses - C.E.Montague, The Stolen Sheep - John Banim

Taken from the collection 'Further Fables For Our Time', this tale from James Thurber will delight cat lovers and loathers alike. William the cat lives his life believing that he is the centre of the world. Although other cats take against his egotism and pompous nature, William trots through life unawares, until one day peril aboard a ship changes...

Jane Austen makes two appearances on this brilliant collection that also includes such revered writers as Mary Shelly and Virginia Woolf. With stories ranging from tear-jerkers to passionate tales of love and jealousy, this collection has something for everyone, young or old, male or female.

A shepherd nears his final hours in this bleak yet insightful and evocative picture of dying. Encompassing many of the stages of grief, the man experiences fear, resignation and resolution in this lonely tale which also examines religion and the possible solace of companionship.

Some great and varied short stories written by The 39 Steps thriller writer, John Buchan. Perhaps best remembered for 'The 39 Steps', John Buchan also wrote several collections of short stories. In this selection, tales about war-time code-breaking (echoing Buchan's own experience as an Intelligence Officer in WW1), cannibalism, and swashbuckling a...

A sensual and evocative story about a married woman whose desires are enflamed by another woman, the distant and non-committal Pearl. A study of the urges of women and men alike, ideas of fidelity and hidden longing, this story is both melancholy and hopeful, with a female protagonist that doesn't quite fit the mould and is empathetically and inter...

The master of surreal and wonderful fiction presents a story about one of his most famous characters - the perpetually grinning and ever-riddling Cheshire Cat. Alice's friend/tormentor in Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat has been immortalized in art, film, cartoon, television and now on audio.

Emily and Charles, an English couple, take the car from Dover to Calais in France. Following a rather average lunch of soggy chips ("I thought you said the French make the best chips" - Emily) they motor South until they arrive at a beautiful old hotel, a former Royal palace in the middle of champagne country. While Emily is changing for dinner Cha...

Arsene Lupin, master criminal and 'gentleman thief', is locked up in a prison cell when a brilliant crime bearing all of his hallmarks is committed. Could there be a copy-cat criminal out there in the underworld? But who could match the cunning, agility and grace of Arsene Lupin?

A very clever story which will keep you guessing right up until the twist in the tale. Dame Muriel Spark's talent for crime fiction abounds here and her hitherto undiscovered detective has surprises and answers in store for sleuthing listeners.

Oliver Goldsmith's "Adventures of a Strolling Player" explores the fickleness of fame. This rollicking, exuberant tale flows effortlessly from the pen of the great 18th century master storyteller and from the lips of T. P. McKenna, whose Irish brogue suits the story perfectly. It is the uproarious story of a travelling player who likes to embellish...

This truly spooky story leaves a listener chilled and unsure which characters to pity. An abusive and cruel husband wears down his wife to the degree that she never argues or complains but lives an existence of quiet misery. When circumstances change drastically, the man's servants start to hear her voice when he cannot - is he going insane or is s...