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The Pale Horse

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The Pale Horse

By: Agatha Christie
Narrated by: Full Cast, Jeremy Clyde, Stephanie Cole, Terence Alexander, Hilda Schroder, Mary Wimbush, Stephen Hodson, Jonathan Adams, Federay Holmes
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About this listen

A BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation from the Queen of Crime.

Father Gorman is called to a dingy rooming house to see a woman who, before she dies, confesses a bizarre tale to him. Leaving the house he is followed but, in the fog, a fatal blow is struck. Nine names on a piece of paper found in the dead priest's shoe is recovered. The clue leads Mark Easterbrook, a historian, to The Pale Horse Inn, home of three women: a psychic, a medium and a witch.

With the help of his friend and esteemed author, Ariadne Oliver, can they unravel the strange occult mysteries and piece together the evidence?

Starring Jeremy Clyde as Mark Easterbrook and Stephanie Cole as Ariadne Oliver.

Dramatised by Michael Bakewell
Directed by Enyd Williams

 Classics Crime Thrillers Entertainment & Performing Arts Fiction Mystery Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Adaptation Crime Thriller Detective Magic Users Dramatised Mystery
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This was one of Agatha Christie's later books and generally they aren't as involving or convincing as those from the 30's or 40's, but I'm happy to say that I think this one bucks the trend.
The main protagonist, Mark Easterbrook, is played with a convincing mix of suavity and inquisitiveness by Jeremy Clyde, and Ariadne Oliver (here more than ever obviously based on AC herself) is brought to life superbly by Stephanie Cole. I think she brings a sense of exasperation, muddle-headedness and practical common sense to the role - which I think suits the character well.
The story doesn't really lend itself to a full book, which is probably why it works so well here as a dramatisation. There's just enough pointers in the dialogue and in the use of music to hint that the setting is the late 50's, which I think helps with the atmosphere.
This isn't the normal Poirot or Marple story but for someone looking for a fun, engaging cast and a slightly macabre (but not supernatural) play then you should definitely give it a go!

Very nicely dramatised

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I very much enjoyed this audio book. It's one of my favourite stories. I can listen to the dramatisation of this book on a regular basis. I like the twists and turns of the story and how the actors seem to really connect with the characters.

A very enjoyable dramatisation of The Pale Horse

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