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Rumpole and the Reign of Terror
- Narrated by: Bill Wallis
- Series: Rumpole of the Bailey, Book 14
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thriller & Suspense
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Summary
In the dark days of the war on terror, only one man can be counted on to fight injustice, defend the innocent, and insist on a fair and decent trial for all, contrary to New Labour's new anti-terrorism laws. Rumpole's wig may be yellowing at the roots, his gown might be in tatters, but the oldest inhabitant of 4 Equity Court has no use for the word 'retirement'.
There's the larcenous Timson family to defend, suicide bombers to dodge, Pommeroy's Wine Bar to frequent, and the financing of the Rumpole household - with Hilda's indulgence in luxury cleaning products - to look after. But when the beautiful Tiffany Timson's husband is arrested on suspicion of terrorism, Rumpole prepares to drop everything and take on his biggest challenge yet.
Horrified to learn that the accused doesn't even know what he's charged with, he determines to insist upon a fair trial for the Pakistani doctor. But battling against the new legislation, and the slippery Home Secretary, proves a tricky task. And when She Who Must Be Obeyed starts locking herself in the box room, 'minding her own business', Rumpole finds himself losing the plot, clueless about the goings on, even in his own mansion flat. Is the Anglophile doctor really an Al Qaeda agent? Will Rumpole discover Hilda's secret before it's too late? Will the Timson family ever forgive him for defending a 'terrorist'?
What listeners say about Rumpole and the Reign of Terror
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Performance
- Chris Wilkinson
- 12-04-22
highly entertaining.
very entertaining, and enjoyable,i could hardly put the book down, expert narration , very amusing at times.
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- Mrs. Ann M. Mcmahon
- 26-03-22
Rumpole Rises Triumphant
Another delicious encounter with Old Bailey maestro, Horace Rumpole! Hearing more of the voice of 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' was fascinating, and the excellent Bill Wallis did full justice to all voices, as ever - all puns intended!
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- Roy New
- 24-09-21
Good old Rumpole
Truly lovely listen.
If you like Rumpole you will enjoy this.
I have downloaded the next.
Enjoy
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- Amazon Customer
- 17-07-21
A treat for Rumpole fans
If you're an admirer of John Mortimer 's creation you're going to love this. And Bill Wallis is the perfect narrator.
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- Richmonde
- 25-04-19
Terrible audio quality
A combination of bad audio quality and Bill Wallis's performance makes this recording very hard to understand. Wallis is a good actor, and he characterises Hilda, Dr Khan and the Timsons well, but his Rumpole is given a fruity voice which makes him almost incomprehensible.
This is a later book, written after the TV series had finished, so Mortimer was able to take liberties with some long-running characters. Many people feel that the series jumped the shark, and that Mortimer should have left it where it was, but I disagree. The later stories are always interesting, sometimes moving, and always convey Mortimer's ideas. His excellent prose and wit don't fade, either.
Yes, the Rumpoles, Dodo and the Mad Bull are all now about 103, in a world of "word processors" and unwelcome changes to the law. But like Hercule Poirot, they are frozen at the age of about 65. And the human heart is eternally young.
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- David Share
- 17-12-10
Reign of Terror
If you are not a real Rumpole fan skip this one. The audio quality is not good which spoils it for me.
The story is not quite up to par for Rumpole also.
2 people found this helpful
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- mr kieran j murphy
- 06-10-18
great Rumpole
rumpole is a great series and we'll worth a listen, this book included. listen to them in order for the best results.
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- PGlickman
- 04-12-16
I love this Book!
This is my fave thus far! And I've been reading Rumpole for years! Hilda needs her own book too!
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- paul
- 05-10-16
a triumph
Reign is one of Mortimer's best Rumpole stories. And Bill Wallis is brilliant as always.
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- Amazon Customer
- 13-01-16
She Who Must Be Obeyed Strikes Back!
Hilda starts writing her memoirs and commands a portion of this very well done statement on the effect of fear of terrorism on the British judicial system.
"The person who is willing to trade freedom for security deserves neither." Ben Franklin
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- Daniel Norton
- 09-07-15
Poor quality audio
Skip this one until they remaster the audio, which sounds like it was recorded through a cardboard tube in an empty garage.