The Infirmary: A DCI Ryan Mystery (Multicast Drama) cover art

The Infirmary: A DCI Ryan Mystery (Multicast Drama)

An Audible Original Drama

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About this listen

Introducing a new multicast drama by L. J. Ross, the author of the international number one best-selling series, the DCI Ryan mysteries.

There's a serial killer targeting the streets of Newcastle, seemingly picking his victims at random but subjecting them all to the same torturous end. When the Chief Inspector on the case goes missing, it falls on DCI Ryan to track down the man who is brutally murdering women and goading the police to 'catch me if you can'.

As everyone becomes a suspect, Ryan and his team get drawn further and further into the case, but for Ryan the nightmare gets closer to home than he could ever have imagined.

This Audible Original drama stars Tom Bateman (Murder on the Orient Express, Jekyll & Hyde, Snatched), Bertie Carvel (Doctor Foster, Les Misérables), Hermione Norris (Spooks, Cold Feet) and Kevin Whately (Lewis, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet) and is a prequel to the DCI Ryan series.

Starring: Alun Armstrong, Rachel Atkins, Tom Bateman, Mark Bazeley, Anna Bolton, Bertie Carvel, Stephen Critchlow, Vicki Davids, Reece Dinsdale, Harriet Ghost, Frances Jeater, Jack Lloyd, Dean Logan, Daniel Matthew Lemon, Roger May, Hermione Norris, Kate Okello, Colleen Prendergast, Shaun Prendergast, Nicholas Rowe, David Seddon, Marlene Sidaway, Tom Slatter, Fiona Victory, Lauren Waine, Kevin Whately and Hannah Wood

Audible member reviews

“I was going to listen to a bit whilst I swept and cleaned the floors and then I had work to do that just couldn't wait any more. I am now the proud owner of the cleanest floor in the UK, and possibly the world! I just couldn't stop, it's a totally gripping and absorbing dramatisation. It was fascinating listening, especially as a long standing fan of LJ Ross' DCI Ryan series, and the idea of giving listeners the back story to how the team came together is inspired. A standing ovation for The Infirmary.” – Melanie, Audible member

“If, like me, you are a DCI Ryan fan then you will already know what this story is about. If you haven't yet met DCI Ryan and his crew then you are in for a treat as this starts the series off in the most chilling of ways. I could feel the goose bumps rising, my skin crawling as you got that absolute detachment, especially from Bertie Carvel as he divulged the killer's thoughts to the listener. With all the thrills and spills of your favourite DCI Ryan novels, brought to life by a stellar cast, this book will hook you from the action filled opening, through the story's dark and chilling heart, to its sad but inevitable conclusion.” – Jen, Audible member

“If you haven't read any DCI Ryan before, you are in for such a treat, and if you have, you are going to LOVE how this brings those much-loved characters completely to life. This Audible Original takes us back to the beginning, and we come to understand how and why Ryan ended up on Holy Island in Book One. With the cast of wonderful characters: Frank, Denise, Jack and the return of Arthur Griegson (superbly played by Alun Armstrong - one of my favourite actors), Ryan is hunting down The Hacker - the killer that has haunted him throughout the series so far. Bertie Carvel stood out for me: a fantastic, spine-chilling performance as the serial killer that has turned Newcastle into a ghost town. Oh, my skin crawled! So many great performances, and I was thrilled to hear genuine North East actors and accents which, along with the music and sound effects, brought authenticity to the whole story. Wonderful stuff.” – Nicky, Audible member

You can also listen to Jonathan Keeble narrating the unabridged version of the story here.©2018 L. J. Ross (P)2018 Audible, Ltd
Audio Performances & Dramatisations Crime Fiction Dramatisations Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Crime Adaptation Murder Exciting Scary Funny Entertainment

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Meet the author and cast of The Infirmary
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I was so looking forward to this drama, but what a flat and uninteresting production. I’ve no doubt the talented cast performed as directed but it made for a disappointing and at times boring listen. It’s a good story but the attempt to make it eerie and threatening fell far short of the mark. It just didn’t hang together. Another reviewer referred to ‘cut and paste’, it certainly came over that way with no chemistry or spark between the actors. I did listen until the end but it wasn’t the gripping listen I had anticipated.

One dimensional

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this had me gripped from start to end. I loved the actors who played their various parts and the story came to life through them. well done LJ

L J at her best

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I have listened to every book by LJ Ross and rated each one a 5 star. This book bothered me. First, it should have been before Holy Island which was presented first in the series. Second, Jonathan Kebble has narrated all previous books. His voice was perfect in every way. The hodgepodge of actors in this narration was nerve wracking to say the least. It just detracted from the story. We waited so long for this next book in the series just to find out it had all been covered in the rest of the series. Big disappointment. I would recommend you leave this story off all together and just start with number one in the series - Holy Island and continue from there. Sorry Audible, this book was just a waste of time.

Don't bother.

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At first I really resented a play rather than a straight narration. But I got used to it and admit it was well done. However, I'd still rather listen to one, at most two, narrators perform an unabridged version of a good, well written thriller - and be able to combine it with my own imagination.

better than I thought it would be

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Absolute must for all Ryan fans and anyone who loves good drama. Quality writing acting and presentation.

A triumph

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No need for the dramatisation. The story would have been much better had it just been read as an audio book without all the other sound effects.

Overly dramatic

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I really enjoyed this, possibly because I recognised all the voices, all very well known names and good actors, so that was a bonus. Whereas I thoroughy enjoy audio books sometimes it can be a bit difficult recognising each character when there is just one narrator and multiple characters.. women doing men's voices and men doing women's voices, doesn't always work, but there again can be quite amusing...like Jeff Harding doing sassy black women.. I digress.... so this was quite a breath of fresh air.
I hope that audible do more along these lines. You knew what everyone looked like so it was like TV in your head.
The story was a good one and it was well written even if...... no spoilers, it was a good story.
The one thing which distracted me were the sound effects, as I had earphones on and attached to my phone, so when it pinged I thought it was a message for me or a police siren made you look up, but that is better than a gunshot!.lol
yes I recommend it.

what a great listen

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OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG What a bloody production!!! Before I rave about the story, I really do have to gush about the production of this audiobook. This is how every audiobook should be done, with multiple people. I mean flipping heck, I really can not tell you how epic this was! The minute details, where you have people walking in the background, answering the phone, running in the street all added to the story.


I loved Hermione Norris narrating this, as the tempo and the threat of the book increased, so did her narration just like it would if you were reading the book by yourself. The panic knowing what was happening, it was there, the fear of what might happen, it was there. My god it was just epic (I have said that already!)

But no matter the production (which was epic) if the storyline was rubbish then what is the point. But guess what….it was NOT rubbish, yup you got it, word of the post, it was EPIC!

I am new to the series and DCI Ryan and his team, but I read a review by Jen (read it here) and I knew my next credit from audible was going on this book! I am now a huge fan of DCI Ryan, and I am glad I had this book before I delved into the series. I learned of the man, some of his history and his fierce determination to get to the truth. He works so hard to solve the killings before another victim turns up, but will he be too late? Working with people lying to him, minimal clues, I came to the same discovery he did, especially when it came to the sad demise of one of the victims.

I played detective alongside Ryan, recently moving from London, in a position which a lot of people resent him for. Set in Newcastle, there is a killer on the loose, and the scenes where it is about him and his victim were chilling, more so with the distorted voice! It was shocking, it was terrifying and it was just so damn good! Listening to this was like it is on the TV but you just couldn’t see the picture. This production demands your attention, as Ross flies you through Newcastle, as Ryan and the killer play cat and mouse.

The killer is one slippery and smooth character, and Bertie Carvel perfectly voiced the internal thoughts of the killer, I love this actor anyway, but now listening to him it gave me chills. Too many!!!


I keep getting distracted by talking about the production and not the story, I can only apologise! Because to be honest they go hand in hand, the storyline was epic, the killer on the loose was scary as hell, how was he getting to the victims, and when one is way way way too close to home, well things go a bit crazy.

The story itself is addictive, and if I was reading this, I would pick this up and no way would I put it down until I finished it. Unfortunately, I could not listen to it in one sitting, but every opportunity I got I was listening. I love the writing of Ms Ross, which is why I am so excited about starting this series. I have been sucked into his world.

As I said, this is my introduction to the series, I was hooked, captivated and excited by it all. This will easily be a series I fall in love with and DCI Ryan, well is it too early to have a crush?

(Sorry for the rambles, not quite sure how to make a succinct review of this without just brain dumping everything! Hope it made some sense!!)

OMG OMG and epic! That is all I can say

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The story , narration & performance of all characters was brilliant. Very Erie & chilling in parts yet I had to continue listening.
I shall definitely be looking up other titles by this author.

Haunting & gripping

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Wonderful dramatization of the prequel to all the immersing L J Ross atmospheric books from Newcastle on Tyne and the tight knit group in CID lead by DCI Ryan.

Spine tingling

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