Showing results by narrator "Richard Fox" in All Categories

The Complete Short Stories is a collection to be loved and cherished, from one of the finest short-story writers of the twentieth century. From the cruel irony of A member of the Family to the fateful echoes of The Go-Away Bird and the unexpectedly sinister The Girl I Left Behind Me, in settings that range from South Africa to the Portobello Road, Muriel Spark coolly probes the idiosyncrasies that lurk beneath the veneer of human respectability, displaying the acerbic wit and wisdom that are the hallmarks of her unique talent.

The gifted filmmaker, corduroy activist and amateur dentist, Richard Ayoade, first chanced upon a copy of The Two-Hander Trilogy by Harauld Hughes in a second-hand bookshop. At first startled by his uncanny resemblance to the author's photo, he opened the volume and was electrified. Terse, aggressive, and elliptical, what was true of Ayoade was also true of Hughes's writing, which encompassed stage, screen, and some of the shortest poems ever published.

Bow Street Magistrates Court is justly famous as the birthplace of an efficient system of summary jurisdiction. Less well-known are some of the fascinating characters who have taken part in the court's dramas over the years. Most people know of the early pioneer stipendiary magistrates Henry and John Fielding. But what of Nicholas Bond, the ambitious and devious Bow Street Runner who (under John's patronage) became a clerk of the court and later a Bow Street Magistrate?

When Scotland Yard’s first detective branch was set up in 1842, crime was very different from today. The favoured murder weapon was the cut-throat razor; carrying a pocket watch was dangerous; the most significant clue at a murder scene could be the whereabouts of a candlestick or hat; large households (family, servants and lodgers) complicated many a case; and servants sometimes murdered their masters.

In 1878 the Criminal Investigation Department replaced Scotland Yard's corrupt and discredited Detective Branch. In this classic story of the early days of detection, Joan Lock tells the fascinating story of the creation of the CID, the scandal which preceded it, and the successes and failures of the new organisation, including early cases such as the four murders by Ernest Southey, the ferocious outbreak of dockland killings in 1869 and the more familiar Bravo, Neill Cream and Jack the Ripper crimes.

Michael Bale is an elite close protection officer. That's why the Met police has given him the toughest job of all: guarding the Minister of Defence at a moment when Chinese-British relations have hit a deadly boiling point. And when Michael's life isn't on the line for his work, he's taking his chances waging war on a powerful London gang family. Their dealer supplied a lethal ecstasy pill to his sister, and Michael is determined to take them down, one at a time.

A collection of short stories, The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories was first published in 1979 and awarded the Cheltenham Festival Literary Prize. This Audible exclusive adaptation is narrated by legendary actors, Richard Armitage and Emilia Fox, who take on different chapters of the audiobook. Among these are 'The Bloody Chamber', 'The Courtship of Mr Lyon', 'The Tiger's Bride', 'Puss in Boots', 'The Erl-King', 'The Snow Child', 'The Lady of the House of Love', 'The Werewolf' and 'Wolf-Alice'.

Former close protection officer Mickey Bale has a dangerous skillset. One that many men—good and bad—want to make use of. That's why a powerful Russian oligarch wants to hire Mickey to protect him. And with his wife gone and his track record with the Met in tatters, Mickey doesn't feel he has a choice. But when a terrorist attack kills a police firearms team, MI5 suspect that Mickey's new client and the Russian GRU are involved. The bomb was a Sunburn missile warhead, military-grade and able to vaporise everything in its blast radius. And there are more warheads out there.

It’s been more than a decade since gang leader Billy Evans stepped away from his life on the wrong side of the law to mourn the murder of his wife. Yet when he is hit by a second tragedy, his first thoughts are not of loss, but of revenge. However, before he can make his first move, Billy is presented with an alternative method of extracting vengeance. One so intriguing that he quickly finds his past passion for organised violence reinvigorated.

Detective Chief Inspector James Hardy is enjoying a rare day out with his two young daughters when he makes the mistake of answering his phone—it's his boss. A young mother, out walking her baby, has been murdered in broad daylight. Followed quickly, by a second terrifying, vicious attack on a young woman who's a family friend of Hardy and his daughters. Shaken and heartbroken, Hardy assists the team leading the investigation into a killer dubbed the Regent's Park Ripper.

When Inspector James Hardy learns the body of a young woman discovered in the River Thames is that of a friend, his life goes into a tail-spin. The victim’s flatmate is on the run for her life. She could be the key to catching the killer. In a race against time, Hardy must track her down before the killer does. As the truth behind the investigation unfolds, Hardy’s own family come under threat. With two young daughters to protect and an investigation that twists and turns, Hardy finds himself pushed to the limit.

DCI James Hardy was hoping for a quiet life. He stepped away from his career at Scotland Yard and moved his family to the south coast to start over. But now the past is catching up with him. Hardy recently learned that Edward Fischer, the man he arrested for a string of killings, is also the man who orchestrated his wife's murder. And now, Fischer has escaped from prison and is on the run. Fischer is a free man, and before he disappears for good, he's looking for compensation from Hardy.

James Hardy has walked away from Scotland Yard and has found love again, making a fresh start in a small seaside town. With his new career as a consultant taking off and the demons of the past behind him, Hardy's life couldn't be better. But the peace is about to be shattered. When a series of shocking murders take place in the seaside town, Hardy is contacted by local detective for advice. Hardy learns the disturbing crimes have all the hallmarks of a serial killer linked to his past.

Detective Chief Inspector James Hardy’s caseload is bursting at the seams. A serial murderer dubbed The Angel Killer is stalking young women in and around London, and an assassin is picking off high-profile political figures one by one, with his ultimate target being the prime minister herself. Both cases land squarely on Hardy’s desk even as he struggles to rebuild a stable home for himself and his two young daughters after the senseless murder of their mother.

When teenager Leanne Churcher stormed out from the family home after another clash with her mother, she went to stay with a friend. She'd left the family home under a cloud before; after a day or two she always came home. Always. She usually just needed some time to cool off. After all, teenagers can be like that. Right? When after a few days she didn't return, and no trace of her can be found, the family begin to panic. The police assume she's an angry teenager whose run away. Why wouldn't they? There's no evidence to suggest foul play of any kind.

Inspector Hardy has retreated to Dorset on the south coast where he plans to spend long overdue quality time with his young daughters and pregnant partner. The sabbatical is short-lived when he is thrust back into the dark world of murder after a family with twin boys is found dead at their home in the countryside. Hardy pulls together a small team to investigate the devastating crime, which is the latest in a series of similar crimes. With no apparent motive and the only similarity between the families being twin boys, the team struggle to hunt a killer who seems unstoppable.

Demons is a free adaptation of Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, set in modern times. In Doctor Faustus a learned Doctor of Divinity sells his soul to the devil Mephistophilis for forbidden knowledge. In Demons, Dr Faustus has become Peter Proud, a professor of Christian values at Harvard Divinity School.