It is her characteristic generosity rather than her love of animals that finds Mrs Pargeter supporting her friend, Jasmine Angold, at a charity reception for PhiliPussies, whose worthy aim is to rehabilitate stray cats from the Greek island of Atmos into caring English homes. But the evening is to have unexpected consequences. At the event, Mrs P is taken aback to meet a woman who claims to be the sister of her late husband, the much-missed Mr Pargeter. This surprising encounter leads to u...

Charles Paris, an out-of-work actor, takes a star gig as a forklift driver in a Delmoleen Company corporate video. Something about Delmoleen is deeply troubling to Charles. That “happy family” facade may be just that. Mockery, jealousy, lust, envy, they all seem to be pervasive. Still, the work is easy and the money is good; it's even fun learning to manipulate a forklift. But it's a responsibility too, as Charles soon discovers: a forklift can be made into a potent murder weapon.

Paula Wilcox and David Wood star in this BBC Radio sitcom about an upwardly mobile husband and wife climbing the social ladder in suburbiaHelen and Ben have recently moved into a lovely semi-detached house in an up-and-coming area, and are eager to restore their home to its original character (complete with open fireplace in the living room and milkmaid's yoke on the wall). They're also keen to host dinner parties and mix with the right sort of people - to the baff...

'Few crime writers are so enchantingly gifted' Sunday Times'One of British crime's most assured craftsmen . . . Crime writing just like in the good old days, and perfect entertainment' Guardian_______________________For Major Bricket, attending church in his village of Stunston Peveril in Suffolk is a good way to keep up with the village gossip. Having only recently retired from a career where he w...

Having landed a small part in a new West End play, The Habit of Faith, Charles Paris is dismayed to discover that his good fortune has been orchestrated by his bête noire, the now-famous screen actor Justin Grover. But why has Grover become involved in this relatively obscure production – and why has he roped in Charles to star? From the outset the production is fraught with difficulties – and matters become even more complicated when a body is discovered at the foot of the dressing room s...

'Brilliant! Will make a perfect Xmas stocking filler'Bronya Ralley'Delightful. This dip-in-anywhere book put a smile on my face from the first page . . . for everyone who likes a good chuckle'Ruth MilliganAs we all know, the oxymoron is one of the great beauties of the English language. It has been defined as 'a figure of speech that juxtaposes elements that appear to be contradictory'. Famous examples would include 'bitter-sweet', 'open secret' and 'compassio...

Having been booked to give a talk at Fethering Library, successful author Burton St Clair invites his old friend Jude to come along. Although they haven't met for 20 years, Jude is not surprised to find that St Clair hasn't changed, with his towering ego and somewhat shaky relationship with the truth. What Jude hadn't been suspecting however was that the evening would end in sudden, violent death. More worrying, from Jude's point of view, is the fact that the investigating police officers ...

Ten mysteries by some of the finest writers from America and Britain.Esteemed mystery writer Anne Perry, author of more than twenty-five novels and two acclaimed detective series, heads up a delectable cast of writers, the very best from both sides of the Atlantic. In the tradition of honored crime writers Agatha Christie, Malice Domestic, Volume 6 jumps the pond between Britain and America to deliver 100 percent pure suspense in all its spine-tingling glo...

Bill Nighy stars as the irrepressible Charles Paris in these five BBC Radio dramatisationsActor, alcoholic and amateur sleuth Charles Paris returns in another quintet of humorous theatrical thrillers. All Charles asks for is a nice juicy part in a successful play - but wherever he appears on the bill, murder and mystery always play a starring role...The Cinderella Killer - Panto seems the perfect way to spend the Christmas season f...

Bill Nighy returns as the actor and amateur sleuth, Charles ParisBored, broke and reduced to baring all as a life model, Charles Paris is relieved to land a role in a new sitcom – even if it is woefully unfunny. But no sooner has filming begun than things start to go wrong. First a charmless PA dies in a freak accident, then the young, cocksure director bites the dust. Once again, Charles finds himself on the case, hunting for clues from a host of showbiz suspects ...

An antique book has a way of bringing the past into the present, carrying traces of all those readers that have possessed it throughout its lifetime.Sometimes those traces are as minor as a name, scrawled inside the front cover; other times they are more glaring, as, for example, the heavy eraser marks that censor Professor Derrick Rounsevell's newly-inherited copy of Bibliotheca Classica, an obscure encyclopedia from the eighteenth century. A past owner endeavored to remo...

'A new Simon Brett novel is an event for mystery fans!' P.D. James'Simon Brett writes stunning detective stories. I would recommend them to anyone' Jilly CooperIntroducing a new, but not-so-amateur, sleuth from another peaceful English village with an alarmingly high death rate! The first mystery in a new cosy series from one of the world's favourite crime writers - perfect for fans of Richard Osmand, Janice Hallett, Robert Thorogoo...