'Miraculously right: catching precisely the tone of the relationship . . . thrilling' - The Times'A must for all Wimsey lovers . . . an entertaining read' - Northern EchoIt's 1940, and while the Second World War rages on, Harriet Vane - now Lady Peter Wimsey - has taken her children to safety in the country.But the war has followed them: glamorous RAF pilots and even more glamorous land-girls scandalise the villager...

'A delight.' - Irish Times'A pitch-perfect Golden Age mystery . . . a gem of a period puzzle' - Financial TimesThirty years ago, Lord Peter Wimsey encountered the Attenbury emeralds. The recovery of Lord Attenbury's magnificent gem made headlines - and launched the shell-shocked young aristocrat on his career as a detective.Now it is 1951: a happily married Lord Peter has just shared the secrets of that mystery with...

BBC radio productions of the works of Sylvia Townsend Warner - plus bonus programmes about the author herselfSylvia Townsend Warner was a prolific author of novels, short stories and poetry, who also wrote a biography of T. H. White, translated Proust and was an authority on Tudor church music. A sharp, insightful storyteller, she was one of the 20th Century's most acute observers of English mores, and her work is infused with subversive themes reflecting her femin...

Dramatisations and readings of five of Josephine Tey's classic mystery novelsScottish novelist and playwright Josephine Tey was one of the greatest Golden Age crime writers and the author of eight mysteries, including six featuring Scotland Yard inspector Alan Grant. The most famous of these, The Daughter of Time, was acclaimed the greatest crime novel of all time by the Crime Writers' Association. A full-cast dramatisation of this iconic story is included...

BBC Radio adaptations of Aldous Huxley’s finest works – plus a bonus documentary programme‘Over nine hours’ worth of quality drama… The stories presented in ‘A BBC Radio Collection’ combine to give the listener a taste of Huxley’s versatility as a writer. His vivid imagination always leaves the listener with philosophical ideas to ponder.’ Greg Jameson, Entertainment FocusPhilosopher, pacifist, psychonaut and prophet, Aldo...

The recovery of the magnificent gem in Lord Attenbury's dazzling heirloom launched a shell-shocked young aristocrat on his career as a detective in 1921. Thirty years later, a happily married Lord Peter has just shared the secrets of that mystery with his wife, the detective novelist Harriet Vane. Suddenly, the new Lord Attenbury—grandson of Lord Peter's first client—seeks his help to prove who owns the emeralds. As Harriet and Peter contemplate the changes that the war has wrought on Engl...

A quartet of classic Ealing comedy films, reimagined for BBC RadioBetween 1947 and 1957, Ealing Studios produced a series of immensely popular, darkly funny film comedies that made the West London borough famous throughout the world. Almost 50 years later, four of these timeless films were recreated for BBC Radio 4, and are now collected together for the first time.The Ladykillers – Eccentric elderly widow Mrs Wilberforce unwitting...

Basil Hallward, an artist, meets Dorian Gray and paints his portrait. The artist is so infatuated with Dorian’s beauty that he begins to believe it is the reason for his quality of art. Dorian becomes convinced that beauty is all-important and wishes his portrait could age instead of him. But each time Dorian commits a sin, his portrait ages, eventually showing him what is happening to his soul.

When attractive, impulsive, English widow Lilia takes a holiday in Italy, she causes a scandal by marrying Gino, a dashing and highly unsuitable Italian twelve years her junior. Her prim, snobbish in-laws make no attempt to hide their disapproval, and when Lilia's decision eventually brings disaster, her English relatives embark on an expedition to face the uncouth foreigner. But when they are confronted by the beauty of Italy and the charm and vitality of the disreputable Gino, they are f...

Vanity Fair is a satirical masterpiece; a sweeping panorama of early 19th Century English Life. Thackeray's much-celebrated novel has been dramatized for television, radio and most recently for film starring Reese Witherspoon and Romola Garai. It follows the fortunes of the virtuous Amelia Sedley and the infamous Becky Sharp. Becky is one of literature's most important and controversial female characters; born into the lower classes, she must rely upon her wit, guile and sexuality...

Set against some of the most momentous events in 19th century Europe, this epic novel examines the relationship between the individual and the relentless march of history. Here are the universal themes of love and hate, ambition and despair, youth and age, expressed with a swirling vitality which makes the story as accessible today as it was when it was first published in 1869. nonetheless deals effectively with the intensely personal experiences of its characters. It features Tolstoy's mo...

Thackeray’s novel is a bitingly satirical depiction of the corruptions of Regency society. But it is also a splendidly readable tale, written in the manner of 18th Century novels. Few of the characters are noted for their virtue, but the zest and enthusiasm with which the narrative bounds along makes the reader overlook, if not forgive, the sins of its rogues and scoundrels. The novel’s protagonist, Becky Sharp, goes her own wily way but wins the reader’s admiration nonetheless for her res...