Sure, it sounded easy. Find a stolen coin and return it to its rightful owner. But soon the case gets complicated, dead bodies start stacking up, and the life of a good girl wronged long ago hangs in the balance. In this full-cast dramatization of Chandler's third novel, BBC Radio 4 harkens back to the acting styles, orchestration, and gritty feel of 1940s radio to take on one of the most American of all icons--Philip Marlowe, private eye. English actor Toby Stephens (THE GREAT GATSBY) unfurls his best hard-boiled L.A. accent, and the ageless Judy Parfitt is exceptional as his tough, eccentric client, Elizabeth Bright Murdock. This understated production digs deep and finds the small human details that have made Marlowe such a compelling character for more than 75 years.
Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2011
Duration: 1 hr, 30 mins
Publisher: AudioGo
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In the latest Kinsey Millhone mystery, Kinsey is hired by an aged, wealthy man to retrieve his daughter from prison, where she has served time for embezzlement. Kinsey quickly figures out that the girl isn’t an embezzler but instead has done time for her money-laundering boss. All heck breaks loose. Judy Kaye has a warm, rich voice that seems just right for Grafton’s P.I. Her delivery mirrors the smart-aleck tenor of much of Kinsey’s dialogue. Strangely though, when Kaye is interpreting a male character (and there are many), she raises her voice to a higher register, so that many of the men sound like adolescents with changing voices, or worse, like chipmunks. It may be Kaye’s subtle social comment, though. For once the listener adapts, this odd gender reversal seems natural.
Pub Date: July 13, 2004
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Benedict Juliard, forced from steeplechase racing, becomes increasingly involved in politics and protecting his father's life. Prebble's relaxed but masterful command of characters allows an easy flow during conversations, as well as the sudden transformations from narrative to action scenes. His clear, precise speech; polished style of delivery; and sense of timing give a steady consistency and excellence to his reading. Prebble carries the main characters with ease, but he seems to delight in performing the secondary characters, who feature a great variety of accents to match their roles. Another polished performance by a master of reading.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1998
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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