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Val McDermid: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Five Full-Cast BBC Radio Productions

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Val McDermid: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

By: Val McDermid
Narrated by: full cast, Charlotte Coleman, Jane Hazelgrove, Jimmy Chisholm, Helen Baxendale, Gina McKee, Hannah Donaldson, Siobhan Redmond, Claire Knight, David Seddon
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About this listen

A BBC Radio collection of full-cast dramatisations, radio plays and short stories by the best-selling crime writer.

Award-winning 'Queen of Crime' Val McDermid has sold over 17 million books worldwide, and been translated into over 40 languages. Her Wire in the Blood series was adapted for TV, starring Robson Green and Hermione Norris, and ran for six seasons. Included here are full-cast adaptations of several of her acclaimed novels, as well as four tales specially written for BBC Radio.

Clean Break - When a Monet is stolen from a stately home where she'd arranged the security, Manchester-based PI Kate Brannigan sets off on a chase across Europe that brings her face-to-face with organised crime. Starring Charlotte Coleman.

The Right Chemistry - Jane Hazelgrove stars in this follow-up to Clean Break, which sees Kate embroiled in a deadly case of industrial sabotage, blackmail, counterfeiting and murder.

The Distant Echo - Late one night in the snow, four students stumble upon the body of a dead girl. 25 years later, the police launch a cold-case review of the unsolved murder—but is the killing over? A thrilling dramatisation of the first Karen Pirie novel, starring Jimmy Chisholm, John-Paul Hurley and Claire Knight.

Village SOS - Investigating a murder in the sleepy Northumbrian village of Shilwick, DCI Marion Bettany and DS John Hodgson find the residents curiously reluctant to help. Helen Baxendale and David Seddon star as the detective duo.

Resistance - Midsummer, and 150,000 revellers are partying at the Solstice music festival. But then people start to get sick with a mystery illness: one that's highly contagious and seemingly resistant to antibiotics.... Gina McKee stars in this chilling, apocalyptic drama.

I Remember Yesterday - A young woman haunts Edinburgh's alleyways, seeking revenge to the '70s strains of Donna Summer. Hannah Donaldson reads this spine-chilling ghost story.

Same Crime, Next Year - Set in Harrogate, this gripping tale imagines the fallout from the torrid affair of two crime writers. Read by Siobhan Redmond.

Text copyright © Val McDermid 1995 (Clean Break), 2003 (The Distant Echo), 2011 (Village SOS), 2013 (I Remember Yesterday), 2016 (Same Crime, Next Year), 2017 (Resistance).

©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Crime Thrillers Mystery Police Procedurals Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Exciting

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All stars
Most relevant  
If you have a warm afternoon with nothing to do, get outside in the fresh air and listen to the stories and plays or if it’s too wet outside, curl up in your favourite armchair - I had some embroidery to do and whiled away a very pleasant afternoon. Nothing too heavy, a touch of humour and some good characters all beautifully presented for your delight. It won’t suit everyone but if we were all the same where would the fun be??

Afternoon listening

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Excellent. I'm converted to Audible now. I will have to renew my subscription next month. Thank you

So much better than just a book. This was my first

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The Brannigan PI plays have dated a bit but are still entertaining being on the cusp between the social media age.

The gem in this collection is Resistance. I did hear this play many years ago and of corse, now post Covid, it is quite chilling.

The performances are excellent.

Compelling in parts

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I was actually shocked by some of the developments in the story, particularly those showing how the power of the mob can be stronger than any amount of common sense.
Unsurprisingly, the boundaries of possibilities are stretched really far but there are some definite parallels in the early stages of the recent Covid pandemic. The similarities leading to feelings about what if the rest of this story were to happen - once that thought pops into your head then you'll find yourself more open to suggestion.
There are a few jumps and parts of the plot that don't flow. I think that is because the story is so huge and the narrative so limited. Generally a very interesting read. left me thoughtful

resistance

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I enjoyed these stories which were well read and kept my attention. I recommend listening.

Thoroughly enjoyable

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The murder mysteries were ok if a bit formulaic with some poor dialogue. I gave up on Resistance, lost interest.

Cliched dialogue; unoriginal plots

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Some of these stories work better than others.

The first two stories, Clean Break and The Right Chemistry, feature the same protagonist (although played by different actresses). In both cases, the stories feel a bit lacking. In the first one, it all seems to end very quickly. And the second one... I've forgotten it already.

The Distant Echo needed MUCH longer. It should have been at least twice as long. Part of it is told in flashback, but unless you know the original story, it could be quite confusing. There are lots of characters who don't get a chance to develop -- and who you don't get to know, which is a shame. A character is introduced shouting down a phone, and it's not immediately clear what she is shouting. It's only after it's gone on for a minute or two that you realise she is French. So was she shouting in French? In English? As a listener with no knowledge, all you hear is an incomprehensible woman. I was disappointed with this story because the original is so good. In fact, I bought this collection on the back of that story alone.

Village SOS is the weakest by far. It's poorly acted and the characters are the clichés you come across in a soap opera. It felt a lot longer than it actually was, and in the end, I just didn't care whodunnit or why.

Resistance is fantastic. It's told over 3 x 45-minute episodes. Great acting, well directed, and looking back through the lens of Covid, it seems it was also very accurate (up to a point). Val McDermid makes a cameo, I believe.

I Remember Yesterday is a little gem. Only 15 minutes long but it packs a lot in. A murder victim tells us about her murder. Very well read by the actress.

Same Crime, Next Year. Another short story... but less interesting than the last one. Siobhan Redmond does a good job of reading it, I just didn't care for the story.

A mixed bag

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The first and last stories were basically boring. The middle three are ok if not predictable. In general the casts do well to prop up bad material.

Predictable

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