Simon Brett has 51 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 38 narrators, with an average listener rating of 4.6★ across 197 ratings. The most-rated is Father Paolo Baldi Mysteries.
Father Paolo Baldi Mysteries
Summary
The complete series 1-5 of the thrilling mystery series. On sabbatical from the Franciscan order, Father Paolo Baldi is working as a philosophy lecturer in Dublin when his life takes an unexpected turn and he finds himself helping the police to solve crimes. Along with Tina, Paolo uncovers the truth behind the killings of several rockabilly band members and a high-profile case of a police officer’s murder as well as delving into the highly competitive world of celebrity chefs. He also exposes a rift in a community of environmental activists, enters the world of romantic poetry to solve a suspected suicide, investigates the killing of a politically incorrect figurehead and finds that the death of a homeless man is not as simple as it appears. Follow the priest-cum-sleuth’s thrilling adventures as he solves mysteries throughout Ireland. David Threlfall, Tina Kellegher and T. P. McKenna star in this exciting series written by Simon Brett, Bill Murphy, Andrew Martin, Martin Meenan, John Murphy and Francis Turnly in the series created by Barry Devlin.
©2019 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2019 BBC Worldwide Ltd
Charles Paris: Murder Unprompted
Summary
Bill Nighy stars as Charles Paris in a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Simon Brett's novel.
Charles Paris is understudying in a West End production, whose star Michael Banks seems unable to master the script. Has Charles time to solve a murder, win Frances' heart and make it on stage by the time the curtain goes up?
Also featuring: Suzanne Burden, Danny Webb, Jon Glover, Jemima Rooper, Liza Sadovy, Rachel Bavidge, Nitin Gonatra, Tilly Gaunt, Thomas Arnold, Jot Davies, Leslie Philips, Simon Treves, Jasmin Callan and Miranda Colchester.
Written by Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett.
©2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2015 BBC Worldwide
Charles Paris: Murder in the Title
Summary
Charles Paris is his own worst enemy, a louche lush who can resist anything except temptation - especially in the form of women and alcohol. He’s been out of work so long now he feels he may never get a job and he’s driving Frances, his semi-ex-wife, mad.
So when he’s offered a small role in a play, she nearly pushes him out of the door. But it seems that ‘The Message is Murder’ is such a terrible production that someone wants to kill off the cast. First there is a series of nasty accidents, then someone attempts to stab Charles.
Can he find the murderer before they strike again?
Bill Nighy stars as Charles Paris in this entertaining dramatisation by Jeremy Front.
Written by Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett.
©2012 AudioGO Ltd (P)2012 AudioGO Ltd
Charles Paris: An Amateur Corpse
Summary
Bill Nighy stars as Charles Paris in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast adaptation of Simon Brett's comic crime novel An Amateur Corpse.
Charles is out of work again, and to make matters worse his mother has come to stay and he's no way of escaping her. So when he's offered some voiceover work by old friend, Hugo, he's delighted to get out of the house. But Hugo's marriage is in trouble: his much younger wife, Ellie, spends all her time at her Amateur Dramatic Group, and Hugo is drinking too much.
When Ellie is found drowned in their swimming pool, it seems Hugo is guilty of murder. It's up to Charles to prove his friend's innocence....
Bill Nighy, Suzanne Burden, and Geraldine McEwan are among the star cast in this entertaining mystery, dramatised by Jeremy Front.
Written by Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett.
©2012 Simon Brett (P)2013 BBC Worldwide Limited
Charles Paris: Corporate Bodies
Summary
A BBC Radio 4 full-cast adaptation of Simon Brett's comic murder mystery, starring Bill Nighy as the irrepressible Charles Paris.
Charles Paris (unsuccessful actor, bad husband, dipsomaniac) is currently appearing as a fork lift operator in a corporate video. It's not prime-time television or a major film, but it seems like easy money - until the fork lift is used to commit a murder.
When Charles himself comes under suspicion, he decides to find out for himself who the murderer is. Meanwhile, as ever with Charles, life on the domestic front is not plain sailing. After inflicting damage upon his ex-wife's house, he finds himself offering her a berth on the houseboat he’s currently sitting for a friend. However, life on the water proves as tricky as life at work....
Suzanne Burden, Tim McInnery, and Jon Glover are also among the cast in this dramatisation by Jeremy Front.
Written by Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett.
©2014 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2014 BBC Worldwide Ltd
The Body on the Beach
Summary
Very little disturbs the ordered calm of Fethering, a pleasingly self-contained retirement town on England's southern coast. Which is precisely why Carole Seddon, who has outlived both her husband and her career at the Home Office, has chosen to reside there. So the last thing Carole expects to encounter in Fethering is a new neighbour with but one name and an obviously colourful past. 'Jude' was not really Fethering...but neither was the body Carole found on the beach. A body, it has to be said, that has disappeared by the time the police arrive. Only Jude is ready to believe what her neighbour says she saw - and from that moment on, the two women are resolved to turn detectives.
©2000 Simon Brett (P)2001 Isis Publishing Ltd
Charles Paris: Dead Room Farce
Summary
Bill Nighy stars as actor and amateur sleuth Charles Paris in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Simon Brett's novel. Charles' career is on the up. He's starring in a revival of a popular (though hackneyed) 70s farce – and while his fellow actors aren't exactly who you'd want to find yourself in bed with, he's happy to be in work. But while there may be comedy on stage, offstage it's rapidly turning into a whodunnit. First the director drops dead, then another premature death follows soon after when an audio producer doing a promo for the show dies in suspicious circumstances. The cast are hiding some shady secrets, and have plenty of skeletons in their cupboards which they don't want rattled, but would anyone go as far as murder to protect themselves? Charles is determined to find out, and turns detective in an attempt to find out if foul play is afoot.... This witty, stylish dramatisation by Jeremy Front stars Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Skylight, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) as Charles Paris, with Suzanne Burden as his long-suffering wife Frances. Written by Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett.
©2018 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2018 BBC Worldwide Ltd
Charles Paris: Star Trap
Summary
Bill Nighy returns as the loveably louche Charles Paris in Jeremy Front’s BBC radio dramatisation of Simon Brett’s novel. When Charles Paris’ agent rings with the news that he has a part for him in a new musical, Charles is delighted - and somewhat amazed, as he can neither sing nor dance. But Maurice has an ulterior motive: as one of the show’s backers, he wants Charles to play detective and investigate a series of accidents that have dogged the production. The pianist has been shot in the hand, and another cast member fell downstairs - or was he pushed? Anxious about their investment and their star, Chris Watt, the ‘angels’ are keen to ensure that nothing else goes wrong. Joining the company, Charles discovers that Chris, although amazingly talented, is a prima donna who has made enemies of almost everyone. When the accidents resume, it begins to look as if anyone who disagrees with him is being targeted. But would the star really sabotage his own show? Charles must find out - before things turn murderous.... This thrilling adaptation by Jeremy Front stars Bill Nighy (Love Actually, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) as Charles Paris, with Suzanne Burden as Frances.
©2019 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2019 BBC Worldwide Ltd
Charles Paris: A Series of Murders
Summary
Charles Paris is thrilled - he’s landed a nice juicy part playing Sergeant Collins in the TV detective series, 'The Stanislaus Braid Mysteries', and his estranged wife Frances seems to be on the brink of taking him back.
But filming turns out to be a tortuous process, with pompous star Russell Bentley demanding numerous retakes and irascible author Winifred Railton constantly interrupting. To cap it all, nubile actress Lisa Stokes is crushed to death on set - and Charles finds her body.
It seems like a straightforward accident, but Charles can’t shake the suspicion that she was murdered. Can he find the killer, stay away from the booze and the women, and win back his wife?
Bill Nighy stars as alcoholic actor and amateur sleuth Charles Paris in this full-cast radio dramatisation.
©2009 BBC Audiobooks Ltd (P)2009 BBC Audiobooks Ltd
Charles Paris: A Decent Interval
Summary
A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Simon Brett's entertaining crime novel, starring Bill Nighy.
Charles Paris has been 'resting' for quite a while, so he's relieved when he is cast as Ghost of Hamlet's Father and First Gravedigger in a touring production of Hamlet. But rehearsals are a little tense - the lead roles of Hamlet and Ophelia are played by a reality TV contestant and TV talent show winner respectively, and their opinions on celebrity and the theatre differ somewhat from those of the more experienced members of the cast.
The show is barely on the road before tragedy strikes - just before opening night, part of the set collapses, seriously injuring one of the actors. Then another member of the cast is found dead. It's up to Charles Paris to turn detective and investigate the mystery, but with almost everyone having a motive for murder, will he ever track down the real killer?
Bill Nighy stars as Charles Paris, with Suzanne Burden as Frances, in this dramatisation by Jeremy Front.
Written by Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett.
©2016 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2016 BBC Worldwide Ltd
Charles Paris: The Dead Side of the Mic
Summary
Actor and reluctant sleuth Charles Paris is facing chaos on the domestic front. He’s lodging with his ex-wife Frances, and now their pregnant daughter has moved in as well. It’s all a bit much....
So he is over the moon when he lands a job on the BBC Radio Rep - but the ink is barely dry on his contract when a murder takes place in Broadcasting House. A young female studio manager is found dead in an editing suite, and Charles steps in to investigate.
With a distinguished cast including Bill Nighy as Charles Paris, Suzanne Burden as Frances, and featuring Charlotte Green as herself, this four-part drama, adapted by Jeremy Front, is sheer listening pleasure.
Written by Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett.
©2010 BBC Audiobooks Ltd (P)2010 BBC Audiobooks Ltd
The Liar in the Library
Summary
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 seem to be convinced that she herself was responsible for the crime. With the evidence stacking up against her, Jude enlists the help of her neighbour Carole.
©2017 Simon Brett (P)2018 Isis Publishing Ltd
Charles Paris: The Cinderella Killer
Summary
Charles Paris returns in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Simon Brett’s humorous theatrical mystery, starring Bill Nighy. A job in pantomime seems the perfect way to spend the Christmas season for Charles, but the cast of Cinderella are a motley crew from reality TV and Charles finds himself having to explain the traditions of panto to their baffled American star whose career is on a downward trajectory. When the star is shot dead, and Charles finds the body, he finds himself under suspicion. As the slapstick makes way for a murder investigation, he decides to clear his name by doing some sleuthing of his own. With a host of suspects and the body count rising, the line 'they're behind you' soon begins to take on a very sinister meaning indeed.... Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Skylight, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) stars as Charles Paris, with Suzanne Burden as his wife Frances, in this funny and fast-paced dramatisation by Jeremy Front. Written by Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett.
©2017 Simon Brett and Jeremy Front (P)2017 BBC Digital Audio
Charles Paris: Cast in Order of Disappearance
Summary
Bill Nighy stars as Charles Paris with Martine McCutcheon as Jodie Ricks in this BBC Radio 4 comedy detective drama.
Charles finds himself uncharacteristically employed in a film, having landed the part of Szabec, a middle management vampire in 'The Wreathing'. His co-star is swimwear model turned actress Jodie Ricks and before long, Jodie is using Charles as a confidant.
Poor Jodie is in terrible trouble - not only is she being blackmailed over some compromising photos, but she is also carrying the baby of the film's producer, Elliot Roth, who now wants nothing to do with her. Then things take an even nastier turn when it appears that someone is trying to kill Jodie. Always keen to help a damsel in distress, Charles sets about trying to solve the mystery....
Starring Bill Nighy and Martine McCutcheon and dramatized by Jeremy Front.
Written by Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett.
©2001 Simon Brett (P)2011 AudioGO Ltd
The Hanging in the Hotel
Summary
The Hopwicke Country House Hotel, owned by Jude's glamorous friend Suzy Longthorne, is to host an event for the all-male society the Pillars of Sussex. On the night, Jude helps Suzy serve dinner, and in the early hours of the morning they watch with relief as the guests drag themselves to their beds. The next morning, one young solicitor does not come down for breakfast. Jude heads for Nigel Ackford's room, presuming he is feeling the effects of the night before. It soon becomes apparent, however, that Nigel has been spared his hangover, for Jude finds him hanging from the beams of his four-poster bed. And she is convinced that this is not suicide....
©2004 Simon Brett (P)2019 Isis Publishing Ltd
The Strangling on the Stage
Summary
When Jude agrees to lend her vintage chaise longue for the local Amateur Dramatic Society’s production of George Bernard Shaw’s The Devil’s Disciple, little does she realise she’ll end up in a starring role. It’s an ambitious play, culminating in a dramatic execution scene: a scene that’s played for real when one of the leading actors is found hanging from the specially constructed stage gallows during rehearsals. A tragic accident - or something more sinister? As Jude and her neighbour Carole know only too well, the Smalting AmDram Society is a hotbed of seething resentments, clashing egos, overreaching ambition and thwarted passion - but are any of the members emotionally-charged enough to commit murder? Carole and Jude make it their business to find out.
©2013 Simon Brett (P)2014 Isis Publishing Ltd
The Dead Side of the Mike
Summary
When Andrea Gower’s body is discovered in an editing suite, with gashes in her wrists and two razor blades nearby, the cause of death seems obvious, with the words she spoke only hours before taking on a completely different meaning.... Working as a radio actor for the BBC was all new to Charles Paris: a new kind of work, a new jargon, and a lot of new faces - some of them quite pretty. But Charles, amateur sleuth and fond of the odd tipple, can’t get the dead girl out of his mind. And when the trail leads him to New York and back, by way of a DJ, an American conman, and another dead body, it becomes only a matter of time before the clues start falling into place....
©1980 Simon Brett (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
A Reconstructed Corpse
Summary
Charles Paris’ acting career plumbs new depths when he takes the part of a possible murder victim in ‘Public Enemies’, a true-crime television series. Finding himself in a bizarre world somewhere between police procedure and showbiz, Charles is inexorably drawn into the investigation... especially after the dismembered limbs start turning up. The viewers of ‘Public Enemies’ get caught up in the macabre jigsaw puzzle of death; it is ghastly, of course, but it does make good television. As the programme’s ratings soar, so the egos behind the scene become ever more inflated, and Charles ever more determined to solve the mystery.
©1993 Simon Brett (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
Charles Paris: What Bloody Man is That?
Summary
Charles Paris is on his way up again, career-wise. No longer ‘resting’ or playing a corpse in a cupboard, he finds himself doubling almost every role in a provincial production of the play dreaded by superstitious theatrefolk: Macbeth. The three principals could hardly be more assorted: Macbeth is played by TV gameshow personality George Birkitt; Lady Macbeth comes straight from Stratford, an intense young woman with Method in her madness; and Duncan is that notorious ham, Warnock Belvedere, who feels that he’s in the great tradition of actor-managers. With such a cast, sparks are bound to fly, and it’s not long before Charles Paris finds himself in the familiar role of private eye when death strikes in the night...
©1987 Simon Brett (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
The Torso in the Town
Summary
Amateur sleuths Jude and Carole take on their third case when a terrible discovery is made in the cellar of a grand old house. Grant and Kim Roxby had hoped that their first dinner party at Pelling House would make an impression with their new neighbours. And the next day it's certainly the talk of the town. For their guests - including the couple's old friend Jude - had been enjoying a pleasant meal before they were rudely interrupted by a gruesome discovery. A human torso hidden in the cellar. Jude races home to Fethering and her friend Carole with the news. And soon the pair are back in Fedborough, questioning the locals.
©2002 Simon Brett (P)2002 Isis Publishing Ltd