Cathy Dobson has narrated 62 audiobooks on Listento.it by 84 authors, with an average listener rating of 3.2★ across 56 ratings. The most-rated is The Psammead Trilogy.
The Ghost of the Engineers' Castle
Summary
Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov (1831 — 1895) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, playwright, and journalist. He was a favourite of Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov and Maxim Gorky among others. Leskov is praised for his innovative techniques and his ability to create a vivid picture of contemporary Russian society.The Ghost of the Engineers' Castle is a ghost story in which his storytelling skills are displayed to perfection. Scene by scene the tension builds up until the listener's hair is standing on end. The young cadets who live in the ancient castle of the late Emperor Paul, now known as the Engineers' Castle, are afraid of the many ghosts rumoured to walk the corridors at night. They are also fearful of the nebulous "grey man" who appears at dusk and will exact terrible revenge on them. So when they are given the task of holding watch at night over the coffin of the deceased General Lamnovsky, a spiteful man who himself would have every motivation to return from the dead and avenge himself on the naughty cadets, they are very afraid. One of them does show bravado in front of his comrades... but even he is petrified at the awful apparition which then appears.
©1870 Public Domain (P)2014 Red Door Audiobooks
Squirrel in a Cage
Summary
Edmée Elizabeth Monica Dashwood, née de la Pasture (1890-1943), was a prolific English author who wrote under the pseudonym E. M. Delafield. She is best known for her largely autobiographical Diary of a Provincial Lady, which took the form of a journal of the life of an upper-middle-class Englishwoman living mostly in a Devon village of the 1930s. In 'Squirrel in a Cage', she tells the story of the ending of a relationship between two lovers. The narrative moves fluidly between the real thoughts of each of the lovers, Sacha Michaelson and Ian Berringer, and their actual conversation where each speaks but without saying what they really mean.
Public Domain (P)2015 Red Door Audiobooks
The Necklace
Summary
Invited to a ball at the Ministry of Public Instruction where her husband works, Mathilde is in despair about how to look the part. She manages to persuade her husband to give her 400 francs for a new dress. But she also would like some jewellery to complete the outfit. Although their budget cannot stretch to this, Mathilde is able to borrow a diamond necklace from an old schoolfriend who is wealthy. But while she dazzles everyone at the ball, disaster is waiting in the wings...
Public Domain (P)2013 Red Door Audiobooks
Smith and the Pharaohs
Summary
When the retiring young bank clerk Smith ducks into the British Museum one day to avoid the rain, he finds himself confronted with the bust of an Egyptian lady so beautiful that he becomes infatuated with her. His obsession leads him to read extensively on the subject of Egyptology, learn to read hieroglyphics, and gradually become an established Egyptologist. Every winter he travels to Egypt and undertakes archeological work. Then, in the third year, he makes an astounding discovery which changes the course of his life forever.
Public Domain (P)2013 Red Door Audiobooks
Smoked Skipper
Summary
When Ralph, the new cabin boy joins the schooner ship Susan-Jane, which is carrying a cargo of gunpowder, he finds to his surprise that he has not signed up for a life as a swashbuckling pirate. Instead of romance and adventure, he finds himself having to scrub decks and wash dishes. Worse still, any subordinance is punished harshly by the crew and the skipper. Ralph decides to take his revenge on the Skipper and his crew, and devises an ingenious plan...
©1907 Public Domain (P)2013 Red Door Audiobooks
The Green Mamba
Summary
Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was an English writer of 957 short stories and over 170 novels. He is widely recognized as one of the most prolific writers of his age. 'The Green Mamba' is a story in which Wallace's famous detective, Mr. J. G. Reeder, outsmarts one of the leading master criminals in London at the very moment when he is on the verge of his greatest criminal coup.
Public Domain (P)2018 Red Door Audiobooks
Five Short Stories by M. R. James
Summary
Montague Rhodes James (1862-1936), who wrote as M. R. James, was an English author, medieval scholar, and provost of King's College, Cambridge, and of Eton College. He is best known for his outstanding ghost stories. James reinvented the ghost story for the modern audience by moving away from Gothic elements and using realistic contemporary settings. His protagonists and plots often reflected his own antiquarian interests. Accordingly he is known as the originator of the 'antiquarian ghost story'. This collection features the following works: 'Count Magnus' 'The Diary of Mr. Poynter' 'The Haunted Dolls' House Rats' 'Wailing Well'
Public Domain (P)2016 Red Door Audiobooks
La Belle Dame Sans Merci
Summary
John Keats (1795-1821) was one of the great English Romantic poets. 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' is a haunting ballad describing a young knight whose very lifeblood and vitality have been drained by a beautiful but parasitic, fairylike vampire. This knight has now been left as an undead shell of his former self, alone on a barren hillside.
Public Domain (P)2016 Red Door Audiobooks
Fireside Tales
Summary
An enthralling collection of creepy and mysterious stories. From classic detective stories to spine-tingling horror and scary ghost stories, these tales will make your flesh crawl.... 'A Ghost Story' by Mark Twain 'The Silver Mask' by Hugh Walpole 'The Cactus' by O. Henry 'Dead of Night' by W. F. Harvey 'The Terrible Old Man' by H. P. Lovecraft 'Rattle of Bones' by Robert E. Howard 'The Last Leaf' by O. Henry 'The Magnet' by Barry Pain 'Pickman’s Model' by H. P. Lovecraft 'Sea Curse' by Robert E. Howard 'The Mystery of the Steel Room' by Thomas W. Hanshew 'The Whistle' by Hugh Walpole 'The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone' by Arthur Conan Doyle 'The Ransom of Red Chief' by O. Henry 'The Man who hated Aspidistras' by W. F. Harvey 'The Dream Snake' by Robert E. Howard 'This is All' by Barry Pain 'The House of Cobwebs' by George Gissing 'Miracles' by Barry Pain 'Pigeons from Hell' by Robert E. Howard 'The Paradise of Thieves' by G. K. Chesterton 'The Cop and the Anthem' by O. Henry 'The Blue Sequin' by R. Austin Freeman 'Double Demon' by W. F. Harvey 'The Thing on the Roof' by Robert E. Howard 'Bagnell Terrace' by E. F. Benson 'A Foggy Evening' by A. J. Alan 'His Brother’s Keeper' by W. W. Jacobs 'Moon’s Gibbet' by Egerton Castle 'Charles' by A. J. Alan And 30 more enthralling stories...
Public Domain (P)2015 Red Door Audiobooks
Herbert Armstrong, Poisoner
Summary
Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was an English writer of 957 short stories and over 170 novels. He is widely recognised as one of the most prolific writers of his age. Herbert Armstrong was a Welsh solicitor who murdered his wife by administering arsenic. His life was marked by love affairs and dubious business dealings. It is also probable that his hatred of his dull, respectable existence in a tiny rural village was one of the motives for his terrible crime. This story of the crime and trial of Armstrong is told by Edgar Wallace, who reported from the courtroom. On behalf of a newspaper syndicate, Wallace offered the convicted man £5,000 for his confession. The offer was refused.
Public Domain (P)2018 Red Door Audiobooks
Immensee
Summary
Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888) was a North German writer, widely recognized as one of the most important authors of 19th-century German Literary realism. His semi-autobiographical novella, Immensee, is the work that made him famous and remains to this day one of his most widely read. Its rich and multi-layered symbolism along with its deep sentimentality make it an intriguing and touching tale. On the surface, Immensee is a simple love story, of an old man, Reinhardt Werner, remembering Elisabeth, the lost sweetheart of his youth, who married his best friend, Erich. Reinhardt had neglected their relationship when he had gone away to university, and after two years when he failed to write to Elisabeth, she gave up waiting and accepted a marriage proposal from Erich, a wealthy young farmer with a fine house on the shores of the Immensee. There are hints that Reinhadt may have had other affairs as a student, but much in the story is implicit rather than explicit, leaving the listener to speculate and ponder on what was or might have been. On visiting Erich and Elisabeth years later, Reinhardt discovers that their doomed love still beats in both breasts, but now it is a passion which can only cause them pain and suffering. One night he sees a white water lily out on the lake and tries to swim out to it. But when he gets there, the roots threaten to entangle him and he extricates himself with difficulty and swims away. But how can he extricate himself from his love for Elisabeth?
Public Domain (P)2014 Red Door Audiobooks
Stories to Tell in the Dark
Summary
A creepy collection of 50 classic ghost, horror and mystery stories which will keep you up all night. 1. "The Well" by W. W. Jacobs 2. "This Is All" by Barry Pain 3. "The Beast with Five Fingers" by W. F .Harvey 4. "The Reticence of Lady Anne" by Saki 5. "The End of a Show" by Barry Pain 6. "The Dabblers" by W. F. Harvey 7. "The Room in the Tower" by E. F. Benson 8. "August Heat" by W. F. Harvey 9. "The Idiot" by Arnold Bennett 10. "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe 11. "The Bath Chair" by E. F. Benson 12. "The Mezzotint" by M. R. James 13. "The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe 14. "The Thing in the Hall" by E. F. Benson 15. "Fingers of a Hand" by H. D. Everett 16. "Moon’s Gibbet" by Egerton Castle 17. "The Magnet" by Barry Pain 18. "The Horror Horn" by E. F. Benson 19. "A Very Black Business" by Ernest Bramah 20. "The Mysterious Card and the Card Unveiled" by Cleveland Moffett 21. "Outside the Door" by E. F. Benson 22. "Query" by Seamark 23. "My Adventure at Chislehurst" by A. J. Alan 24. "The Dancing Partner" by Jerome K. Jerome 25. "Afterward" by Edith Wharton 26. "Caterpillars" by E. F. Banson 27. "The Severed Hand" by Wilhelm Hauff 28. "The Hair" by A. J. Alan 29. "A Witch in the Peak" by R. Murray Gilchrist 30. "The Haunted Dolls House" by M. R. James ...and 20 more terrifying tales.
Public Domain (P)2015 Red Door Audiobooks
Comrades
Summary
Maxim Gorky, whose real name was Alexey Maximovich Pyeshkov, is probably the best-known late-19th-century Russian fiction writer among the English speaking world. His pen-name translates as Maxim the Bitter, which attitude is reflected in many of his works. Much of his writing reflects his own terrible life experiences and suffering. It is in his short stories that he reveals his true genius. "Comrades" reveals an ironic humour in its conception and is one of Gorky's lighter tales. A peasant policeman is dispatched to escort a vagrant without papers to the nearest magistrate, a considerable distance away. As the two talk on the journey, it becomes clear to the listener...and finally to the policeman...the real identity of the vagrant.
Public Domain (P)2014 Red Door Audiobooks
The Voyage of the James Caird
Summary
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874 - 1922) was a polar explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. 'The Voyage of the James Caird' is the story of Shackleton's 1916 failed attempt at a crossing of Antarctica from sea to sea via the pole. The expedition turned to disaster when Shackleton's ship, Endurance, became trapped in pack ice and was slowly crushed. The crew escaped by camping on the sea ice until it disintegrated, then by launching the lifeboats to reach Elephant Island. From there a party led by Shackleton set sail for the inhabited island of South Georgia, a stormy ocean voyage of 720 nautical miles and Shackleton's most famous exploit.
Public Domain (P)2017 Red Door Audiobooks
The Ghost at Massingham Mansions
Summary
Ernest Bramah (1868-1942) was an English author of 21 novels and numerous short stories and features. His humorous works have been ranked with Jerome K. Jerome and W. W. Jacobs, his detective stories with Conan Doyle, his politico-science fiction with H. G. Wells and his supernatural stories with Algernon Blackwood. In his stories of detection, Bramah hit on the idea of a blind detective, Max Carrados, whose triumphs are all the more amazing because of his disability. In this story, Max Carrados is called in to investigate a mysterious ghost which haunts an empty flat in Massingham Mansions in London. Every night gaslights are seen in the apartment, even though the gas has been disconnected. Also water runs in the bath every night, even though the water supply has been turned off. Carrados quickly realises that the detectives on the case are barking up the wrong tree....
Public Domain (P)2018 Red Door Audiobooks
The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard
Summary
Robert Ervin Howard (1906-1936) was an American author who was best known for his macabre horror stories and weird tales. This collection brings together a highly representative selection of his creepy stories, written very much after the Lovecraftian style. 'Rattle of Bones' 'Sea Curse' 'Pigeons from Hell' 'In the Forest of Villefore' 'The Dream Snake' 'The Fearsome Touch of Death' 'The Right Hand of Doom' 'The Thing on the Roof'
Public Domain (P)2015 Red Door Audiobooks
The Jew's Beech Tree
Summary
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff's dark tale of an unsolved murder, revenge and the supernatural. When the young Friedrich Mergel goes to work for his uncle, he is quickly drawn into a world of shady business dealings and a ruthless band of wood-thieves. But on the night when Friedrich quarrels with Aaron the Jew, he subsequently disappears, together with his illegitimate cousin John Nobody. Shortly afterwards, Aaron is found murdered. Friedrich's disappearance is considered suspicious - but as time passes, the case and the characters are forgotten.The only thing that remains is a strange Hebrew inscription on the beech-tree where the murder took place. But twenty-eight years later, John Nobody reappears and strange things start to happen.
©2013 Red Door Audiobooks (P)2013 Red Door Audiobooks
The Last Exploit of Harry the Actor
Summary
Ernest Bramah (1868-1942) was an English author of 21 novels and numerous short stories and features. His humorous works have been ranked with Jerome K. Jerome and W. W. Jacobs, his detective stories with Conan Doyle, his politico-science fiction with H. G. Wells, and his supernatural stories with Algernon Blackwood. In his stories of detection, Bramah hit on the idea of a blind detective, Max Carrados, whose triumphs are all the more amazing because of his disability. In this story, Max Carrados becomes suspicious when he visits a safe-deposit company in Piccadilly with his friend, Louis Carlyle, and becomes aware of an odd scene unfolding. He immediately suspects that a major heist is being planned....and begins to gather clues about what is about to happen.
Public Domain (P)2015 Red Door Audiobooks
The Great Short Story Collection
Summary
The short story is considered to be one of the most challenging genres because of the need for compact plotlines and the ability to conjure up atmosphere and character in a few sentences and to engage the reader instantly. This collection presents 66 of the greatest examples of the genre - many of them well known, some hidden literary treasures, all of them exquisite examples of the short story at its finest. "August Heat" by W. F. Harvey "Pigs Is Pigs" by Ellis Parker Butler "A Dill Pickle" by Katherine Mansfield "The White Dog" by Fedor Sologub "Batchelors" by Hugh Walpole "Lost Treasure" by Caradoc Evans "The End of a Show" by Barry Pain "The Nightmare Room" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle "Rose Rose" by Barry Pain "The Bus Conductor" by E. F. Benson "The Dream" by A. J. Alan "The Drover’s Wife" by Henry Lawson "The Egg" by Sherwood Anderson "The Giraffe Problem" by Barry Pain "The Green Light" by Barry Pain "The Man of the Night" by Edgar Wallace "The Room" by Stacy Aumonier "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry "Caterpillars" by E. F. Benson "Charles" by A. J. Alan "The Idiot" by Arnold Bennett "The Storm" by Kate Chopin "A Witch in the Peak" by R. Murray Gilchrist "The Dabblers" by W. F. Harvey "The Trial for Murder" by Charles Dickens "The Enemy" by Hugh Walpole And over 40 other great stories....
Public Domain (P)2015 Red Door Audiobooks
Twenty-Six Men and a Girl
Summary
"Twenty-Six Men and a Girl" is a short story written by the Russian writer Maxim Gorky in 1899, and is one of his most famous. It is a pioneering tale of social realism (the story predates Soviet socialist realism), and is a lament of lost ideals. Twenty-six men slave away in a cellar, making kringles, looked down on by all around them, including the bread bakers. Their only joy in their lives is the 16-year-old Tanya, who visits them every morning to collect kringles. A new bread baker, a soldier, visits the kringle makers. He befriends them, and boasts of his success with women. The kringle bakers bet him that he will not be able to seduce their beloved Tanya...and watch in an agony of tension as he takes on the bet.
Public Domain (P)2014 Red Door Audiobooks