A sensual and evocative story about a married woman whose desires are enflamed by another woman, the distant and non-committal Pearl. A study of the urges of women and men alike, ideas of fidelity and hidden longing, this story is both melancholy and hopeful, with a female protagonist that doesn't quite fit the mould and is empathetically and inter...

The master of surreal and wonderful fiction presents a story about one of his most famous characters - the perpetually grinning and ever-riddling Cheshire Cat. Alice's friend/tormentor in Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat has been immortalized in art, film, cartoon, television and now on audio.

Emily and Charles, an English couple, take the car from Dover to Calais in France. Following a rather average lunch of soggy chips ("I thought you said the French make the best chips" - Emily) they motor South until they arrive at a beautiful old hotel, a former Royal palace in the middle of champagne country. While Emily is changing for dinner Cha...

Arsene Lupin, master criminal and 'gentleman thief', is locked up in a prison cell when a brilliant crime bearing all of his hallmarks is committed. Could there be a copy-cat criminal out there in the underworld? But who could match the cunning, agility and grace of Arsene Lupin?

A very clever story which will keep you guessing right up until the twist in the tale. Dame Muriel Spark's talent for crime fiction abounds here and her hitherto undiscovered detective has surprises and answers in store for sleuthing listeners.

Oliver Goldsmith's "Adventures of a Strolling Player" explores the fickleness of fame. This rollicking, exuberant tale flows effortlessly from the pen of the great 18th century master storyteller and from the lips of T. P. McKenna, whose Irish brogue suits the story perfectly. It is the uproarious story of a travelling player who likes to embellish...

This truly spooky story leaves a listener chilled and unsure which characters to pity. An abusive and cruel husband wears down his wife to the degree that she never argues or complains but lives an existence of quiet misery. When circumstances change drastically, the man's servants start to hear her voice when he cannot - is he going insane or is s...

The first fully recognizable Jeeves and Bertie story. Bertie's cousin arrives in New York lured by the bright lights of Broadway, forcing his dreaded Aunt Agatha to make an unscheduled visit to America. A struggling artist needs help in a romantic intrigue. A wonderful Wodehouse story full of laughs, gaffes and unlikely though touching camaraderie.

Wooster receives a letter out of the blue from his Aunt Agatha inviting him and Jeeves to join her in Rouville-sur-Mer, France. It turns out that Aunt Agatha has decided it is time that Wooster gets married and has some children. She has met an eminently respectable girl she wants to introduce him to, as she considers her absolutely right for the j...

Rockmetteler (Rocky) Todd, one of the laziest people in America, visits Wooster and Jeeves in New York for their advice. Rocky's aunt has written him a letter informing him that she will give him a large monthly allowance on the condition that he visits all the clubs and retaurants and lives life to the full as she would have done had she been much...

Wooster bumps into Bingo and his uncle Old Bittlesham in St James' Street. Old Bittlesham has received a threatening letter in an uneducated hand. Bingo and his uncle think that the culprit is a man with a beard. So Bingo with the help of œ50 offers to sort the matter out. Instead he puts the œ50 on Ocean Breeze a horse owned by his Unc...

This shady tale takes a listener into the unhappy marriage life of Mr. and Mrs. Bodman, holidaying in snowier climes. Whilst each may have their motives, which party may find that they are driven to the edge and are staring into the abyss? An atmospheric thriller, this story examines two people with extreme personalities who unfortunately do not co...

A well-crafted piece of writing about schadenfreude - sheer pleasure, in this case, at seeing someone 'get his comeuppance' - with an element of slapstick. Lieutenant Golightly is a young officer in the British Army in India who prides himself on "looking like 'an Officer and a Gentleman'" and it is clear he puts a little too much emphasis on his a...

An intriguing India-based tale from Rudyard Kipling that concerns money, stealth and deception. Reggie Burke is seemingly the perfect bank manager, but "As he said himself, and as many men found out rather to their surprise, there were two Burkes, both very much at your service." This becomes very clear as the story progresses and a listener is dra...

As a listener learns at the beginning of this fable-like old-fashioned story: "This is the story of a man who wilfully stepped beyond the safe limits of decent everyday society, and paid for it heavily. He knew too much in the first instance; and he saw too much in the second. He took too deep an interest in native life; but he will never do so aga...

This thrilling and mysterious story was first published in the Civil and Military Gazette on March 4th 1887 and collected in Plain Tales from the Hills in 1888, and in subsequent editions of this collection. The Bisara of Pooree is a tiny eyeless fish, carved from a nut, inside a little jewelled silver box. If stolen, it is a powerful love charm. I...

A refreshingly unusual story which examines the human condition and the idea of words from the past haunting the present. A jockey in a big race is set to win and is a 'sure bet' but with haunting voices from the past ringing in his ears, can he overcome his psychological torture to succeed on the track? A well-crafted story which lends itself to a...

A story of marital discomfort, bribery and 'just desserts', this story follows an unpleasant man's efforts to divorce his wife. Described by some critics as 'overdoing' the retribution dished out to the story's villain, this tale is a gritty and satisfying listen which outlines the perils of dishonesty and is a fable of sorts.

Both a cautionary tale outlining the dangers of over-indulgence and a farcical account of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Brugglesmith is funny and at times, unbelievable. Our sorry narrator finds himself in a situation with a stranger who is less than logical, and has to resort to rather drastic means to keep him at bay.and to keep his...

One of Kipling's famed 'Just So' stories, this lyrical tale makes a perfect suit for audio and explains why cats are.well, like cats are! This story goes back to the beginning and imagines the first time a cat deigned to put a foot inside a human dwelling. The cat and the humans have a bumpy ride agreeing the terms of a future arrangement as the ca...

Matilda Cuvering decides to release a boar pig ('Tarquin') into the paddock where Mrs Stossen and her daughter are walking, in order to teach them a lesson. A funny and intelligent tale from the supreme wit of Saki, who incorporates the French language, a ridicule of manners / best behaviour and blackmail into this short but sublimely bitter-sweet...