Audiobooks by Lynne Truss

Natter from the Natural World: A BBC Radio Comedy Collection

"Three series of funny natural history tales from Lynne Truss, featuring a star cast of narrators Recorded in front of a live audience, these wry, funny tales introduce us to the varied creatures who make their homes on the shoreline, in garden ponds and in our attics. In 18 comic monologues, they reveal the truth about what life is really like in their respective habitats - and it's much more eventful than you might think... Tidal Tales from the Rock Pool features salty stories from a roving, joke-loving Periwinkle (Bill Wallis); a house-proud Hermit Crab (Geoffrey Palmer); a figure-conscious Sea Anemone (Alison Steadman); a tough talkin' Goby Fish (Sean Power); a poetic, love-struck Limpet (Samantha Bond) and a diligent Lugworm (Tony Robinson). In Gossip from the Garden Pond, we peek between the lily pads to meet a Tadpole who loves wiggling and doesn't want to grow up (Julian Rhind-Tutt); a beautiful, highly-sexed Dragonfly (Alison Steadman); a hotly pursued Water Boatman (Sandi Toksvig); a ferocious Great Diving Beetle (David Ryall); a timid, arachnophobic Garden Spider (Amanda Root) and a self-righteous Great Pond Snail (James Fleet). And in Rumblings from the Rafters, we venture into the draughty attic of a rambling old house in Amersham to hear from a subversive, head-banging Death Watch Beetle (Bill Paterson); a bossy, stressed Queen Wasp (Alison Steadman); a fast-thinking, acrobatic House Fly (Lee Mack); a big-hearted Soprano Pipistrelle Bat (Pam Ferris); an Edible Dormouse who's convinced he's a Russian spy (Hugh Dennis) and a Peacock Butterfly with a feisty past (Amanda Abbington). Written and introduced by Lynne Truss, with wildlife soundscapes by Chris Watson, these hugely entertaining, surprisingly informative anthropomorphic tales teem with drama and adventure - you'll never look at a rock pool, pond or roof space in the same way again... Written and introduced by Lynne Truss Produced by Sarah Blunt Sound design by Chris Watson Tidal Talk from the Rock Pool The Periwinkle and the Hermit Crab The Anemone and the Goby Fish The Limpet and the Lugworm Gossip from the Garden Pond The Tadpole and the Dragonfly The Water Boatman and Great Diving Beetle The Garden Spider and Great Pond Snail Rumblings from the Rafters Death Watch Beetle and Queen Wasp House Fly and Soprano Pipistrelle Bat Edible Dormouse and Peacock Butterfly First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 1-15 May 2012 (Tidal Talk from the Rock Pool), 7-21 Sept 2014 (Gossip from the Garden Pond), 26 June-10 July 2016 (Rumblings from the Rafters) © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Lynne Truss (Author), Alison Steadman, Full Cast, Hugh Dennis, James Fleet, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Lee Mack, Pam Ferris, Samantha Bond, Sandi Toksvig, Tony Robinson (Narrator)

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Inspector Steine: The complete BBC Radio 4 comedy crime drama

"All four series of Lynne Truss's comedy thrillers set in 1950s Brighton - plus Christmas special 'Delicious fun' Sunday Times Brighton, 1957: a sunny seaside resort with a sinister underbelly. This den of villainy is policed by the touchingly innocent Inspector Steine, who naively believes he wiped out all the hoodlums in the Middle Street Massacre six years earlier. Can long-suffering Sergeant Brunswick and keen Constable Twitten persuade him that a criminal mastermind is at large - and that the station's charlady, Mrs Groynes, might bear investigation? Inspector Steine - A headless corpse on the ghost train, a murdered theatre critic, a bank robbery and a beautiful fish-and-chip-shop owner spell trouble for the hapless Inspector. Meanwhile, a deranged criminal escapes from Broadmoor seeking revenge... The Casebook of Inspector Steine - A matinee at the Hippodrome gives Mrs Groynes an idea, a day out in a vintage car proves eventful, Brunswick organises a police open day and goes undercover in a girls' school, and Steine meets a shady aristocrat - and finds his life in danger. The Adventures of Inspector Steine - When his chance to shine is scuppered by Steine, Brunswick wants to kill him. But is he behind the attempts on Steine's life - or could it be the Unknown Villain, or old adversary Mrs Vine? Events are further complicated by a criminal convention and the reappearance of Brunswick's old flame, Doris... The Return of Inspector Steine - Second World War bomb disposal hero Captain Hoagland limps into the station, with an award for Sergeant Brunswick and a head in a box. The latter is a warning that Adelaide Vine is back - and sadistic criminal Terence Chambers is heading for Brighton too, hell bent on havoc. Christmas for Inspector Steine - It is December 1957, the year of the Queen's inaugural Christmas broadcast and Mrs Groynes' first seasonal celebrations with new husband Captain Hoagland. But only Twitten has the festive spirit... Michael Fenton Stevens stars as Inspector Steine, with John Ramm as Sergeant Brunswick, Matt Green as Constable Twitten and Jan Ravens and Samantha Spiro as Mrs Groynes. Production credits Written by Lynne Truss Produced and directed by Karen Rose and Marilyn Imrie Original music by Anthony May Sound design: David Thomas A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4 Starring Michael Fenton Stevens as Inspector Steine, John Ramm as Sergeant Brunswick, Matt Green as Constable Twitten and Jan Ravens and Samantha Spiro as Mrs Groynes Cast Maisie - Carla Mendonça/Rachel Atkins Georgie/BBC announcer/Chaplain/Albert/Bobby/Cecil/Pierre/Diamond Tony - David Holt Boy - Cameron Cleaver Stanley/Bouncer - Michael Roberts Cook - Allan Corduner Johnnie - Jason Hughes Ruby - Carolyn Backhouse Ventriloquist Vince/Warder - Kim Wall Adelaide Vine/Gloria's mother - Janet Ellis Brian the Brain/Mystery guest/Terence Chambers - Ewan Bailey Rudi - Ethan Brook Doris - Rachel Atkins Roy - Will Keen Hinge - Nicholas Le Prevost Phyllis - Michelle Tate Female panellist - Sophie Dearlove Lord Melamine - Mark Heap Jupiter - Philip Jackson Unknown Villain - Adrian Bower Roy - Douglas Hodge Captain Hoagland - Robert Bathhurst First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 January-2 March 2007 (Inspector Steine), 4 April-9 May 2008 (The Casebook of Inspector Steine), 2 September-30 October 2009 (The Adventures of Inspector Steine), 17 October-21 November 2011 (The Return of Inspector Steine), 23 December 2013 (The Christmas of Inspector Steine) © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Lynne Truss (Author), Full Cast, Jan Ravens, John Ramm, Matt Green, Michael Fenton Stevens, Samantha Spiro (Narrator)

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Life at Absolute Zero: The complete BBC Radio series 1-4

"26 short stories about the eccentric inhabitants of Meridian Cliffs, a small, wind-battered town on England's South Coast 'Very few writers read their own work well on the radio, but Truss is an exception. Her voice and timing suit the material perfectly' The Lady Welcome to Meridian Cliffs. Located at exactly 0 degrees 0 minutes west, and 0 degrees 0 minutes east, it's where the Greenwich Meridian meets the Channel, and time stands poised at absolute zero. But due to ever-increasing coastal erosion, it's getting smaller every day... The residents of this curious town are easy to identify from their habit of shouting to be heard against the wind even when they're indoors. There's Sarah Birkett, granddaughter of the town's founder, who longs for a small improvement to her life; retired driving instructor Terry and his rescue dog Thelonius (the team mascot of Meridian Cliffs FC); carpet supremo Hugh Velvey, whose business and life are destroyed by arson and murder; and Ravi, whose curry house is the scene of a dramatic confession - and some unsettling news. All are harbouring secrets, desires and dreams, and over the course of four series, we hear about their thwarted ambitions, hidden passions and forlorn hopes - and eavesdrop on a few typically sticky British moments. Beautifully observed, gently comic and often moving, these sublime short stories are written and read by Lynne Truss. Production credits Written and read by Lynne Truss Directed by Kate McAll A Pier production for BBC Radio 4 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, May 2016-April 2019 Series 1 There's No Need to Shout Free Parking Gimme Shelter Series 2 In Your Dreams Pavlovian The Shortest Way Home Houseroom The Limit Accept No Substitute Mrs Manville Disposes In Cold(ish) Blood Darren Springs Forward In the Dark Series 3 Consequences You Never Said The West Wing Tristan da Cunha Waiting for JB Weemails Protective Colouring Speed Kills A Weight off His Mind The Day the Earth Moved Slightly Series 4 Taking It In Celebration Braking Distance © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Lynne Truss (Author), Lynne Truss (Narrator)

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Psycho by the Sea

"In the latest installment of this funny, charming and quirky series - longlisted for the acclaimed CWA Historical Dagger - our trio of redoubtable detectives are faced with the arrival in town of an escaped criminal with an unlikely penchant for boiling the heads of policemen... It's September in Brighton and the city is playing host to weeks of endless rain and lashings of villainy. A trusted member of a local gang has disappeared part way through planning a huge heist; a violent criminal obsessed with boiling the heads of policemen has escaped Broadmoor and is rumoured to be headed towards the city, while at Gosling's department store an American researcher has been found dead in the music section. Inspector Steine has other things on his mind - since the triumphant conclusion to his last case, Steine has so many awards and invitations coming his way that he has had to take on a secretary - but Sergeant Brunswick and Constable 'Clever Clogs' Twitten are both on the case. If only they could work out just who is behind these dastardly acts. 'A giddy spell of sheer delight!' Praise for the Constable Twitten Series, Daily Mail 'Outstanding . In her ability to blend crime and farce, Truss is in a class of her own' Publishers Weekly"

Lynne Truss (Author), Matt Green (Narrator)

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Murder by Milk Bottle

"The latest installment in Lynne Truss's quirky and charming prize-winning series set in 1950s Brighton sees her trio of police detectives investigating a case with a most curious murder weapon. The August bank holiday is approaching and after two extremely high-profile murder cases, Constable Twitten is eagerly anticipating a quiet spell at work. But then they find the bodies - and the milk bottles. Three seemingly unconnected victims - a hard-working AA patrolman, a would-be Beauty Queen, a catty BBC radio personality - have all been killed with the same, highly unusual murder weapon. Constable Twitten, Sergeant Brunswick and Inspector Steine are initially baffled, the town is alarmed, and the local newspaper is delighted: after all, what sells papers better than a killer on the loose? Can our redoubtable trio solve the case and catch this most curious of killers before they strike again? “[A] pitch-perfect send-up of 1950s Brighton with nods to Graham Greene ... Hilarious.” SUNDAY TIMES on the Constable Twitten series. “Funny, clever, charming, imaginative, nostalgic and gently satirical.” THE TIMES on the Constable Twitten series."

Lynne Truss (Author), Matt Green (Narrator)

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The Man That Got Away

"1957: In the beach town of Brighton, music is playing and guests are sunning themselves, when a young man is found dead, dripping blood, in a deck chair. Constable Twitten of the Brighton Police Force has a hunch that the fiendish murder may be connected to a notorious nightspot, but his captain and his colleagues are-as ever-busy with other more important issues. Inspector Steine is being conned into paying for the honor of being featured at the Museum of Wax, and Sergeant Brunswick is trying (and failing) to get the attention of the distraught Brighton Belles who found the body. As the case twists and turns, Constable Twitten must find the murderer and convince his colleagues that there's an evil mastermind behind Brighton's climbing crime rate. Our incomparable team of detectives are back for another outing in the second installment of Lynne Truss's joyfully quirky crime series."

Lynne Truss (Author), Matt Green (Narrator)

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A Shot in the Dark

"After the notorious `Middle Street Massacre' of 1951, when the majority of Brighton's criminals wiped one another out in a vicious battle as the local police force enjoyed a brief stop en route for an ice cream, Inspector Steine rather enjoys life as a policeman. No criminals, no crime, no stress. He just wishes Sergeant Brunswick would stop insisting that perhaps not every criminal was wiped out that fateful day. So it's really rather annoying when an ambitious - not to mention irritating - new Constable shows up to work and starts investigating a series of burglaries. And it's even more annoying when, after Constable Twitten is despatched to the theatre for the night, he sits next to a vicious theatre critic who is promptly shot dead part way through the opening night of a new play. It seems Brighton may be in need of a police force after all..."

Lynne Truss (Author), Matt Green (Narrator)

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The Lunar Cats

"When you are an inoffensive retired librarian with bitter personal experience of Evil Talking Cats, do you rescue a kitten from the cold on a December night? Do you follow up news items about cats digging in graveyards? Do you inquire into long-ago cats who voyaged around the world with Captain Cook? Well, yes. If you are Alec Charlesworth that is precisely what you do - with unexpected and terrifying consequences."

Lynne Truss (Author), Mike Grady (Narrator)

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Cat Out of Hell

"A cottage on the coast on a windy evening. Under a pool of yellow light, two figures face each other across a kitchen table. A man and a cat. The story about to be related is so unusual yet so terrifyingly plausible that it demands to be told in a single sitting. The man clears his throat, and leans forward, expectant. 'Shall we begin?' says the cat... ‘A truly inventive comic writer’ IRISH TIMES"

Lynne Truss (Author), Mike Grady (Narrator)

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The Return Of Inspector Steine

"Series 4 of Lynne Truss's popular BBC Radio comedy thriller. It is 1957, and WWII bomb disposal hero Captain 'mad Hoagy' Hoagland, now fallen on hard times, appears at Brighton Police Station to deliver two boxes. One contains a silver truncheon; an award for valour for Sergeant Brunswick. The other contains the head of one of Mrs Groynes' old criminal accomplices. It is a warning that Mrs G's evil nemesis Adelaide Vine is back, hellbent on revenge... Plus, Mrs G and Sgt Brunswick take part in a talent contest; a Canadian filmmaker plans to make a film about the Brighton police; Inspector Steine is behaving oddly, big secrets are revealed and the boys and blue face a terrible threat. Starring Michael Fenton Stevens, Samantha Spiro, John Ramm, Matt Green, Robert Bathhurst, Janet Ellis and Ewan Bailey. Sound design: David Thomas. Music: Anthony May. Director: Marilyn Imrie. Producer: Karen Rose. A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4."

Lynne Truss (Author), Ewan Bailey, Janet Ellis, John Ramm, Matt Green, Michael Fenton Stevens, Robert Bathhurst, Samantha Spiro (Narrator)

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Cutting A Dash: The BBC Radio series that inspired Eats, Shoots & Leaves

"The BBC Radio 4 series that inspired the bestselling book Eats, Shoots & Leaves '... It's fair enough that punctuation fans should have the opportunity to hear more words of wisdom from their heroine' - Sunday Times 'Truss presents the arguments for and against the different uses of punctuation in such a humorous way...' - Observer 'It all adds up to lots of memorable, and improving, good fun' - Times The runaway success of Eats, Shoots & Leaves brought millions of grammar geeks out of the closet and made it cool to care about punctuation. This is the radio series that started it all: five programmes in which Lynne Truss explores changing fashions in punctuation. She accompanies the founder of the Apostrophe Protection Society through Berwick Street Market on a hunt for the 'greengrocer's apostrophe', enters the classroom to hear how children learn punctuation, and finds out whether anyone punctuates text messages. Talking to writers and experts like Fay Weldon and David Crystal, she discovers the origins of the comma in Greek drama and Gregorian chant, considers the case for 'semi-colonic irrigation' and asks how a writer's choice of punctuation expresses his tone of voice.Looking into the future, she wonders if 'emoticons' will put colons, commas and apostrophes on the endangered species list. Impassioned, informative and always amusing, this is an essential listen for anyone who loves language. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 03-31 December 2002"

Lynne Truss (Author), Lynne Truss (Narrator)

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Inspector Steine

"The first series of Lynne Truss’s hugely popular BBC Radio 4 comedy thriller set in 1950s Brighton. Brighton in the 1950s: a place of knickerbocker glories, end-of-the pier shows... and an enormous amount of unsolved crime. Step forward Inspector Steine. Naive and innocent, he believes that he wiped out all the villains at a single stroke in the Middle Street Massacre when seventeen local hoodlums gunned each other to death. Fortunately, long-suffering Sergeant Brunswick is at hand to help Steine with his enquiries. Aided by keen Constable Twitten, they must find the criminal mastermind who is operating undetected in their midst. In these six episodes, a headless corpse is found on the Palace Pier ghost train; a foppish London theatre critic is found dead after a performance of a kitchen-sink drama; and the Inspector decides to go undercover at the Black Cat Casino - while a robbery takes place in the bank next door to the police station. In addition, Ventriloquist Vince receives threats after moving his booth to a new pitch; Steine falls in love with Adelaide Vine, the beautiful owner of a fish and chip shop; and ponders how to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the Middle Street Massacre, unaware that a deranged criminal has escaped from Broadmoor with revenge on his lips... Starring Michael Fenton Stevens as Steine and Jan Ravens as Mrs Groynes, this perfectly-judged blend of humour, nostalgia and mystery from bestselling author Lynne Truss makes for an irresistible listen. 'Delicious fun' - Sunday Times Culture Magazine"

Lynne Truss (Author), Jan Ravens, Michael Fenton Stevens (Narrator)

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