Audiobooks by Marie Belloc Lowndes

The Golden Age: Mystery and Murder: Seven BBC Radio Adaptations of Classic Crime Mysteries

"A collection of thrilling tales from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, including six full-cast dramas and a short story read by Benedict Cumberbatch In the first half of the 20th century, the detective story exploded in popularity. Innovative authors penned whodunits, whydunits and clue-puzzle stories, and introduced iconic sleuths, creating works that would later become classics. This Golden Age, which reached its height during the 1920s and ’30s, saw the crowning of the ‘Queens of Crime’, the formation of the Detection Club and the laying down of new rules of crime writing – and the fiction produced during this period has had lasting appeal and influence, fundamentally shaping the ‘cosy crime’ novels of today. This collection gathers together seven sensational stories from Golden Age authors – some well-known, others unjustly overlooked – beginning with three by founding members of the Detection Club. The Blue Cross by G.K. Chesterton features the first appearance of one of the best-loved detectives in fiction: Father Brown, as he pursues arch-villain and master of disguise Flambeau. Andrew Sachs stars as the insightful cleric, with Olivier Pierre as his wily nemesis. In The House of the Arrow by A.E.W. Mason, starring Richard Pasco and Moir Leslie, a young woman living in Dijon is accused of murder, leading her lawyer to call in the Sûreté’s best officer, Inspector Hanaud. Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, The Affair of the German Dispatch-Box by Victor Whitechurch sees daring Edwardian sleuth Thorpe Hazell using his locomotive expertise to solve an ingenious and audacious railway crime. A legendary assassin and vigilante returns from the dead in The Ringer by Edgar Wallace, and Scotland Yard must find him before he exacts his revenge. David Davis stars as the ‘Gaunt Stranger’, and Alexander John as the tenacious Inspector Wembury. In An Unrecorded Instance by Marie Belloc Lowndes, Hetty Mingle ignores her dying mother's advice about fortune hunters – but will she end up regretting it? Starring Mary O’Farrell and Brenda Bruce. The Golden Slipper by Anna Katharine Green finds New York debutante (and reluctant detective) Violet Strange tasked with investigating four rich young women suspected of multiple thefts. Teresa Gallagher stars as the socialite sleuth, with Crawford Logan as her client, Driscoll. Concluding this collection is Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey, which finds psychologist Lucy Pym investigating a death at a women’s physical education college. Starring Julia Foster as Miss Pym and Joan Sims as her friend, headmistress Henrietta Hodge, this dark, engrossing psychological thriller is a late Golden Age gem. First published 1910 (The Blue Cross), 1912 (The Affair of the German Dispatch-Box), 1915 (The Golden Slipper), 1924 (The House of the Arrow, An Unrecorded Instance), 1929 (The Ringer), 1946 (Miss Pym Disposes) © 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

A.E.W. Mason, Anna Katharine Green, Edgar Wallace, G.K. Chesterton, Josephine Tey, Marie Belloc Lowndes, Victor Whitechurch (Author), Alexander John, Andrew Sachs, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brenda Bruce, Crawford Logan, David Davis, Full Cast, Joan Sims, Julia Foster, Mary O'Farrell, Moir Leslie, Olivier Pierre, Richard Pasco, Teresa Gallagher (Narrator)

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The Lodger

"'The Lodger' by Marie Belloc Lowndes is a suspenseful novel written in the early 20th century. The story centers around Robert and Ellen Bunting, a struggling couple living in a modest home in London, whose lives are forever changed when they take in a peculiar lodger named Mr. Sleuth. The Buntings are on the brink of poverty, and while Mr. Sleuth seems like a potential solution to their financial woes, his enigmatic demeanor and deep interest in dark subjects create an unsettling atmosphere. The novel introduces the Buntings in their dreary living conditions, emphasizing their economic struggles and emotional turmoil. Mr. Bunting is portrayed as a somewhat dull man trying to maintain his dignity despite their impending financial disaster, while Mrs. Bunting grapples with despair over their situation. Their lives take a dramatic turn when a series of brutal murders, attributed to a figure known as 'The Avenger,' begin to plague the city, coinciding with Mr. Sleuth's arrival and his odd behavior. The couple's initial relief at securing a lodger sharply contrasts with the growing suspense surrounding Mr. Sleuth and the violent events occurring outside their home. This creates an atmosphere of intrigue and tension as they navigate their precarious circumstances."

Marie Belloc Lowndes (Author), David Carter (Narrator)

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The Child

Marie Belloc Lowndes (Author), Janet Fullerlove (Narrator)

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The Lodger

"According to legend, in 1910, Marie Belloc Lowndes attended a London dinner party where a guest told her that his mother’s butler and cook claimed they had once rented rooms to Jack the Ripper, the notorious mass murderer. The idea for “The Lodger” was born. Mr. and Mrs. Bunting have sunk their savings into their house with plans to let rooms. But no lodgers have materialized, and they are on the verge of penury when, one foggy night, a knock on the door brings Mr. Sleuth, an unassuming gentleman whose needs are perfectly suited to the suite of rooms the Buntings have to rent. Gradually, relief turns into suspicion, then dread, as Mrs. Bunting notices their savior’s strange habits are not mere eccentricities. When his late-night forays seem to coincide with the lurid headlines her husband reads to her about the grisly murders in London, she slowly realizes she may be harboring a monster. And if he’s discovered, it will mean ruin for the Buntings. This is the original 1911 short story. Jack the Ripper’s identity was never discovered but “The Lodger” offers a tantalizing possibility that has entertained and intrigued readers for more than a century."

Marie Belloc Lowndes (Author), Anne Hancock (Narrator)

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The Chink in the Armour

"“But there is one chink in the chain armour of civilized communities. Society is conducted on the assumption that murder will not be committed.”—The Spectator Married at nineteen and already a widow at twenty-five, English beauty Sylvia Bailey is managing to enjoy life on her own in Paris. She even invests in a symbol of her freedom, a superb string of pearls she is rarely without. Sylvia befriends a fellow young widow with a love of gambling, a Polish woman named Anna Wolsky, and together the two visit Madame Cagliostra, a famous fortune-teller. But Madame Cagliostra speaks in riddles, telling Sylvia that she may never return to her home country and to be wary of her beloved necklace. Declaring their fortunes entwined, the fortune-teller warns them not to leave Paris, for she sees “terrible danger” in their future … Adapted as a silent film in 1922 with the title The House of Peril by writer and director Kenelm Foss, The Chink in the Armour is a classic thriller and modern mystery from Marie Belloc Lowndes."

Marie Belloc Lowndes (Author), Justine Eyre (Narrator)

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Il pensionante

"Questo romanzo noir, da cui è stato tratto il famosissimo film muto di Alfred Hitchcock, fu pubblicato nel 1911 in versione breve, e nel 1013 come romanzo. La storia è basata sui delitti di Londra del 1888 di Jack lo squartatore, ed è la prima drammatizzazione nota di quelle vicende. Il romanzo è stato considerato un esempio di come scrivere un thriller psicologico basandosi sugli effetti del serial killer sui suoi padroni di casa, invece che sugli omicidi stessi. L'effetto è decisamente interessante, e questo viene considerato il romanzo più famoso della scrittrice di mistery Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes. Cornice musicale: Daisy's theme, del film The Lodger."

Marie Belloc Lowndes (Author), Silvia Cecchini (Narrator)

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The Chianti Flask

"A quiet, enigmatic young woman called Laura Dousland is on trial for murder, accused of poisoning her elderly husband, Fordish Dousland. The couple's Italian servant, Angelo Terugi, chief witness for the prosecution, is on the stand and is also under suspicion. At the heart of the puzzle of Fordish Dousland's death is the Chianti flask that almost certainly held the wine containing the poison which killed him. But the flask has disappeared. The jury delivers its verdict, but this represents simply the 'end of the beginning' of Marie Belloc Lowndes' novel. This book is a psychological study into the bitter effects of murder and its aftermath both on the person accused and those close to her."

Marie Belloc Lowndes (Author), Annabelle Indge (Narrator)

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The Lodger

"Inspired by the Ripper murders of 25 years before, Belloc Lowndes wrote this story in 1913, a gripping claustrophobic tale describing the impact on an impecunious ageing couple - the Buntings - when an eccentric stranger comes to stay as lodger.Mr Sleuth is a good guest, pays handsomely and in advance, needs very little looking after and seems to be a harmless gentleman.But when the murderous exploits of a serial killer known only as ‘The Avenger’ start occurring closer to home, Mrs Bunting begins to worry about her guest, his curious experiments and nocturnal habits.The tension is held throughout and the real identity of the culprit is not fully exposed until the close of an excellent psychological thriller packed with horror and suspense.©2017 Marie Belloc Lowndes (P)2017 Assembled Stories"

Marie Belloc Lowndes (Author), Peter Joyce (Narrator)

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The Lodger: A Tale of the London Fog

"The basis for Hitchcock's 1927 movie by the same name, as well as a more recent major motion picture from 2009, this award-winning audio of Marie Belloc Lowndes' classic thriller still packs a wallop. An elderly couple living in Victorian London struggle against despair as their small resources dwindle. When an eccentric and mysterious gentleman answers their advertisement for a lodger, they celebrate. But as women begin dying at the hands of “The Avenger” on the foggy streets of London, they start to suspect something too horrific for words. Could the timing just be mere coincidence? While neither mentions their suspicions to the other, they each suffer horribly from dread when their beautiful young niece comes to stay with them and is terribly curious about their new lodger."

Marie Belloc Lowndes (Author), Lorna Raver (Narrator)

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Audiobooks by Marie Belloc Lowndes

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