Audiobooks by Robert Barr

Captain Jim Nicholson: The Dark Island & Return to the Islands: Two Full-Cast Classic BBC Radio Spy

"A double serving of thrilling vintage spy drama featuring the tenacious Captain Jim Nicholson A treat from the archive: two classic dramas from the writer of Z-Cars, Robert Barr, set during the height of the Cold War. The Dark Island is a thrilling story of espionage set among the remote, mist-veiled islands of the Outer Hebrides. Two Intelligence Officers discover an escape route for defectors from Britain. The route, ending behind the Iron Curtain, involves the use of Russian trawlers plying outside territorial waters. Edward de Souza (Coronation Street, Doctor Who) stars as Jim Nicholson in this full-cast drama packed with unexpected twists and turns that will keep you gripped until the very end. In Return to the Islands, the indefatigable Captain Jim Nicholson heads back to the atmospheric islands of the north when a body is discovered near a secret training base. Things take a sinister turn when an elite trainee is taken hostage. An enemy agent is captured and interrogated but can Nicholson and his team solve the mystery in time? When tragedy strikes, the team are pushed to their limit and embark on a deadly endgame… Former BBC war correspondent Robert Barr is best remembered writing for BBC TV’s police dramas Z-Cars and Softly Softly. He also wrote the long-running radio series Detective. The Dark Island was originally made for TV in 1962 as well as being published as a novel in 1972. This is a gem from the archive, perfect for fans of espionage thrillers and vintage drama performed by a great cast. Cast and credits The Dark Island Written by Robert Barr Produced by Peter Titheridge Jim Nicholson - Edward De Souza Bill Grant - Geoffrey Frederick Ian McLeod - Bryden Murdoch Lieutenant Ritchie - Roy Spencer Major Williams - Peter Hawkins Brigadier - Michael Kilgarriff Mary Somers - Rosemary Miller Colonel Jamieson/Hotel Manager - Alaric Cotter Alec Thompson - John Graham Major Williams - Peter Hawkins First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19th September - 24th October 1969 Return to the Islands Written by Robert Barr Produced by Peter Titheridge Jim Nicholson - Edward de Souza Ian McLeod - Bryden Murdoch Major Miller - John Graham Paul O'Donnell - Geoffrey Frederick Sergeant Finney - Clive Merrison Alan Shaw/Landlord - Andrew Neil Katy Evans - Gretta Gouriet Alec Rogers - Ian Dewar Doctor - Gerald Cross Prisoner - David Gooderson Miss Dalgliesh - Eva Stuart First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10th October - 14th November 1971 ©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Robert Barr (Author), Bryden Murdoch, Edward de Souza, Full Cast, Geoffrey Frederick (Narrator)

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Within An Ace of the End of the World

"Robert Barr was born in Glasgow, Scotland on the 16th September 1849. Five years later the family emigrated to a farm near Muirkirk in Upper Canada. His early years were uneventful as the family settled into their new lives and Barr began his education.A career path as a teacher opened up for him and, by 1874, he had been appointed as headmaster at the Central School at Windsor. Concurrently he also wrote travel and humourous articles for magazines. Within two years their success in the regional periodicals encouraged him to change careers to become a reporter and columnist.In August 1876, at age 27, he married Eva Bennett and they began a family.A half decade later he was the exchange editor of the ‘Free Press’ but decided to relocate to London to establish an English edition and to write fiction, which both met with much success.Over the years he was a prolific writer and in 1892, along with Jerome K Jerome, he established ‘The Idler’ magazine and, just after the turn of the century, became its sole proprietor.Although a number of his crime novels and short stories are parodies on Sherlock Holmes and other best-selling detectives of the time, he also wrote short stories across a whole range of subjects and genres usually with intriguing ideas and many laced with wit and humour.Robert Barr died at his home in Woldingham, Surrey of heart disease on the 21st October 1912. He was 63."

Robert Barr (Author), Peter Barden (Narrator)

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Robert Barr - A Short Story Collection

"Robert Barr was born in Glasgow, Scotland on the 16th September 1849. Five years later the family emigrated to a farm near Muirkirk in Upper Canada. His early years were uneventful as the family settled into their new lives and Barr began his education.A career path as a teacher opened up for him and, by 1874, he had been appointed as headmaster at the Central School at Windsor. Concurrently he also wrote travel and humourous articles for magazines. Within two years their success in the regional periodicals encouraged him to change careers to become a reporter and columnist.In August 1876, at age 27, he married Eva Bennett and they began a family.A half decade later he was the exchange editor of the ‘Free Press’ but decided to relocate to London to establish an English edition and to write fiction, which both met with much success.Over the years he was a prolific writer and in 1892, along with Jerome K Jerome, he established ‘The Idler’ magazine and, just after the turn of the century, became its sole proprietor.Although a number of his crime novels and short stories are parodies on Sherlock Holmes and other best-selling detectives of the time, he also wrote short stories across a whole range of subjects and genres usually with intriguing ideas and many laced with wit and humour.Robert Barr died at his home in Woldingham, Surrey of heart disease on the 21st October 1912. He was 63.1 - Robert Barr- A Short Story Collection - An Introduction2 - Purification by Robert Barr3 - The Vengeance of the Dead by Robert Barr4 - The Sixth Bench by Robert Barr5 - Within An Ace of the End of the World by Robert Barr6 - An Alpine Divorce by Robert Barr"

Robert Barr (Author), David Shaw-Parker (Narrator)

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3 Stories - Tragic 19th Century Love

"There is something about the number 3. The Ancient Greeks believed 3 was the perfect number, and in China 3 has always been a lucky number, and they know a thing or two. Most religions also have 3 this and 3 that and, of course, in these more modern times, three’s a crowd may be too many, except when it’s a ménage à trois. It seems good things usually come in threes.Whatever history and culture says WE think 3, a hat-trick of stories, is a great number to explore themes and literary avenues that classic authors were so adept at creating.From their pens to your your ears. 01 - 3 Stories - Tragic 19th Century Love02 - The Sixth Bench by Robert Barr03 - No 5 Branch Line. The Engineer by Amelia Edwards04 - The Wedding Eve by Morley Roberts"

Amelia B. Edwards, Morley Roberts, Robert Barr (Author), David Shaw-Parker, Mark Rice-Oxley (Narrator)

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3 Stories - Set in Switzerland

"There is something about the number 3. The Ancient Greeks believed 3 was the perfect number, and in China 3 has always been a lucky number, and they know a thing or two. Most religions also have 3 this and 3 that and, of course, in these more modern times, three’s a crowd may be too many, except when it’s a ménage à trois. It seems good things usually come in threes.Whatever history and culture says WE think 3, a hat-trick of stories, is a great number to explore themes and literary avenues that classic authors were so adept at creating.From their pens to your your ears."

E F Benson, Robert Barr, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author), David Shaw-Parker (Narrator)

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Paris Short Stories Not by Guy de Maupassant

"In this series we listen to short stories that are NOT by perhaps the most well-known author of this type. But the many other rich talents in the volume may have treated the subject matter a little differently, or were perhaps just overlooked in the stampede to applaud the winner, but these authors are of equal merit. Each of their works is laden with talent, has purpose, and is rich and textured in this gloried niche of literature.1 - Paris Short Stories Not by Guy de Maupassant - An Introduction2 - The Murders in the Rue Morgue - Part 1 by Edgar Allan Poe3 - The Murders in the Rue Morgue - Part 2 by Edgar Allan Poe4 - The Burial of the Rats by Bram Stoker5 - The Daughter of Lilith by Anatole France6 - The Namesake by Willa Cather7 - The Leather Funnel by Arthur Conan Doyle8 - A Terribly Strange Bed by Wilkie Collins9 - The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe10 - His Secret Sin by Aleister Crowley11 - The Mysterious Card by Cleveland Moffet12 - The Sixth Bench by Robert Barr13 - The Supreme Illusion by Arnold Bennett14 - The Mystery of Marie Rogêt - Part 1 by Edgar Allan Poe15 - The Mystery of Marie Rogêt - Part 2 by Edgar Allan Poe"

Aleister Crowley, Anatole France, Arnold Bennett, Bram Stoker, Cleveland Moffet, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Barr, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Wilkie Collins, Willa Cather (Author), Christopher Ragland, David Shaw-Parker, Richard Mitchley (Narrator)

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The Foundations of Fiction - Dystopian

"In this series we turn the pages of classic short stories to put together the literary building blocks of how a particular genre or theme began, how it built its foundations to become the well-loved and well-worn genre that it is today.Do authors have the same ideas at more or less the same time? Or can they sniff out an opportunity as to which way the tastes of an audience are moving. Success undoubtedly builds success and in literary terms we can more politely say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the surest way to reach a hungry readership is to build on the fortune and flair of your literary colleagues. We all fear the world will end badly. Even worse that we might be caught up in it. In this volume our authors summon up stories which illustrate and flavour our thinking and imaginings on just how a society would reach that precipice, how it would ultimately be.01 - Foundations of Fiction - Dystopian - An Introduction2 - A Dream of Armageddon by H G Wells3 - The Park of Kings by Alexander Kuprin4 - Into the Sun by Robert Duncan Milne5 - The Cloud-Men by Owen Oliver6 - The Republic of the Southern Cross by Valery Bryusov7 - The End of the World by Simon Newcomb8 - The World's Last Cataclysm by Robert Duncan Milne9 - Within An Ace of the End of the World by Robert Barr10 - Christmas Formula by Stella Benson11 - The Repairer of Reputations by Robert W Chambers"

Alexander Kuprin, H.G. Wells, Owen Oliver, Robert Barr, Robert Duncan Milne, Robert W Chambers, Simon Newcomb, Stella Benson, Valery Bryusov (Author), Christopher Ragland, Elliot Fitzpatrick, Robert Maskell (Narrator)

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Catastrophe - A Short Story Collection

"'The End of the World is Nigh' has been seen, heard and quoted ad infinitum all of our lives. In the comfort zone of our own arrogance and the resources that we humans have at our disposal it seems we are both inviolable and invincible. All is safe. We are in control. But Nature has a way of sending earthquakes, eruptions, fires and flood, and much else besides, at the most inopportune times and, in these more modern days, with increasing frequency and extremes. In this volume our classic authors conjure up all sorts of damnations and destructions in literary assaults testing our will to survive and our ingenuity to overcome situations where the outlook is bleak at best and the total extinction of us at worse. 1 - Catastrophe - A Short Story Collection - An Introduction 2 - The Unparallelled Invasion by Jack London 3 - The Freezing of London by Herbert C Ridout 4 - London's Danger by C J Cutcliffe Hyne 5 - Into the Sun by Robert Duncan Milne 6 - The Cloud-Men by Owen Oliver 7 - The Dust of Death by Fred M White 8 - The End of the World by Simon Newcomb 9 - Within An Ace of the End of the World by Robert Barr 10 - The World's Last Cataclysm by Robert Duncan Milne"

C J Cutcliffe Hyne, Fred M White, Herbert C Ridout, Jack London, Owen Oliver, Robert Barr, Robert Duncan Milne, Simon Newcomb (Author), Christopher Ragland, David Shaw-Parker, Mark Rice-Oxley (Narrator)

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Mystery Tales: Edgar Allan Poe - Herbert Keen - Robert Barr

"Mystery Tales - Short Stories Track List: - The Purloined Letter - Edgar Allan Poe - The Tin Box - Herbert Keen - The Man who was not on the Passenger List - Robert Barr    "

Edgar Allan Poe, Herbert Keen, Robert Barr (Author), Various (Narrator)

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Mystery Tales - with Thunderstorms

"Listen to these classic short stories and thunderstorms crash in the background. - The Purloined Letter  Edgar Allan Poe - The Tin Box   Herbert Keen - The Clue of the Silver Spoons   Robert Barr"

Edgar Allan Poe, Herbert Keen, Robert Barr (Author), Various (Narrator)

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Detective Galbraith: The King of Diamonds & The Midas Touch: 2 BBC Radio crime dramas

"Ex-policeman Galbraith is caught up in mystery and murder in these two gripping, fast-paced detective dramas After a long career in the Flying Squad, veteran copper Bill Galbraith is hanging up his truncheon and saying goodbye to the police force. He's looking forward to a quiet life on civvy street - but his best friend, private investigator Tommy Evans, has other ideas... In The King of Diamonds, Galbraith's enjoying a peaceful retirement in the countryside when Tommy calls him up with a job offer. Adamant that he's done with detection, Bill refuses, but Evans persists - and soon, Galbraith is embroiled in murky goings-on involving a beautiful blonde, a missing diamond courier and a criminal mastermind. The Midas Touch sees Bill accosted once again by his old PI pal, who shows him a mysterious photograph of a party on a lawn, with circles drawn round the heads of three people. The photo was part of a parcel addressed to a retired criminal lawyer, which also contained bearer bonds, a list of jewellery worth £750,000 and a letter threatening the life of a man named Paul Carson. The crime the package tells of has yet to be discovered - can Galbraith root it out? Created by the award-winning writer of Z Cars and Softly Softly, Robert Barr, these two suspenseful full-cast dramas star Bernard Hepton as the reluctant investigator, with Richard Davies as Tommy Evans. Production credits Written by Robert Barr Produced by John Browell Starring Bernard Hepton as Galbraith Cast The King of Diamonds Tommy Evans/Paul - Richard Davies David Cater - Tom Watson Gelder - Peter Dyneley Anne-Marie - Eva Haddon Cornell/Commander - Hector Ross Mary Galbraith - Katharine Page Milne - Bruce Alexander Lindemanns - Cyril Shaps Dykers - Trader Faulkner Brent - Peter Williams Jacobus - Stephen Greif Betty van Druten - Frances Jeater Lander - Peter Hawkins Gunman - Robert Gillespie First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 August-19 September 1975 The Midas Touch Tommy Evans - Richard Davies Bernie Finch - Garard Green Sailor/Andreas - Kevork Malikyan Nick Tully - Clive Merrison Bavister - Eric Richard Mrs Palmer - Margery Withers Doc McDowall - Robert Gillespie Thorn - David Ryall Chief Inspector Collins/Inspector Burridge - Michael Kilgarriff Rita - Rosalyn Slater Carson - Matthew Francis First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 October-8 November 1977 ©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Robert Barr (Author), Bernard Hepton, Bruce Alexander, Eva Haddon, Full Cast, Katharine Page, Kevork Malikyan, Richard Davies, Tom Watson (Narrator)

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The Rivals: Tales of Sherlock Holmes’ rival detectives: 16 BBC Radio full-cast dramas

"The complete collection of all 16 episodes from this gripping BBC Radio crime series Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard was made to look a fool in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Now he gets his own back, introducing sixteen tales of detectives whose abilities rival that of the great Sherlock Holmes. Starring James Fleet (Series 1, 3 and 4) and Tim Piggott-Smith (Series 2) as Lestrade, with casts featuring Andrew Scott, Paul Rhys, Anton Lesser, Honeysuckle Weeks, Rupert Vansittart, John Sessions, Marcia Warren and Tim McInnerny. Dramatised for radio by Chris Harrald, these stories are written by masters of the crime and thriller genre, all contemporaries of Arthur Conan Doyle. They include: The Murders on the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe The Problem of Cell 13 by Jacques Futrelle Murder By Proxy by Matthias McDonnel Bodkin The Mystery of Redstone Manor by Catherine Louisa Pirkis The Problem of the Superfluous Finger by Jacques Futrelle The Clue of the Silver Spoons by Robert Barr The Intangible Clue by Anna Katharine Green The Game Played in the Dark by Ernest Bramah The Kinght's Cross Signal Problem by Ernest Bramah A Snapshot by Matthias McDonnel Bodkin Seven, Seven, Seven - City by Julius Chambers The Moabite Cipher - by R Austin Freeman The Clairvoyants - by Arthur B Reeve The Stanway Cameo Mystery - Arthur Morrison The Secret of Dunstan's Tower - Ernest Bramah The Mystery of the Scarlet Thread - Jacques Futrelle Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko (Series 1) and Liz Webb (Series 2, 3, 4) (c) BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 2021 (p) BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 2021"

Anna Katherine Green, Arthur B. Reeve, Arthur Morrison, Edgar Allan Poe, Ernest Bramah, Jacques Futrelle, Julius Chambers, Louisa Pirkis, Matthias Mcdonnel Bodkin, R.Austin Freeman, Robert Barr (Author), Andrew Scott, Anton Lesser, Full Cast, Honeysuckle Weeks, James Fleet, John L. Sessions, Marcia Warren, Paul Rhys, Tim Mcinnerny, Tim Pigott-Smith (Narrator)

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