Dramatisations and readings of five of Josephine Tey's classic mystery novels.

Scottish novelist and playwright Josephine Tey was one of the greatest Golden-Age crime writers and the author of eight mysteries, including six featuring Scotland Yard inspector Alan Grant. The most famous of these, The Daughter of Time, was acclaimed the greatest crime novel of all time by the Crime Writers' Association. A full-cast dramatisation of this iconic story is included here, along with adaptations of four of her other much-loved mystery novels.

A Shilling for Candles: an independent-minded chief constable's daughter meets a suspected killer in this re-imagining of Josephine Tey's 1936 comedy thriller featuring Inspector Grant, starring Giles Fagan and Tilly Gaunt.

Miss Pym Disposes: invited by her friend Henrietta to lecture at a physical education college, expert psychologist Miss Lucy Pym little suspects that among the healthy young women is someone with a mind sick enough to commit murder.... Julia Foster stars as Miss Pym, with Joan Sims as Henrietta.

The Franchise Affair: a 15-year-old schoolgirl accuses Marion Sharpe and her mother of kidnapping and beating her. Can solicitor Robert Blair prove the women's innocence? An abridged reading by Edward Petherbridge.

The Daughter of Time: in hospital with a broken leg, Inspector Grant is bored. To pass the time, he decides to try and solve one of history's most famous puzzles: did Richard II really kill the Princes in the Tower? Peter Gilmore stars as Alan Grant.

The Singing Sands: travelling to the Highlands by train, Inspector Grant ends up investigating the mysterious death of the man in compartment B7. An abridged reading by Paul Young of Tey's final novel, published posthumously in 1952. 

Also included is a Woman's Hour discussion of the life of Josephine Tey, with Andrew Taylor and fellow author Nicola Upson, whose best-selling crime novels feature Tey as the detective heroine. 

A Shilling for Candles

Tisdall - Giles Fagan, Erica - Tilly Gaunt, Pottinger - Steve Hodson, Bergoine - Stephen Thorne, Grant - Ben Crowe, Albert Clay - Harry Myers, Hopgood - Geoffrey Whitehead, Martha - Frances Jeater. Dramatised by John Fletcher. Directed by Tabitha Potts. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5th December 1998.

Miss Pym Disposes

Lucy Pym - Julia Foster, Henrietta Hodge - Joan Sims, Teresa Desterro - Julia Swift, Miss Lux - Polly James, Miss Wragg - Zelah Clarke, Madame Lefevre - Margaret Robertson, Fröken Gustavson - Diana Olsson, Miss Meek - Eva Stuart, Miss Nash - Deborah Makepeace, Miss Innes - Moir Leslie, Miss Rouse - Susan Sheridan, Miss O'Donnell - Felicity Hayes-McCoy, Miss Dakers - Denica Fairman, Miss Gage - Caroline Gruber, Mr Nash - Michael Deacon, Mrs Nash - Eva Stuart, Rick - Paul Sirr. Dramatised by Elizabeth Proud. Directed by Glyn Dearman. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30th December 1987.

The Franchise Affair

Read by Edward Petherbridge. Abridged by Pat McLoughlin. Editor: Sally Feldman. Music: Bush's Music for Orchestra. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7th - 23rd May 1991.

The Daughter of Time

Alan Grant - Peter Gilmore, Nurse Ingham - Frances Jeater, Nurse Darroll - Jill Lidstone, Marta Hallard - Rosalind Shanks, Brent Carradine - Simon Hewitt, Richard - Steve Hodson, Tyrrel - Nigel Lambert, Brackenbury - Lewis Stringer, Lady Paston - Miranda Forbes, Edward - Graham Faulkner, Matron - Katherine Parr, Williams - Stuart Organ, Morton - Peter Tuddenham, Buckingham - Alex Jennings, Stillington - James Thomason, Sir John - Alaric Cotter. Dramatised by Neville Teller. Directed by Graham Gauld. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30th August 1982.

The Singing Sands: Read by Paul Young. Produced by Eilidh McCreadie. First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 17th - 20th March 2008.

Woman's Hour discussion: Presented by Jane Garvey. With Nicola Upson and Andrew Taylor. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29th February 2008.