Josephine Tey: The Daughter of Time & Other Mysteries

A BBC Radio Crime Collection

By: Josephine Tey

Narrated by: Julia Foster, Joan Sims, Paul Young, Edward Petherbridge, Tilly Gaunt, Giles Fagan, Peter Gilmore, full cast

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A very mixed bag!

Well, just skip ‘A shilling for candles’ altogether is my advice - it is nothing like the original: different motive, different murderer, different storyline. Frankly, just a load of rubbish. ‘Miss Pym disposes’ and ‘The daughter of time’ are reasonably good dramatised adaptations: they follow the original stories (if somewhat simplified) and have good actors. The abridged narration of ‘The Singing Sands’ is ook worthwhile listening. The standout story in the collection is ‘The Franchise Affair’ narrated by the incomparable Edward Petherbridge. Worth buying the collection for that alone.

Definitely not unabridged

This is a performance with plenty of artistic license. While it's not a bad performance I was looking for the unabridged Daughter of Time, it's much better than any performance. I was hopeful since the description stated that it was unabridged but am disappointed that it actually is abridged.

Sooo Good !!

What a great way to present Josephine Tey !! She really is right up there with Agatha Christy! This production is done very well and sucks you into every story. What a great 9 hours - wish there were more as well produced!

Entertaining Listen

The first mystery is a bit simplistic, but they better and better as they go along

One is simply weird

The first dramatization - A Shilling for Candles - is as far from a Tey as I cannot even imagine. I truly don’t know what it is but to be fair, if one were not thinking of Tey, it could be considered entertaining (facetious comedy) in its own right, because like all the other dramatizations or readings, it has wonderful performances by fine actors. I agree with the others that The Franchise Affair is read very well (but of course, it is Edward Petherbridge after all). On the whole, it is worth listening to.

Odd incongruity?

What a startling dichotomy of performances! From the Jeeves-and-Wooster treatment of Shilling for Candles, to the stunning, thoughtful presentation of The Franchise Affair by Edward Petherbridge, this is a most curious representation of the worthy and respected works of Josephine Tey. Worth the price for the Petherbridge reading alone, however I would encourage first-time listeners to look for the unabridged versions of these great stories.

Would love more Tey

I didn't want to stop listening, great stories! We should have heard more of Ms Tey!

Radio plays of Tey’s works

I enjoyed them. I was familiar with Daughter of Time and The Franchise Affair but not the others. Great performances.

Another great one

I really enjoyed this book. Each one she writes is so different than the others, really good.

full stories are much better

my wife and I did not like or finish the performances. not true to the stories at all and a bit campy.