Rumpole and the Golden Thread

By: John Mortimer

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

In this engaging collection of stories, Rumpole continues to deftly juggle the vagaries of law, the ambiguities of crime, and the contradictions of the human heart in his death-defying performances on behalf of justice. The irreverent, claret-swilling, poetry-spouting barrister takes on suspect connoisseurs in the art world, journeys deep into the throbbing heart of Africa, dabbles in some feminist politics, decides the countryside is a very dangerous place, and incurs the wrath of his wife, She Who Must Be Obeyed.

©1983 Advanpress, Ltd. (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Once detective-fiction heroes enter your mental landscape, they can seem as real as your own friends and family. For a lot of people, Horace Rumpole is just such a vivid and familiar figure.” ( Wall Street Journal)

“Mortimer has created one of the legendary fictional detectives…a barrister [who’s] as much a detective as Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot.” ( Boston Globe)

“Rumpole is one of the immortals of mystery fiction.” ( San Francisco Chronicle)

Witty and delightful

A masterful witty account of the intricacy of the British law system. I recommend it highly.

Lots of Rumpole fun

Engaging and amusing and never boring or disappointing. These collections are all most entertaining. Recommended

He says all the things we wish we could say.

Especially at work. He drinks, with apparent impunity, as much as we wish we could drink. And he’s as good at his job as we all wish we were. Psmith-like, he meets the world’s brickbats with persiflage and snippets of poetry. There’s an unsinkable quality to Rumpole—something else we all wish we possessed.

And Frederick Davidson delivers it all with unerring comic inflection and an array of voices I’m sure some other readers wish they possessed.