Inspector Resnick

Five BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisations

By: John Harvey

Narrated by: Philip Jackson, Keith Barron, full cast, Tom Georgeson, Tom Wilkinson

Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

Five BBC Radio 4 full-cast crime dramas featuring DI Charlie Resnick.

Jazz-loving Policeman Charlie Resnick is one of the most popular characters in contemporary crime fiction. This thrilling collection brings together three dramatisations and two original radio stories starring the Nottingham-based detective, all scripted by his creator, award-winning author John Harvey.

Wasted Years

It's 1992, and two incidents of violent robbery force Detective Inspector Resnick to relive painful memories of 10 years earlier, when his marriage collapsed - and he arrested an armed criminal.... Starring Tom Wilkinson.

Cutting Edge

When a young doctor is attacked on a deserted hospital walkway, the clues seem to lead nowhere for DI Charlie Resnick. As he desperately searches for motives, another victim is assaulted.... Starring Tom Georgeson.

Slow Burn

When Jimmy Nolan's Nottingham jazz club burns down, it looks like an insurance job. But for Detective Inspector Charlie Resnick and his team, it is the start of a more sinister and deadly chain of events. Starring Philip Jackson.

Cheryl

While Detective Inspector Resnick pursues a gang of armed robbers, meals-on-wheels Lady Cheryl takes the law into her own hands on behalf of an elderly client. It isn't long before their investigations collide.... Starring Keith Barron.

Bird of Paradise

Jerzy Grabianski is a high-class burglar with a passion for ornithology and British Impressionist paintings. Like DI Charlie Resnick, he has Polish roots, a firm sense of justice and a soft spot for the ladies - especially the energetic Sister Teresa.... Starring Keith Barron.

Directed by David Hunter.

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

Critic Reviews

"John Harvey is one of the all-time greats and remains one of my favourite writers." (Ian Rankin) 

Good cast, overall good stories

This was my first encounter with DI Resnick. The first story was a bit difficult for me to follow because part of it was retrospective. I enjoyed the other stories more. The cast were all excellent, as one would expect. I particularly enjoyed listening to Philip Jackson, who played Inspector Japp alongside David Suchet’s Hercule Poirot.

Course, vulgar, ugly, and vile

If I want course, vulgar, ugly and vile I'll listen to the news. I come to fiction to escape it, not to have my nose rubbed in it. Maybe it gets better as it goes on, I stopped listening pretty fast, but I would advise anyone looking for escape listening to look elsewhere. The performances were very good, it's just the story that was vile.

omg the music!!!! awful

so so bit of drama, but omg the music is appalling to the point of distraction

missing parts

really enjoyed this until 'Slow Burn'. my copy appears to have episode 1 twice, and no episode 2. I don't understand why they can't put the titles on the chapter list, rather than just 1, 2, 3, 4., which makes finding individual stories difficult.

Gentle crime stories...

Enjoyed them, but shame lead character changed each set...nonetheless, will listen again, l have no doubt.

Enjoyable- slightly different

These are three BBC dramatised adaptations of John Harvey’s Resnick novels, and one of a short story.

The stories are closely plotted and twisty enough without being impossible to follow, and the characters and characterisation interesting, convincing and more than stereotypes.

At the heart is Resnick himself, who - although played by different actors in the different adaptations- is likeable, interesting, competent and, unlike just about every other contemporary fictional detective, not a renegade at war with his senior officers. He has to have his dark side of course (wouldn’t it be nice to have a cheery, happily married detective!) but in Resnick’s case this is mainly his ex-wife, unless you hate jazz of course.

Which brings us to the music! I see that other reviews have almost unanimously marked the books down because of this: I happen to really like jazz, and it is after all part of the detective’s personality. But I have to admit that the title music - I believe specifically written for Wasted Years - is dreadful. HOWEVER! That is what the ‘Skip’ button is for. A couple of 30 second skips at the beginning and end will silence the howling person.

Other points - in the main, although generally downbeat and a bit East Mids gloom, things resolve properly with no loose ends (but a few which kind of fade out), and people get their just deserts; he draws strong women and abusive men well (his obnoxious medical student is a case in point); Resnick’s dourly matter-of-fact Nottingham sergeant is a joy, particularly in ‘Cutting Edge’. And the final, short story is actually quite upbeat, even charming. His Raffles-like Polish art thief is lovely- a Flambeau to Resnick’s Father Brown.

Definitely worth a credit.

I couldn't finish it.

The acting is good but the stories are so difficult to follow that I made the effort to get interested but finally I had to give up.

Five stars for four stars

Barron, Wilkinson, Jackson, Georgeson - stars all, with great casts, good writing, nice adaptations. What's not to like?

Resnick

Brilliant stories. Can listen to them many times without being bored. Are there any more!?

wonderful

I've been waiting for this to become available and it was well worth the wait. Everything about this is perfect. (Perhaps Audible could make the books available too?) Treat yourself to this, you'll not regret it, it's well worth a credit in anyone's money.