Rumpole à la Carte

By: John Mortimer

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Here are six delightful tales featuring everyone’s favorite barrister for the defense, Horace Rumpole. Eccentric characters such as his wife, Hilda, otherwise known as “She Who Must Be Obeyed”, and his philandering colleague Claude Erskine-Brown are back as Rumpole visits a snooty restaurant where he engages in a battle of wills over his adored mashed spuds, takes the unaccustomed role of prosecutor, and ventures - unwillingly - onto a ship, where he confronts, of all things, a detective novelist.

Included are “Rumpole à la Carte”, “Rumpole and the Summer of Discontent”, “Rumpole and the Right to Silence”, “Rumpole at Sea”, “Rumpole and the Quacks”, and “Rumpole for the Prosecution”.

This masterly blend of humor and mystery makes for irresistible listening.

About the author: John Mortimer (1923-2009) was a playwright, novelist, and barrister. He wrote many radio, film, and television scripts, including the British television series Rumpole of the Bailey, and won the British Academy Writer of the Year Award in 1979. He retired from the bar in 1984 and was knighted in 1998.

©1990 Advanpress, Ltd. (P)1992 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“The eighth collection of stories about the barrister; that they continue to be so enjoyable is a mark of both the author's craftsmanship and his natural talent.” ( The New York Times Book Review)

“Abounds with wit, familiar eccentrics, and those moments of eloquence that make justice seem as simple and desirable as common sense.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“Many of Rumpole’s cases turn out to be ‘whodunits,’ with our hero nabbing the real culprit or finding the crucial evidence that exonerates his client. In a handful of stories (Rumpole solves a missing person case aboard ship in “Rumpole at Sea,” for instance), we are presented with more traditional mystery stories…The real charm of Rumpole is in the writing. John Mortimer combines the verbal play of P. G. Wodehouse with the grubby flavor of middle-class comedy. Individual cases allow Mortimer the opportunity for some mild satire…But the law itself is the most popular topic of Mortimer’s winking eye.” (Mike Pinsky, appellate judge, retired)

Delightful all around

Rumpole is one of my favorite characters. This book was enhanced by the wonderful narration. Stories were all great! Loved it!!

Imagine if TV Always Sounded this Good

I was surprised to learn that the stories in this collection—like all in the Rumpole series except the last six books—are based on TV scripts, reversing the usual page-to-stage order of things. They certainly don’t suffer from it. Probably because, rather than assign one or the other to a team of BBC hacks-in-residence, John Mortimer wrote both scripts and stories. Of the six romps with Rumpole I’ve enjoyed, this one includes some of Mortimer's very best efforts. And, as usual, the incomparable Frederick Davidson, like Rumpole himself, does them full justice.

Enjoyed

I always enjoy these productions. Narrator is excellent. I will be looking for another episode.

Awesome reading! I love good old Rumpole

Davidson is one of my favorite readers, up there with David case! Good old Rumpole is absolutely awesome! I have been thoroughly entertained by his antics and his brilliant and tenacious defenses! Very, very cool stuff indeed!!!

Thoroughly satisfying

My concept of Rumpole was shaped by the wonderful TV adaptation and I wasn’t sure how the audiobooks would stand up to this high standard. However the combination of John Mortimer’s writing and the excellent narration is excellent.