The Mrs Bradley Mysteries

Classic Radio Crime

De: Gladys Mitchell

Narrado por: Mary Winbush, Leslie Phillips, Full Cast

Mary Wimbush stars as unconventional psychoanalyst sleuth Mrs Bradley in these two full-cast dramatisations of stories by Gladys Mitchell. Colourful, cynical, intimidating and extremely intelligent, Mrs Bradley is one of the most unorthodox detectives in the history of Golden Age crime fiction. The heroine of 66 novels by Gladys Mitchell, she has also appeared in several radio adaptations and a BBC TV series starring Diana Rigg.

In these two dramas, she puts her extraordinary mind to work investigating cases of disguise, dismemberment, mayhem and murder. In Speedy Death, a country house in the 1920s is rocked by a murder which takes place in a room which is first locked, then later unlocked. A startling secret is uncovered, and as fingers point and the suspects begin to turn on each other, another death occurs.... The Mystery of a Butcher's Shop sees Mrs Bradley probing some alarming events in the village of Wandles Parva, as Rupert Sethleigh goes missing and a headless body is found jointed in the butcher's shop.

These entertaining dramatisations, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1990 and 1991, star Mary Wimbush as Mrs Bradley, with Leslie Phillips as Carstairs.

©2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Who is who?

Well, I got lost trying to keep track of the characters and identify the voices. If this had been easier, the story could have made more sense and even been good. What’s with that laugh????

true to the author

The characterizations are true to Gladys Mitchell's origional books. if you know of the author and her work, the laugh makes perfect sense. Nice dramatization of an interesting author from the golden age of crime and mystery.

Very faithful adaptations

I enjoyed these radio adaptations of Gladys Mitchell's first two Mrs. Bradley mysteries. They were up to the typically high standards of BBC radio and were very faithful to the source material. Those reviewers who complained about Mary Winbush's laugh perhaps haven't read the original novels; Mrs. Bradley is often described as having a "hideous cackle." I found these far more entertaining than the television adaptations starring Diana Rigg; while I like Rigg, she did not embody the true character of Mrs. Bradley. Mary Winbush did a beautiful job.

Horrifying laugh

The main character has an absolutely horrific laugh and I’d return this title if I could . The director should have put the kibosh on that one

Pathetic! Don't waste your credit

Any additional comments?

Go for Dorothy Sayers, Lord Peter, radio dramas over this. The storyline and acting in these radio mysteries are rather pathetic; and, Mrs. Bradley laugh isn't amusing, it's annoying.