Showing results by narrator "Derek Jacobi" in All Categories

Award-winning author Elizabeth George gives us an early glimpse into the lives of Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, forensic scientist Simon Allcourt-St. James, and Lady Helen Clyde in a superlative mystery that is also a fascinating inquiry into the crimes of the heart. Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton, has brought to Howenstow, his family home, the young woman he has asked to be his bride.

The pathetic but perceptive Lewis Raycie is sent on a grand tour of Europe with instructions to collect great art. He returns with Italian paintings not yet recognized in America as Renaissance masterpieces.

'Truth is the Daughter of Time' is an old proverb. And The Daughter of Time is Josephine Tey's search for the truth about the murder of the Princes in the Tower. Was the hunchback, Richard III, the monster that Shakespeare and the history books have made him out to be?

A lover's most unlikely jealousy, a mother's patient wait for revenge, a young actress driven to distraction by a cruel husband, a story of jilted love and murder in a London lodging house, and a confrontation that brings a saga of mutual loathing to a terrible conclusion on the other side of the Atlantic - here are stories by five master storytellers.

If Captain Tom's big heart and generosity of spirit helped see us through difficult days, this was his parting gift. Full of the wit, warmth and wisdom that made him so special, his reflections and guiding principles form a long life, well lived; Life Lessons will be a source of reassurance, hope and encouragement for generations to come. And a reminder, whenever times are hard, that tomorrow will be a good day.

Magical and dreamlike in its tone, Shakespeare’s The Tempest begins with a storm of epic proportions and a shipwreck. Banished from Italy, Prospero lives on a remote island with his daughter. Using his magic, he vows to seek revenge on the injustice dealt to him by his brother, but in doing so, Shakespeare questions the difficulty of distinguishing ‘men’ from ‘monsters’, and the realities of justice.

The fascinating story of England's monarchy is highlighted by extracts from the diaries and speeches of English monarchs and observations by their contemporaries. Multi-voice narration adds colour and personality to the history of England's most famous family.

The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of “Bitch”, a short, sharp, saucy story from Roald Dahl, the master of the shocking tale. Read by the actors Derek Jacobi and Richard E. Grant. In “Bitch”, Roald Dahl, one of the world’s favourite authors, tells a funny, fruity story about one of his favourite characters, adventurer and seducer Oswald Hendryks Cornelius.

'If I had my way, every idiot who goes around with Merry Christmas on his lips, would be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Merry Christmas? Bah humbug!' Charles Dickens’ ghostly tale of sour and stingy miser Ebenezer Scrooge has captivated readers, listeners and audiences for over 150 years. This Christmas, Audible Studios brings this story to life in an audio drama featuring an all-star cast.

In the summer of 1139, there is a pause in the civil war racking the country. St. Peter's Fair attracts merchants from across England and beyond, promising to bring some much-needed gaiety to Shrewsbury—that is, until the dead body of a wealthy merchant is found in the river Severn. Brother Cadfael offers to help the merchant's lovely niece uncover the murderer, but as he searches for the killer, the merchant's wares are ransacked and two more men are murdered.

King Henry IV suffers from illness, so his youngest son, Prince John, fights the rebels, while Prince Hal prepares to be king. Meanwhile, Hal's friend Falstaff causes trouble, recruits and speaks ill of Hal. Henry dies and Hal becomes King Henry V. He banishes Falstaff from court, ready to wage war on France.

The duke leaves Angelo in charge of Vienna, where he quickly condemns Claudio to death for immoral behaviour. Angelo offers to pardon Claudio if his sister, Isabella, sleeps with him. Isabella agrees but has Angelo's fiancée switch places with her. The duke returns to spare Claudio, punish Angelo and propose to Isabella.

The career of playwright Joy Sinclair comes to an abrupt end on an isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands when someone drives an eighteen-inch dirk through her neck. Called upon to investigate the case in a country where they have virtually no authority, aristocratic Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, grapple for both a motive and a murderer.

The place is St Oswald's, an old and long-established boys' grammar school in the north of England. A new year has just begun, and for the staff and boys of the school, a wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork, and information technology rule the world, and Roy Straitley, Latin master, eccentric, and veteran of St Oswald's, is finally, reluctantly, contemplating retirement. But beneath the little rivalries, petty disputes, and everyday crises of the school, a darker undercurrent stirs.

Bath-based BBC Audiobooks hosted a sell-out event for the Bath Literature Festival. Reading Between the Lines: From Page to Production featured Rula Lenska, Lynne Truss, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Lorelei King in an entertaining and lively discussion about the art of the audiobook. They were joined by Sunday Times audio critic Karen Robinson, BBC Audiobooks' Publishing Director Jan Paterson, and Senior Producer Kate Thomas.

The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Parson’s Pleasure, a brilliant gem of a short story from Roald Dahl, the master of the sting in the tail. Read by the actor Derek Jacobi. In Parson’s Pleasure, Roald Dahl, one of the world’s favourite authors, tells a sinister story about the darker side of human nature. Here, a priceless piece of furniture is the subject of a deceitful bargain.

It's the middle of the night, and Mr. Scrooge, with a little ghostly help, is returning to buried memories of his youth: childhood friends, holidays spent alone, broken engagements. It's all a litte too much to bear.

With the final visitor of the night, Mr. Scrooge gets to peak at a rather grim future: his. A funeral attended only for the free lunch and no one to feel grief over his death, only relief, are enough to convince Mr. Scrooge. It's time to change his ways.

The next spectral visitor takes a more current approach, bringing Mr. Scrooge into the cheerful but painfully sparse home of his only employee, Bob Cratchit. Watching the family celebrate, despite their circumstances, Scrooge experiences something he hasn't felt in a long time--empathy.

Fat, unlovely Roberta Teys is found beside her father's headless corpse, wearing her best dress and with an axe in her lap. Her first words are: 'I did it. And I am not sorry,' and she refuses to say more.