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For Unto Us & The Trophy Club (Inspector McLevy Mysteries, Series 1)
Two BBC Radio full-cast audio dramas starring Brian Cox as McLevy and Siobhan Redmond as brothel-owner and girlfriend Jean Brash, who always manages to stay on the right side of the law. Based on the real-life memoirs of a Victorian Inspector in Scotland, James McLevy prowls the dark streets of 1830s Edinburgh bringing criminals to justice, with the assistance of Constable Mulholland. Includes the episodes "For Unto Us" and "The Trophy Club."
1 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2009
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About the author
David Ashton
106 books31 followersDavid Ashton (born 10 November 1941 in Greenock) is a Scottish actor and writer. Trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, 1964–67, he has acted in a wide variety of film, television, theatre and radio roles. He has also developed a parallel career as a writer of fiction, film and television screenplays and plays for theatre and radio. His radio play The Old Ladies at the Zoo, which starred Peggy Mount and Liz Smith, won the Radio Times Drama Award in 1985.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 14, 2014
This isn't quite the correct edition. I listened to 4 stories, all full cast dramatizations. They were pretty good. Great characters & well read, although the accents were a bit thick at times. You'd think with a last name like mine I'd be able to decipher a Scot's accent...
;)
The mysteries themselves weren't particularly difficult, but the fun came from the way McLevy managed to overcome the various handicaps to bring criminals to justice - or not. Sometimes the not was even better.
;)
The mysteries themselves weren't particularly difficult, but the fun came from the way McLevy managed to overcome the various handicaps to bring criminals to justice - or not. Sometimes the not was even better.
January 19, 2018
Glad I didn't waste my time reading the actual book!
November 11, 2018
Excellent to listen to, this was series 11 & 12 of the Radio plays.
February 3, 2012
* NOTE: I listened to this in sequence with the first McLevy mystery, The Second Shadow + The Burning Question so this review refers to both sets, which make up "series 1" as they aired.
Brian Cox, whom I know best as the mean ol' scientist who messed up Jason Bourne's brain, stars as the fictional version of the real-life 19th Century Edinborough detective, James McLevy. This first series of BBC Radio plays (which originally aired in 2000) recounts four mysteries. In Each, McLevy navigates the complex landscape of the cop who knows all his "charges" and values their lives just as much as the swells who want him to do their bidding. A few quick thoughts:
McLevy is gruff but fair, a man who secretly cares more than he lets on. He reminds me a lot of the chief inspector from the Murdoch Mysteries, while McLevy's sidekick reminds me a lot of Murdoch's Constable Crabtree.
The series spends significant time on the idea of fairness and class warfare. The first case, "The Trophy Club," involves the murder of a prostitute and the consequent protection of a couple young swells who seem to be involved. Another case, "The Burning Question," takes up the question of vigilante justice and the semi-legal gray area inhabited by prostitutes in the era.
The series also varies in tone quite a bit. "The Second Shadow" brings McLevy up against an organized crime ring and a brutal murder, while "For Unto Us" is a light-hearted Christmas tale that never gets more serious than theft.
The series is rife with humor as well as crime. Especially amusing are McLevy's interactions with the alluring brothel owner Jean Brash. Will their playful jests ever become anything more?
Worth a listen.
Brian Cox, whom I know best as the mean ol' scientist who messed up Jason Bourne's brain, stars as the fictional version of the real-life 19th Century Edinborough detective, James McLevy. This first series of BBC Radio plays (which originally aired in 2000) recounts four mysteries. In Each, McLevy navigates the complex landscape of the cop who knows all his "charges" and values their lives just as much as the swells who want him to do their bidding. A few quick thoughts:
McLevy is gruff but fair, a man who secretly cares more than he lets on. He reminds me a lot of the chief inspector from the Murdoch Mysteries, while McLevy's sidekick reminds me a lot of Murdoch's Constable Crabtree.
The series spends significant time on the idea of fairness and class warfare. The first case, "The Trophy Club," involves the murder of a prostitute and the consequent protection of a couple young swells who seem to be involved. Another case, "The Burning Question," takes up the question of vigilante justice and the semi-legal gray area inhabited by prostitutes in the era.
The series also varies in tone quite a bit. "The Second Shadow" brings McLevy up against an organized crime ring and a brutal murder, while "For Unto Us" is a light-hearted Christmas tale that never gets more serious than theft.
The series is rife with humor as well as crime. Especially amusing are McLevy's interactions with the alluring brothel owner Jean Brash. Will their playful jests ever become anything more?
Worth a listen.
March 16, 2020
'Two atmospheric BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations, starring Brian Cox as McLevy, Siobhan Redmond as Jean Brash and Michael Perceval-Maxwell as Mullholland.
Inspired by the real-life memoirs of a Victorian Inspector in Scotland, James McLevy prowls the dark streets of 1860s Edinburgh bring criminals to justice with the assistance of Constable Mulholland.
In 'For Unto Us', it is Christmas, by McLevy doubts that peace on Earth and goodwill to all men will apply among the criminal fraternity of Leith. Sure enough, as snow falls on the cobbled streets, the Inspector and Constable Mulholland find themselves on the icy trail of an ingenious cat-burglar.
'The Trophy Club' sees McLevy blocked at every turn in his efforts to solve the cruel murder of a young prostitute. Convinced that the killer is from teh highest level of Edinburgh society, he unwisely decides to bend the rules - with bitter consequences.'
I hadn't heard of this series before, but I was intrigued, and the cd set such a bargain (£1) that I couldn't resist. Really interesting as it is based on the actual memoirs of a real life detective in 1860s Edinburgh who investigated over 2000 cases in his 30 year career and was believed to have been partly responsible for the inspiration behind ACD Sherlock Holmes stories. McLevy's foil and uneasy ally on the dark side of Edinburgh is Jean Brash, Queen of Thieves who rules over The Happy Land - an area chock full of brothels, thieves, temptation and sin. There is a frisson between McLevy - upright, moral, highly religiously inclined police officer and Jean - madam, fence, trader of temptations of the flesh which is subtle but unmistakable - another interesting spin in these dramas.
I shall look out for more! Adding this to my permanent collection.
Inspired by the real-life memoirs of a Victorian Inspector in Scotland, James McLevy prowls the dark streets of 1860s Edinburgh bring criminals to justice with the assistance of Constable Mulholland.
In 'For Unto Us', it is Christmas, by McLevy doubts that peace on Earth and goodwill to all men will apply among the criminal fraternity of Leith. Sure enough, as snow falls on the cobbled streets, the Inspector and Constable Mulholland find themselves on the icy trail of an ingenious cat-burglar.
'The Trophy Club' sees McLevy blocked at every turn in his efforts to solve the cruel murder of a young prostitute. Convinced that the killer is from teh highest level of Edinburgh society, he unwisely decides to bend the rules - with bitter consequences.'
I hadn't heard of this series before, but I was intrigued, and the cd set such a bargain (£1) that I couldn't resist. Really interesting as it is based on the actual memoirs of a real life detective in 1860s Edinburgh who investigated over 2000 cases in his 30 year career and was believed to have been partly responsible for the inspiration behind ACD Sherlock Holmes stories. McLevy's foil and uneasy ally on the dark side of Edinburgh is Jean Brash, Queen of Thieves who rules over The Happy Land - an area chock full of brothels, thieves, temptation and sin. There is a frisson between McLevy - upright, moral, highly religiously inclined police officer and Jean - madam, fence, trader of temptations of the flesh which is subtle but unmistakable - another interesting spin in these dramas.
I shall look out for more! Adding this to my permanent collection.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews