The Killings at Badger’s Drift: (1 A Midsomer Murders Mystery)

The village of Badger's Drift is the essence of tranquillity. But when resident and well-loved spinster Miss Simpson takes a stroll in the nearby woods, she stumbles across something she was never meant to see, and there's only one way to keep her quiet. Miss Simpson's death is not suspicious, say the villagers. But Miss Lucy Bellringer refuses to rest: her friend has been murdered. She is sure of it. She calls on Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby to investigate, and it isn't long until the previously unseen seamy side of Badger's Drift is brought to light. But as old rivalries, past loves and new scandals surface, the next murder is not far away.

About the Author :
Caroline Graham is one of Britain's most successful writers and journalists. She is a highly respected royal commentator who was the youngest ever Woman's Editor at the Sun, where she earned her reputation as a formidable investigative reporter and established unrivalled royal contacts. She is now the US correspondent for the Mail on Sunday. John Hopkins is an English actor who is known for playing Sergeant Scott in two series of Midsomer Murders, Sir Francis Basset in Poldark, as well as appearing in Endeavour, Merlin, Masters of the Air and Spooks. John has lent his voice to dozens of video games including Final Fantasy XVI and Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, as well as the animated Netflix series Hilda and its follow up feature film Hilda and the Mountain King. He has appeared on stage across the UK in roles such as Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra, Ben Hur in the eponymous play, and will soon be seen in the first ever stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove.

Review :
'Simply the best detective writer since Agatha Christie.' 'A mystery of which Agatha Christie would have been proud ... A beautifully written crime novel.' 'Tension builds, bitchery flares, resentment seethes ... lots of atmosphere, colourful characters and fair clues.' 'Everyone gets what they deserve in this high-class mystery.' 'One to savour' 'John Hopkins performs this first in the Midsomer Murders series. Published in 1987, the novel offers a complicated mystery with multidimensional characters and murders galore. With his sensuous baritone, Hopkins draws listeners into the tiny hamlet of Badger's Drift, where DCI Barnaby and DS Troy investigate an elderly woman's murder. Hopkins is quietly intense while the body count grows. As his soft-spoken Barnaby interviews suspects, Hopkins smoothly reveals possible motives and would-be scandals. His portrayal of the opinionated Troy sounds appropriately callow. Elderly Miss Bellringer has plummy tones and posh diction. Hopkins also delivers amusing glimpses of Barnaby's homelife with his wife, whose only flaw is that she cannot cook. A terrific start to a new audio series.'