Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • Detective

  • The Complete BBC Radio 4 Crime Drama
  • By: Robert Barr
  • Narrated by: full cast, Ray Brooks
  • Length: 17 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (204 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Detective

By: Robert Barr
Narrated by: full cast, Ray Brooks
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

All four radio series of Robert Barr’s gripping London-based police drama.

Originally broadcast as Detective: Stories of Crime and Detection in London, this BBC radio drama ran for four series between 1980 and 1985. Written by the award-winning creator of Z Cars and Softly Softly, Robert Barr, it comprised 39 thrilling stories set in London’s criminal underworld, all of which are collected here for the first time.

DS Dave Brook is a long-serving, ducking-and-diving police officer who takes armed robberies and violent crime in his stride. But then he is teamed up with young 'grammar school boy' DC Blair Maxton from sleepy Epsom. How will Max cope with the mean streets of his new patch?

Among the thrilling cases in these four series, the detectives tackle an armed gang, confront a notorious crime family, search for a missing wife, investigate a gruesome ax murder and the death of a reclusive young woman, and assist ‘The Sweeney’ flying squad. It’s all in a day’s work for Brook and his team....

Ray Brooks stars as DS Brook, with Christopher Blake as DC Maxton, David Daker as Chief Inspector Roach, Peter Cleall as DC Harrison, Jacqueline Tong as Judy and Stephen Garlick as DC Tully.

Written by Robert Barr

Produced and directed by Martin Fisher

First broadcast 3 January-27 March 1980, BBC Radio 4 (Series 1), 16 March-18 May 1982, BBC Radio 4, (Series 2), 27 June-15 August 1984, BBC Radio 2 (Series 3), 24 June-12 August 1985, BBC Radio 2 (Series 4)

©2019 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2019 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
activate_samplebutton_t1

Listeners also enjoyed...

Father Paolo Baldi Mysteries cover art
The Noel Coward BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
Home Front: The Complete BBC Radio Collection, Volume 1 cover art
Paul Temple: The Complete Radio Collection: Volume One cover art
The Wintringham Mystery cover art
P Division cover art
Colvil & Soames: The Complete Series 1-2 cover art
The Complete George Smiley Radio Dramas cover art
A Great Deliverance cover art
Detective Galbraith: The King of Diamonds & The Midas Touch cover art
The Toff cover art
Brother Cadfael cover art
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete BBC Collection cover art
Sergeant Cribb cover art
DSI Julie Enfield Investigates cover art
Trueman and Riley cover art

What listeners say about Detective

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    154
  • 4 Stars
    36
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    136
  • 4 Stars
    31
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    113
  • 4 Stars
    45
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Easy Listening

Enjoyed the whole series - Ray Brooks is ideal as the Detective and the supporting cast all great too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A quite realistic detective programme

I really enjoyed this programme. Are there any more? I would love to hear another one!!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

So much better than expected

Nice short stories - BBC series never disappoints, wish there were more. There were some atleast one unfinished story I thought they will come back to. Still satisfying and a light listening for my long train journeys

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable Listen

An unsuspected and enjoyable joy to listen too, and was left wanting and wishing for more

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

brilliant

absolutely loved it reminded me of my twenties great time wish there was more of this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Absolutely lovely one of the best I've listened too. Mr brooks has such a nice voice really good listen highly recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A bit out dated but enjoyable

The series was a good listen overall even if a bit out dated in its view of women and gender stereotypes. It was also amusing listening to actors with strong RP playing cockney criminals. This did not takeaway for the overall well acted and well developed plots in this 1970’s ( I presume) cop drama. A great listen in the car!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Impressed

Didn’t expect much from this but really enjoyed it. Brooks is great and the stories are pretty good

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I tanked through it in no time.

Whilst paling in comparison to productions of the modern day, this must have been a marvel way back when. In fact, the first series is older than I am.

I mostly enjoyed it for its nostalgia - police officers drinking pints on a lunch break before the pub shut for the afternoon, and simplicity - not relying on DNA results coming back from the lab.

Each episode is under 30 minutes. One is a minute or two shorter than the others which leads me to think that an attitude of the era really has not aged well, and had to have a scene chopped out perhaps.

Saying that, as I have seen in another review, there are still some slightly uncomfortable moments which I think we have improved upon as a nation.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

BBC at her best.

I really enjoyed listening to these. The BBC do these sorts of drama so well. Somewhat dated now of course but all the better for that!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful