#137 The ABC Murders (Hercule Poirot)

It's a murderous game of catch me if you can! A killer has challenged the genius of Poirot's "little grey cells" sending him a letter saying a person whose name begins with the letter "A" will be murdered on a certain date in a certain city and it's up to him to stop it from happening. If he refuses the case or can't solve the crime in time another murder will be soon to follow. This time a person will die whose name begins with the letter "B". For each failure to stop the killer he vows to strike again randomly selecting a victim who name begins with the next letter in the alphabet. To chastise Poirot and show him he's not so clever the killer sends him a taunting letter with a clue to the identity of the next victim. John Moffatt provides the voice of Hercule Poirot in another great murder mystery from the mind of Agatha Christie produced by the BBC.

From the BBC:
A BBC Radio full-cast dramatization starring John Moffatt as the great Belgian detective. Alice Ascher is murdered at Andover. Betty Barnard is strangled at Bexhill-on-Sea. Each time, an ABC railway guide is found by the dead bodies and, each time, Poirot is warned in advance by a letter from someone signed "ABC." But who is ABC? And can Poirot find out in time to prevent the death of C?

http://www.amazon.com/The-ABC-Murders-Full-Cast-Radio/dp/0563510501

#126 The Sittaford Mystery (BBC)

From the mind of Agatha Cristie, the queen of crime fiction, comes The Sittaford Mystery. Inspector Narracott investigates the death of Captain Trevelyan after he's found lying on the floor of his bungalo. To make matters worse there is no phone in Sittaford and a snow storm has made travel impossible. Time is of the essence if the killer is to be found before he or she strikes again. Not one of Christies best stories but it is well produced by the BBC.

From the BBC:
A blizzard has hit England. In the tiny village of Sittaford, on the fringes of Dartmoor, a party of six is gathered in Sittaford House, home of Captain Trevelyan. He has rented the house out for the winter and is staying in a nearby village. As evening draws in, a seance is proposed. But it reveals more than they had anticipated - TREVELYAN DEAD, spells out the board. Slowly the table begins to rock again, spelling out the word M-U-R-D-E-R. Is it true? And who would kill a man who doesn't have an enemy in the world? John Moffatt and Stephen Tompkinson star in a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of a classic from the Queen of Crime.

http://www.amazon.com/Sittaford-Mystery-BBC-Radio-Presents/dp/0553472739

#125 Three Act Tragedy - Hercule Poirot (BBC)

It's the incomparable Hercule Poirot in Three Act Tragedy another gem from the BBC featuring John Moffatt as the great Belgian detective. During a cocktail party being given by actor Sir Charles Cartwright an elderly clergyman drops dead after only having a sip of a dry martini. His death is believed to be from  natural causes and so Poirot dismisses the case. Unconvinced that the death was from natural causes Sir Cartwright along with his love interest the much younger Lady "Egg" Lytton Gore and his good friend Mr. Satterthwaite begin their own investigation. However, when it happens again at another party with the same guests in attendance it's feared a killer is indeed on the loose and Poirot joins the investigation. Listeners will find this Agatha Christie story a bit different than usual as Poirot is present only minimally in the first Act and he doesn't make a full investigative appearance until the second Act.

From the BBC:

Hercule Poirot, his amateur detective acquaintance Mr Satterthwaite, and the distinguished Harley Street nerve specialist Sir Bartholomew Strange are amongst the guests at a weekend party being given by the celebrated actor Sir Charles Cartwright at his clifftop house in Cornwall. On the first evening after their arrival there is a cocktail party - at which an elderly clergyman, who's only had a sip of dry martini, falls dead. Was it through natural causes - or murder?

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Act-Tragedy-Agatha-Christie/dp/0563494077

#116 Dead Man's Folly - Hercule Poirot (BBC)

Dead Man's Folly again features John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot in another of the BBC's oustanding productions of Agatha Christies famous Belgian detective. This time Poirot's friend Ariadne Oliver (Julia McKenzie) has been asked to create a murder mystery game for a party. Fearing that somehow the game may become a reality she calls on Poirot to help her. Dead Man's Folly has been selected as one of Audio File Magazines 10 best in the "voices of 2011 full-cast category" along with another production spotlighted on this post, The Mark of Zorro. This is one of Christie's best written Poirot stories and a wonderful audio production.

From the BBC:
Ariadne Oliver, Queen of Crime Fiction, has been asked to devise a Murder Hunt for a fete at Nasse House, the home of Sir George Stubbs. But she begins to suspect that someone is manipulating the scenario of her game and fears that something very sinister is being planned. She sends for her old friend Hercule Poirot. At first he is not inclined to take her very seriously but soon a series of events propels him to change his mind. Then suddenly all Ariadne's worst fears are realised when the girl playing the part of the murder victim is found strangled in the boat-house. For Hercule Poirot, the Murder Hunt has become a grim reality. This is a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring John Moffatt as the great Belgian detective, with Julia McKenzie as Ariadne Oliver.  



http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Mans-Folly-Full-Cast-Radio/dp/1405677201

#112 Five Little Pigs - Hercule Poirot (BBC)

Carla Lemarchant is engaged to be married. But before she does she feels it is of the utmost importance to clear up a very disconcerting point in her family history. Sixteen years ago her mother, Caroline Crale, was convicted of murdering her husband Amyas Crale. The facts presented to the jury said her mother was a murderess. Yet shortly before her death her mother, from her jail cell, penned a letter proclaiming her innocence. Now afraid that she may inherit this murderous tendency and not wanting to lose her soon to be husband's love for her, Carla approaches Poirot asking him to investigate the case. 

Poirot conducts his investigation through a series of interviews with the five persons who were there at the time the events of Amyas Crale's death took place. Labeling them the five little pigs, for each one was supposedly doing something different at the time of the murder, the great detective sets out to reconstruct the crime. However, his "little grey cells" will be put to the test in order to solve this mystery. For without access to the scene of the crime he must solve the case purely by reflecting upon the testimony of the participants.

John Moffatt once again stars as Poirot in the well made, thoroughly entertaining BBC full-cast audio drama production.

From the BBC:

Beautiful Caroline Crale was convicted of poisoning her husband, but just like the nursery rhyme, there were five other “little pigs” who could have done it: Philip Blake (the stockbroker), who went to market; Meredith Blake (the amateur herbalist), who stayed at home; Elsa Greer (the three-time divorcée), who had her roast beef; Cecilia Williams (the devoted governess), who had none; and Angela Warren (the disfigured sister), who cried all the way home. Sixteen years later, Caroline’s daughter is determined to prove her mother’s innocence, and Poirot just can’t get that nursery rhyme out of his mind.

http://www.amazon.com/Five-Little-Pigs-Hercule-Dramatization/dp/1602837309

#111 Nemesis - Miss Marple (BBC)

June Whitfield reprises the role of the delightful Miss Jane Marple in Nemesis. The sharp-witted spinster sleuth receives a letter from Jason Rafiel, a recently deceased millionaire, asking her to investigate a compelling murder mystery. However, Mr. Rafiel has left her with very few clues, failing to even tell her where or when the crime that was committed took place. He has not even furnished her with the knowledge of who was involved in the matter only that if she succeeds in solving the crime she will inherit £20,000. Her only real starting point for investigation is is a tour of famous houses and gardens of Great Britain, arranged for her by Mr. Rafiel prior to his death. On the tour she is accompanied by fourteen other people who may have had some connection to the deceased millionaire. One of the fourteen people in the group Miss Marple suspects may be her nemesis.

Agatha Christie's Nemesis is classic BBC radio drama at its best. 

From the BBC:

Miss Marple is totally shocked to receive a letter from the recently deceased Mr Rafiel, an acquaintance she had met briefly on her travels. The letter leaves instructions for Miss Marple, whom Mr Rafiel had recognised as a natural detective, to investigate a crime after his death. There are absolutely no details about the crime, however, nothing about who is involved, or where or when it had been committed. Miss Marple, of course is thoroughly intrigued and sets out to solve a compelling murder mystery.

http://www.bbcshop.com/drama+arts/agatha-christie-nemesis/invt/9780563494249/

#106 At Bertram's Hotel - Miss Marple (BBC)

When Jane Marple comes up from the country for a holiday in London, she finds what she’s looking for at Bertram’s: a restored London hotel with traditional decor, impeccable service -- and an unmistakable atmosphere of danger behind the highly polished veneer. Yet not even Miss Marple can foresee the violent chain of events set in motion when an eccentric guest makes his way to the airport on the wrong day.

From the BBC:
Miss Marple, Agatha Christie s deceptively mild spinster sleuth, is being treated to a few days holiday by her niece, staying at Bertram s Hotel, a dignified, unostentatious establishment tucked away in a back street of busy Mayfair. Here is a place where sedate upper class ladies, retired military gentlemen and the higher echelons of the clergy can indulge in the comforts of a bygone age. But Miss Marple begins to feel uneasy. Something sinister lurks beneath the polished veneer. Why are so many major crimes associated in some way with the hotel or somehow implicate eminently respectable people staying there? June Whitfield stars as Miss Marple in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of a classic brain-teaser from the Queen of Crime.

http://www.amazon.com/Bertrams-Hotel-BBC-Radio-Collection/dp/0563524499/ref=pd_sim_m2

#96 Evil Under The Sun - Hercule Poirot (BBC)

Agatha Christie's classic tale of murder and intrigue comes to life in the BBC's production of Evil Under the Sun. Well produced and acted this whodunnit is sure to please any mystery lover.

From the BBC:
An exclusive hotel on a tiny picturesque island seems to be the ideal retreat for Hercule Poirot from the stresses of criminal detection. But with the appearance of the beautiful Arlena Stuart, the quiet and peaceful atmosphere becomes charged with an indefinable erotic tension. And, when she is found viciously strangled in a secluded cove, there are few, especially among the women, who seem to feel either surprise or regret. As Poirot follows a twisting path of bizarre and bewildering clues, his only certainties are that the solution lies within Arlena herself, and that there is evil under the sun. John Moffat is Hercule Poirot in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatization with an all-star cast which includes Iain Glen, Fiona Fullerton, Robin Ellis, Wendy Craig, George Baker and Joan Littlewood.

http://www.amazon.com/Evil-Under-Sun-Radio-Collection/dp/0563494255

#86 The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side - Miss Marple (BBC)

After the death of her husband, Dolly Bantry sold Gossington Hall to the former film star Marina Gregg and her husband. When the glamorous couple decide to throw a benefit party for the local hospital, the grounds are thronged with curious visitors, and for one of them, the day ends in tragedy. As Marina is serving cocktails in the house, she is cornered by the excitable Heather Babcock, who chatters away about their former meeting about eleven years ago before spilling her daiquiri all over herself and Marina.Ever the gracious hostess, Marina offers her own untouched drink to Mrs Babcock - only to look on, horrified, as the lady dies in front of her. It is up to Miss Marple to find out who was really meant to take the poison that killed poor Heather Babcock. Could it be that Marina Gregg was the intended victim? If so, Miss Marple's task will not be an easy one, for the lady had an unusually large number of enemies...Agatha Christie's perplexing mystery is dramatized with a full cast including Ian Lavender, Gayle Hunnicutt and James Laurenson, with June Whitfield as the sharp-witted spinster sleuth.

http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Crackd-Side-Full-Cast-Radio/dp/0563510854

#85 Mystery of the Blue Train - Hercule Poirot (BBC)

One of the BBC's best Hercule Poirot mysteries. This time with Maurice Denham starring as the great Belgian detective. It is the only production in the series in which Denham voices the role of Poirot. His performance mimics that of Peter Ustinov who played the role of Poirot in a series of Poirot movies in 1970s and 80s. The Mystery of the Blue Train is a superb audio drama filled with twists, turns and suspense.

From the BBC:

A BBC full-cast radio drama starring Maurice Denham as the great Belgian detective. A millionaire strikes a deal on the seedier side of Paris and gives to his heartsick daughter, Ruth Kettering, the "Heart of Fire," one of the world's legendary jewels. Legend has it that the possession of the jewel leads to death - but despite her father's protests, young Ruth decides to take it with her on the Blue Train to the French Riviera, where she has planned a reunion with her former lover. A few days into the journey, Ruth is found dead and her priceless rubies stolen. The suspects line up: could the murderer be Derek, her weak and greedy husband; Ruth's former lover, the Comte de la Roche; or the beautiful but tempestuous dancer Mirelle? Only master sleuth Hercule Poirot can unravel the mystery and find the truth.

http://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Blue-Train-Full-Cast-Radio/dp/184607035X

#82 The 4:50 From Paddington - Miss Marple (BBC)

June Whitfield gives another stellar performance as the spinster sleuth from St. Mary Mead. This time Elspeth McGillicuddy has come from Scottland to visit her old friend Miss Marple. On the way, she sees a woman strangled in a passing train. However, only Miss Marple believes her story as there is no evidence of wrongdoing. So Miss Marple sets off to find where the body could be hidden and bring a killer to justice. If you like great mystery then 4:50 From Paddington's the ticket. If you like great mystery and a female lead then Miss Marple's your gal.

From the BBC:

When Elspeth McGillicuddy is the only witness to a brutal murder - for which not even a body is in evidence - it takes all of Miss Marple's remarkable ingenuity to discover the key to a secret which lies buried within a decaying country house. This BBC Radio full-cast dramatization stars June Whitfield as the deceptively mild Miss Marple.

http://www.amazon.com/Paddington-Full-Cast-Radio-Drama-Audio/dp/0563524294

#77 Murder on the Links - Hercule Poirot (BBC)

John Moffatt is back as the great Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot in another first-rate BBC production. One of Agatha Christies best Poirot stories. Without a doubt this one's a great whodunnit.

When Poirot arrives in France, following an urgent appeal for help, he finds he is too late. His client, a South American millionaire, has been stabbed to death and his body flung into a freshly dug open grave on the golf course adjoining the property. Meanwhile the millionaire's wife is found bound and gagged in her room. Poirot launches an investigation and the baffling mystery begins to unfold.

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Links-BBC-Audio-Crime/dp/0563510064

#71 A Murder is Announced - Miss Marple (BBC)

A BBC Radio full-cast dramatization starring June Whitfield as the deceptively mild spinster sleuth. The villagers of Chipping Cleghorn, including Miss Marple, are agog with curiosity over an advertisement in the local gazette which reads: 'A murder is announced and will take place on Friday October 29th , at Little Paddocks at 6.30pm. Is it a hoax? As the time approaches, the crowds gather at Little Paddocks;and then the lights go out. This was Agatha Christie's fiftieth book - acknowledged to be one of the best.


http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Announced-Full-Cast-Radio-Drama/dp/0563510900

#70 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Hercule Poirot (BBC)

In the quiet village of King's Abbot a widow's suicide has stirred suspicion - and dreadful gossip. There are rumors she murdered her first husband, rumors she was being blackmailed, and rumors that her secret lover was Roger Ackroyd. Then Ackroyd is found murdered - and all the members of the household stand to gain from his death. Hercule Poirot, who has retired to King's Abbot, is reluctantly drawn into finding a clever and devious killer.


From the BBC:
BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisztion starring John Moffat as Hercule Poirot. Mrs Farrars is found dead of an apparent overdose one year after the death of her husband. The villagers of King's Abbot are suspicious. The rumor is that she poisoned her husband and was in love with Roger Ackroyd. When he is found murdered the following day, there is little to go on. Luckily one of the newest residents who has retired to this normally quiet village is none other than Monsieur Hercule Poirot.

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Roger-Ackroyd-Hercule-Dramatization/dp/1602837325

#66 And Then There Were None (BBC)

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatization of a classic Agatha Christie mystery, starring Lyndsey Marshal, Geoffrey Whitehead and John Rowe.

Ten guests travel to an island at the invitation of someone named U. N. Owen. All are strangers, but they have two things in common: they have all been responsible for someone's death, and none will leave the island alive.

Over the next two days and nights, each of the guests is killed off in a different manner in keeping with the nursery rhyme, 'Ten Little Soldier Boys'. As they are picked off one by one, who could possibly be responsible?

The killers are forced to turn detective so they can find the unknown murderer, but one by one they become victims...

Billed as 'the famous detective story without a detective', 'And Then There Were None' is one of Agatha Christie's darkest and most enduring tales.

http://www.amazon.com/Then-There-Were-None-Dramatisation/dp/1408467607

#62 Murder at the Vicarage - Miss Marple (BBC)

Miss Marple, Agatha Christie's immortal spinster sleuth with a razor sharp mind and a intuitive understanding of criminal behavior gets to grips with a compelling murder mystery in the sleepy village of St. Mary Mead, where under a seemingly peaceful exterior of an English country village lurks intrigue, guilt, deception and death. June Whitfield stars as Jane Marple, Agatha Christie's most popular character, in this dramatization of a classic brain-teaser from the 'Queen of Crime'.  

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Vicarage-BBC-Radio-Presents/dp/0553477676

#61 Appointment With Death - Hercule Poirot (BBC)

 



Among the towering red cliffs of Petra, like some monstrous swollen Buddha, sat the corpse of Mrs. Boynton. A tiny puncture mark on her wrist was the only sign of the fatal injection that had killed her. With only 24 hours available to solve the mystery, Hercule Poirot recalled a chance remark he had overheard back in Jerusalem: "You see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?" Mrs. Boynton was, indeed, the most detestable woman he'd ever met. This classic Christie radio drama stars John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot.

http://www.amazon.com/Appointment-Death-Full-Cast-Radio-Drama/dp/0563536497

#60 The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Hercule Poirot (BBC)

Set in 1916, we meet Captain Hastings as he is invalided out of the Great War and goes to convalesce at Styles Court, the family home of his good friend, John Cavendish. By an extraordinary coincidence, billeted in the village is a brilliant little retired detective with an egg-shaped head, who made a considerable impression on the Captain when he was in Belgium. Styles is not a happy household and in the blistering summer heat, tensions mount. Even so, the tragic murder which occurs is not expected. The entire family is drawn into the case but with their reluctant permission, Hastings calls upon the services of the diminutive Belgian. Thus begins one of the great partnerships and friendships in the history of crime.

John Moffatt stars as Hercule Poirot, Simon Williams as Captain Hastings and Philip Jackson as Detective Inspector Japp, who already has reason to be indebted to the distinguished and unique hero of so many mysteries.

http://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Affair-Styles-Full-Cast-Radio/dp/0563510315

#52 Body in the Library - Miss Marple (BBC)

A BBC Radio full-cast dramatization starring June Whitfield as the sharp-witted spinster sleuth, Miss Marple. Dolly Bantry, mistress of Gossington Hall, is enjoying a pleasant doze when suddenly her dreams take a strange turn. The housemaid Mary is telling her that there is a body in the library. As she wakes up, it turns out to be true... But who is the strange young blonde sprawled on the library floor? Enter St. Mary Mead's resident sleuth, Miss Mary Marple.

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Library-Full-Cast-Radio-Drama/dp/0563510706

#51 One, Two Buckle My Shoe - Hercule Poirot (BBC)

What reason would an amiable dentist like Dr. Morely have for committing suicide? He didn't have emotional difficulties, money problems, or love trouble. What he did have was an appointment with Hercule Poirot, who is not persuaded by the suicide story and has therefore taken it upon himself to questions the good doctor's patients, partners, and friends. All he's come up with is the numbing fear that Dr. Morely wasn't an unlikely victim at all. Nor the first. This full-cast radio drama stars John Moffatt as Poirot and Philip Jackson and Chief Inspector James Japp.

http://www.amazon.com/One-Two-Buckle-Shoe-Full-Cast/dp/0563524065