Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #106488 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-30
• Format: Audiobook
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Audio CD

Customer Reviews

Something nasty in the wainscoting
Who are the game players and why are they doomed to spend eternity repeating their actions? Who are the mysterious figures in the attic? Why is The Doctor on his way to an exclusive sanatorium in the Swiss Alps? And where are Ace and Hex?
All these questions and more are thrown up as the latest Doctor Who audio from Big Finish opens in enigmatic and puzzling fashion. Matthew Sweet (Doctor Who: The Year of the Pig, Bernice Summerfield: The Diet of Worms) has crafted a complex and creepy tale set in 1926, where in-between grisly EST sessions, the patients of the intriguingly named Dr Ludo Comfort play endless parlour games such as Snap! And musical chairs. Meanwhile, The Doctor struggles to remember why he is there, and it seems like this time the morally ambiguous Seventh incarnation of the Time Lord is a pawn, rather than the Grandmaster...

With an eerie gramophone musical accompaniment to the games being played; a raft of intriguing characters - from faded Music Hall stand-ups Harry and Herbert Randall, to Lola Luna, cabaret artiste extraordinaire - and the return of one of The Doctor's oldest and deadliest opponents; The Magic Mousetrap is both cosily familiar and utterly disquieting by turns; reminding me at times of the equally brilliant Eighth Doctor story `Chimes of Midnight'. Despite the odd dodgy `Allo Allo' accent, the story is both accessible and highly entertaining, and is one of the best Seventh Doctor audios for a long time.

As a bonus there is the first of a twelve-episode story entitled `The Three Companions Part 1'. It comes in place of the usual interviews, and is a welcome return for former companion of the Second Doctor, Polly Wright, and revolves around an internet chat between her and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart of UNIT.

Great audio package, and a worthy addition to your CD collection.

doctor who?
start of a run of three audio adventures for the seventh doctor and his companions ace and hex. Casual listeners can pick this one up without needing to have heard anything that came previously.

regular listeners will find the format is slightly different to usual.

there are four episodes spread over two discs. the final three do run slightly longer than the usual twenty five minutes.

there are only one lot of interviews with cast and crew, and they come at the end of disc one. these are some of the best they've ever done, thanks to the writer of the story acting as interviever and being very good at it, and they're well worth a listen.

and on the end of the second disc is a special bonus episode. more on that in a moment.

the main story here finds the doctor arriving at a sanatorium in switzerland in 1926. but he has no memory of who he is or how he got there. and yet he's driven by an insatiable desire to investigate and find out what's going on. this is all very well played by sylvester mccoy.

the residents of the sanatorium are keeping secrets. and someone is up to no good. can the doctor find what's going on? and where are ace and hex?

this story sees the return of an old enemy. and you can't say too much about it without giving spoilers. Mind you there are a lot of clues in the first two episodes and some fans should be able to work it out prior to the big reveal at the end of episode two.

Let's just say this is well worth a listen and one of the best seventh doctor audios, and one that you can come back to when you know the plot and always find something new.

all the supporting cast are very good, creating characters who are eccentrics but never going over the top in their portrayals. The cast do some very good accents, and when the villain is finally revealed their portrayal is quite incredibly sinister. whilst episode three seems overlong early on there are some stunning plot twists in the last five minutes so hang on in there.

this is a very strong and complex script and it really works out well and rewards the listener. an excellent story all in all.

the bonus episode is part one of a twelve part story. the remaining eleven parts will come out one each on the next eleven regular big finish releases. it's called the three companions. It features former companions polly and the brigadier striking up a friendship via e mails, and the story is told by each of them reading the e mail out as they type.

this is very nicely written and played and there's a real sense of missing the doctor from both. but at the same time there are hints of a bigger problem in the world that they will doubtless have to deal with as the story progresses. the third companion of the tale is recent fifth doctor audio companion thomas brewster, who pops up right near the end. and his appearance promises problems for polly and the brig.

a superb four parter and a very enjoyable start to a twelve parter. this is a really good release.