Product Description

When Paul Temple agreed to do a favour for a friend of Steve, he could never have foreseen the extraordinary sequence of events that would be set in motion. For Judy Wincott's simple request that Paul return a pair of glasses to David Foster in Tunis is a prelude to a body in a Paris rubbish bin and a succession of mysterious killings...Crime novelist and detective Paul Temple and his glamorous wife Steve first appeared on BBC Radio in 1938. They inhabited a sophisticated world of cocktails and fast cars, where the women were chic and the men wore cravats - a world where Sir Graham Forbes, of Scotland Yard, usually needed Temple's help with his latest tricky case. The radio serials proved so popular that Francis Durbridge was inspired to write a succession of novels featuring Paul Temple. In this one, read by Buffy and Little Britain star Anthony Head, a pair of spectacles spells trouble for the smooth sleuth. "Paul Temple East of Algiers" is a novelisation of the original radio drama "Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery". 'Eminently enjoyable listening' - "Daily Express".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3662 in Books
• Published on: 2009-11-05
• Released on: 2009-12-01
• Formats: Audiobook, Import
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Audio CD

From the Publisher
Some customers have correctly identified, on listening to this audiobook, that "Paul Temple East of Algiers" is a novelisation of the original radio drama "Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery".

Francis Durbridge reworked a couple of his dramas into novels in this way - in this instance, switching locations (from Egypt to Algeria) and changing the names of some of the characters.

It's clear from the blurbs that the stories are very similar - but the treatments, one a full-cast drama and the other a single-voice reading by Anthony Head are very different.

"Paul Temple East of Algiers" is the last Paul Temple recording currently available to BBC Audiobooks to offer consumers. We've published all the dramas available in the archive. There were only ever 8 novels - and with "Paul Temple East of Algiers" we have now recorded them all with Anthony Head.

We felt strongly that we should not refrain from making this title available in this form simply because a drama of a very similar story (albeit with a different title) already exists. Paul Temple fans are always eager for more ways to enjoy the brand. For many of them it is not the newness of the stories that is the appeal - but their very familiarity.

However, for clarity, a reprint of the audio jacket has been put in hand explaining that "Paul Temple East of Algiers" is a novelisation of "Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery".

Customer Reviews

Reworking of the 'Sullivan Mystery'
I recieved this CD through the post this morning and immediately started to listen.
After a few minutes it all seemed terribly familiar and although I'm only half way through I'm pretty confident that this is a reworking of the recently released 'Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery' (a full cast BBC version starring Crawford Logan and Gerda Stevenson). If not the plot line's too similar for words!

Much as I like Anthony Heads narration I have to say I'm dissapointed that the BBC have released the same story but with a different title, which feels a bit below the belt.
What makes it worse is that up till now all the CDs to date, (whether orginal/re-recorded radio releases or the excellent Anthony Head versions) have all been different stories and if my basic maths are correct there are still some missing.
Come on BBC we deserve better than this.

Anyway, if you haven't got the sullivan mystery then it's worth a go, but even then it's not one of Francis Durbridges best.

Re-cycled plot from the Sullivan Mystery
If you've heard Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery then you'll know what's going to happen. The locations and characters are different but the plot is basically the same.

Just a rehash
I eagerly awaited the arrival of this latest Paul Temple story, but can only say how very disappointed I feel to discover that it is just a rehash of the Sullivan Mystery. Different locations and different names to the same characters. I do feel cheated by this.