Books by Francis Durbridge

Republished for the first time since 1951, Beware of Johnny Washington is Francis Durbridge's clever reworking of the very first Paul Temple radio serial using his new characters, the amiable Johnny Washington and newspaper columnist Verity Glyn. Includes as a bonus the first Paul Temple short story, `A Present for Paul'.

What do a Koala bear, a devious chef, and an emerald necklace have in common? Carl Houston, Sussex hotelier, nearly loses his life finding out in this thriller of international intrigue which bears all the Durbridge hallmarks of suspense, mystery and murder.-3 women, 5 men

Many people dislike Larry Campbell but none feel more embittered than David Ryder. Ryder pursues his vendetta by nefariously obtaining a key to Campbell''s flat to kill him. Deceit, suspicion, blackmail and incrimination are woven into the web of crime which is completed by a second killing and a tantalizing twist at the climax.|3 women, 6 men

Howard, a well-known book publisher, is concerned for his wife, Joanna, who has become unusually distressed and nervous. When Howard arrives home one day to find that Joanna has shot his former friend, Perry, during a struggle, he decides to protect her by confessing to the shooting himself.

Ross is a successful, happily married cardiac consultant - until his wife Fay announces she has fallen in love with the notorious womanizer Julian Kane. Later, Ross's assistant discovers two phials missing of Zarabell Four, a drug potentially lethal to cardiac patients. When Julian dies from a heart attack, all fingers point to Ross. But as the play progresses many enemies of the deceased are revealed and audiences will guess right up to the final moments of this well-wrought thriller.3 women, 6 men

Stacey Harrison is a charming, intelligent, successful career woman who unfortunately gets involved in divorce, but several murders as well.2 women, 6 men

A man schemes to murder his wealthy wife for the love of another woman the sister, an actress friend or the au pair? Victim and victimized become intertwined in this startling drama.-4 women, 5 men

Robert and Stella learn that their son has been kidnapped - not for ransom, but to force them to allow one of the kidnappers to remain in their house. Two other men, supposedly police officers, arrive and reveal that one of the kidnappers has been murdered. Soon, however, it is clear that these two are far from what they seem.|4 women, 4 men

The detective novel 'The Front Page Men' is a resounding success, but its author Andrea Fortune keeps herself hidden from the public. When a series of robberies are committed, a calling card is left bearing the legend of 'The Front Page Men'.Then the murders begin.Paul and his wife Steve assist Scotland Yard in finding the murderers, but Steve is in grave danger and the clock is ticking.

Bernard Braden stars in an original 1940 full-cast production of the very first Paul Temple adventureBetween 1938 and 1968 the exploits of amateur detective Paul Temple and his wife, Steve, enthralled generations of BBC radio listeners. Theirs was an exciting world of violence and glamour - car bombs and cocktail parties. In Paul and Steve's very first adventure, starring Bernard Braden as Paul with Peggy Hassard as Steve, a spate of jewel robberies in the Midlands has left the police baffled. They are the work of a shadowy criminal mastermind known only as The Knave of Diamonds. But who is the Knave? And can he be stopped?All but one episode of the original 1938 BBC production of Send for Paul Temple are lost from the archives. However, this complete recording of a 1940 production - made for Canadian radio and based on the original BBC radio scripts - was recently rediscovered in the national Library and Archives of Canada. Digitally restored, all six episodes are now available for the very first time. Two bonus features are also included: the sole surviving sixth episode of the original 1938 production, starring the original Paul Temple, Hugh Morton, and an unbroadcast interview with the longest-running Paul Temple actor, Peter Coke.

Paul and Steve are called upon to crack a case involving Carl Milbourne, the brother-in-law of wealthy financier Maurice Lonsdale. After the news that Carl has perished in a fatal car accident, rumours begin to stir that despite all odds, Carl is alive and well.When Maurice's widowed Sister Margaret pleads for the crime-fighting duos help, Paul and Steve find themselves on a trail of deception stretching from London to Switzerland. Their lives are in grave danger as everything is done in an attempt to stall their search - anonymous gunmen, exploding cars, ransom demands, and a mysterious rendezvous that may prove to be the end of Paul and Steve...