A collection of intriguing thrillers, from murder mysteries to psychological dramas with unexpected twists and turns

Philip Levene, a prolific writer of radio plays from 1956 to 1967, also made his mark on television by penning 19 episodes of ITV’s The Avengers. While many of his works have unfortunately been lost , this collection of surviving recordings showcases his exceptional talent.

Suspicious Mind: Miss Ellen Ridgeway reads too many thrillers for an old lady, and she had a vivid imagination...

Torment: The police spend a great deal of their time investigating crimes to which people insist on confessing. So when Ralph Ellinger, a young law student who is known to have had a nervous breakdown, walks in and says that he has committed a murder, they don't take him very seriously.

False Witness: When a chip shop owner witnesses someone leaving the scene of a murder, he finds that the case hangs on his identification of the murderer.

Trump Card: Henry and Alice Bentley are unhappily married. Alice has taken to her bed, obsessed with illness and medication, while Henry becomes infatuated with their attractive young maid. Which of them is secretly plotting…?

Murder in Mind: Bee-keeper Herbert is unhappily married to Agnes. When Agnes decides she wants to sell their house, she decides to make life uncomfortable for their tenant, Elsie.

The Nightwatchman: A strange, mysterious drama. Hospital staff are confounded after a patient is admitted following an accident at a frozen food company.

The Ears of Dr Jeremy: When Dr Jeremy hears a strange sound coming from a patient, he begins to fear that what he is hearing is dangerous.

The Invader: Composer Edmund Stanway is a sensitive man - until he's forced into committing a terrible act...

Cold Storage: When a frozen food manufacturer is locked in a cold store, his imagination runs wild.

The Velvet Carpet: A retired stockbroker’s pride and joy is his prize-winning lawn. His obsession about keeping it in perfect condition turns into paranoia with terrifying consequences.

The Birthday Present: When Gladys buys an antique paperweight for her husband, a psychologist called Lorimer, they discover something strange about it…

Murder is My Subject: A Detective Inspector has been called down to his former Police Training College to investigate the murder of an unpopular lecturer. The College staff members might all be expected to be good witnesses. However, each is a suspect, because each has a motive.

Question of Guilt: Peter Harris is in prison for the murder of his landlady, but he swears he isn’t guilty. Can he convince anyone of his innocence? And if he didn’t do it, then who did?

Murder Beyond: A séance is attended by three people with close relatives who had met with accidental death. When a murder occurs, suspicion falls on each of them.

Guardian Angel: An ex-prisoner applies for a job as a security guard transporting the cash takings from a chain of shops. He can’t believe his luck…


With thanks to Keith Wickham of the Radio Circle for supplying the audio recordings.