Denise Mina: A BBC Radio Collection: The Dead Hour, Three Fires & more

Full-cast dramas and short stories from bestselling author Denise Mina, plus a bonus interview

An acclaimed novelist, playwright and comic book writer, Denise Mina has won numerous awards, including the CWA John Creasy Dagger for Best First Crime Novel and the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award (twice). Her 'Paddy Meehan' series has been adapted for BBC TV, and she has presented numerous television and radio programmes. Included here are six of her stories, as heard on BBC Radio, plus a bonus biographical programme.

The Dead Hour - Glasgow, 1984. Called out to a domestic dispute involving a female lawyer, cub reporter Paddy Meehan accepts a bribe to keep the story out of the papers. But when the woman is found dead the next day, Paddy feels compelled to investigate. Starring Amy Manson.

Three Fires - Focussing on the rise and fall of fanatical Dominican preacher Girolamo Savonarola, Denise Mina turns her satirical eye on Renaissance Florence and the events leading up to the Bonfire of the Vanities. Kieran Hodgson reads this gripping historical tale.

'Squirrels are Pretty from Far Away' - Alice is disturbed by the squirrels infesting her new home, but when she is accused of a crime it is the squirrels who come to her rescue. Read by Tracy Wiles.

'In a State of Nature' - A murder under Tanzanian skies, and a beautiful young woman is left rootless after her rich, kindly lover disappears mysteriously at a roadside petrol station. Read by Emma Currie.

Hurtle - Three financial dealers are trapped in a plummeting lift during a major trading scandal. But did someone deliberately cause the lift to malfunction? Starring John Kielty, Crawford Logan and Alexandra Mathie.

The Meek - Baby Simone has Down's Syndrome, and her mother is convinced she has special powers. Is she traumatised, or is Simone really leading a parallel life in a world where superheroes exist and are being hunted down? Meg Fraser and Sarah Gordy star in this dark, surreal drama.

Inspecting Detectives - Ex-detectives Tom Wood and Peter Ritchie give Denise Mina the 'good cop, bad cop' treatment to find out what makes her tick, grilling her on her life, her writing, and her portrayal of police work.

Text copyright © Denise Mina 2002 ('Squirrels are Pretty from Far Away', 'In a State of Nature'), 2003 (Hurtle), 2006 (The Dead Hour), 2009 (The Meek), 2022 (Three Fires)
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