Audiobooks narrated by John Higgins

It's Too Late Now: The Autobiography of a Writer

With characteristic self-deprecating humour, A.A. Milne recalls the formative events of his life: from a blissfully happy childhood to the writing of Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin. ––––––––––––– In his classic memoirs A. A. Milne, with his characteristic self-deprecating humour, recalls a blissfully happy childhood in the company of his brothers, and writes with touching affection about his father whom he adored. From Westminster School he won a scholarship to Cambridge University where he edited the university magazine, Granta. He then went out into the world, determined to be a writer. He was assistant editor at Punch Magazine and enjoyed great success with his novels, plays and stories. And of course he is best remembered for his children's novels and verses featuring Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin. This is both an account of how a writer was formed and a charming period piece on literary life – Milne met countless famous authors including H. G. Wells, J. M Barrie of Peter Pan fame and Rudyard Kipling. ––––––––––––– * Praise for It’s Too Late Now * ‘A funny book, beautifully written’ NEIL GAIMAN ‘A fascinating and insightful read into one of the greatest authors’ INDEPENDENT ‘Warm and candid’ NEW YORK TIMES

A. A. Milne (Author), John Higgins (Narrator)

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The Painted Tent

Freckled fugitive Smiler is never far from trouble as he makes his way to North Devon in this thrilling finale to The Smiler Trilogy. After hitching a ride south, Smiler finds his way to North Devon and the estate of the 'The Duchess' – a former fairground fortune-teller who now runs a farm. Here, he stays and tends to circus animals housed for the winter. When a peregrine falcon, Fria, escapes, Smiler must search for ways of helping and recapturing the bird. In doing so, can he solve the problem that has kept him in hiding for so long? Or does more trouble await?

Victor Canning (Author), John Higgins (Narrator)

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Flight of the Grey Goose

Canning's classic children's trilogy continues as fifteen-year-old Smiler, still on the run from the police, hitches a ride to Scotland. Fifteen-year-old Smiler is still on the run. Smiler is aiming to evade the police until his father, a ship’s cook, comes home to clear him of a crime he hasn't committed. Hitching a train to Scotland, he finds work as an animal caretaker within the grounds of a castle occupied by ‘the Laird’, Sir Alec Elphinstone. When the Laird leaves on a trip to London, Smiler discovers that thieves are planning to invade his employer's castle. Dare he go to the police for help?

Victor Canning (Author), John Higgins (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Runaways

On a night of wild storms, two troubled figures escape from captivity. One is a 15-year-old boy, Samuel Miles, a.k.a. ‘Smiler’, wrongly convicted of theft and sent to a young offenders institution. The other is a cheetah, Yarra, a restless resident of Longleat Wildlife Park. Both are in danger from the outside world – and each other – but somehow their lives become inextricably bound up as they fight for survival on the edge of Salisbury Plain. A fast-moving and compassionate adventure story, The Runaways is the first book in Victor Canning's classic children's trilogy.

Victor Canning (Author), John Higgins (Narrator)

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The Aberdyll Onion: And Other Mysteries

The collected short stories of the great Victor Canning, originally written and published in the 1950s and 1960s – full of humour, charm, and in true fashion of classic crime writing. Canning’s heart-warming vignettes and clever mysteries take us from a Welsh valley to a far-off island and across the French countryside – introducing unforgettable characters and stories along the way. Praise for Victor Canning: ‘His gift of story-telling is obviously innate. Rarely does one come on so satisfying an amalgam of plot, characterisation and good writing.’ Punch ‘Quite delightful … with an atmosphere of quiet contentment and humour that cannot fail to charm.’ Daily Telegraph ‘A swift-moving novel, joyous, happy and incurably optimistic.’ Evening Standard ‘There is such a gentle humour in the book.’ Daily Sketch ‘What counts for most in the story … is his mounting pleasure in vagabondage and the English scene.’ The Times ‘A paean to the beauties of the English countryside and the lovable oddities of the English character.’ New York Times

Victor Canning (Author), John Higgins (Narrator)

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The Minerva Club

The Minerva Club might look like any other London gentlemen’s club but behind its respectable and discreet façade, some of the most ambitious schemes for heists, money-making and evasion of the law are being worked out. It’s an exclusive club for criminals. Entry qualification: members must have served a prison sentence of two years minimum. Though the club’s criminal ventures don’t always go as planned… From trying to break into an old prison cell and stealing a stash of jewels hidden during a previous incarceration, love getting in the way during a hideout from the police, a cleverly planned break-in being interrupted by an unexpected guest, to figuring out where to steal a last-minute wedding cake – the club’s amiable criminals somehow always achieve their goal in the most surprising ways. This collection of five short stories follows the Minerva Club’s (mis)adventures and evokes the very best of humorous classic crime fiction.

Victor Canning (Author), John Higgins (Narrator)

Audiobook

Fountain Inn

What’s going on behind the doors of Fountain Inn? When her employer suddenly disappears, young Grace Kirkstall finds herself accepting a new job at a new company in the same building – an oasis of tranquillity off the streets of London. Ben and Helen Brown’s startup company’s pitch is that, for a small consideration, they will help people out of their major and minor fixes. Their first big commission initiates Ben into the gentle art of house-breaking, and Helen into the mysteries of the Society for Progressive Rehabilitation… But for Grace, it will plunge her into more danger than she could ever have imagined. This leisurely, beautifully observed thriller marked Victor Canning’s entrée into crime fiction, and rewards with a thrilling finale - sure to delight fans of Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence.

Victor Canning (Author), John Higgins (Narrator)

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Mr Finchley Goes to Paris

Book 2 of the classic trilogy of humorous adventures An ebullient Mr Finchley is about to propose marriage to a lady he had rescued from mishap, when he is sent to Paris by his firm. There he manages to upset a boat, adopt a stray orphan and get himself kidnapped. The fine tangle he gets into takes some unravelling! Only when eventually back in London does he complete the proposal of marriage that was interrupted at the start. This gentle comedy trilogy was a runaway bestseller on first publication in the 1930s and retains a timeless appeal today. It has been dramatized twice for BBC Radio, with the 1990 series regularly repeated. What people are saying about the Mr Finchley series: ‘Wonderful character from a kinder slower England between the wars.’ ‘An overlooked gem. An innocent picaresque novel set in an arcadian version of mid 20th century England. The literary equivalent of naive painting, it narrates the adventures of a respectable upper middle-aged man who takes retirement.’ ‘An antidote to the rush of the early 21st century.’ ‘A thoroughly enjoyable stroll through a vanished England with some lovable characters. Don't expect modern, fashionable agonisings, here there is good, evil, and understanding. A lovely reminiscent wallow of a read.’ ‘Gentle well told simple story, full of pleasant surprises, and a mild mannered believable hero. Loved it to bits.’ ‘So gentle, it hurts.’ ‘There is a freshness about the writing which is charming and that disarms criticism. Don't expect any great profundities, a gripping plot or inter-character tensions - these books are of the world of Billy Bunter and William Brown - but do expect a very well-written and enjoyable romp through early twentieth-century England in the company of an engaging protagonist.’ ‘A delightful story of a man who finds himself jolted out of his comfort zone and taken on a journey beyond his wildest imaginings.’ ‘Another lovely book detailing the adventures of Mr Finchley in altogether far too short a series. Full of humour and a book I was sorry to finish as I wanted it to go on and on.’ ‘Highly recommended for anyone seeking an entertaining amusing read.’ ‘A delight to be transported to an England I never knew despite growing up in the 1950s and to experience the countryside through the sharp eyes of the author who obviously had a great love of all things rural.’ Editorial reviews: ‘Quite delightful, with an atmosphere of quiet contentment and humour that cannot fail to charm … The longer we travel with Mr Finchley, the better we come to love him. He makes us share his bread and cheese, and beer and pipe. His delight at the beauties of the countryside and his mild astonishment at the strange ways of men are infectious.’ Daily Telegraph ‘His gift of story-telling is obviously innate. Rarely does one come on so satisfying an amalgam of plot, characterisation and good writing.’ Punch ‘A paean to the beauties of the English countryside and the lovable oddities of the Engli

Victor Canning (Author), John Higgins (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mr Finchley Discovers His England

Mr Edgar Finchley, unmarried clerk, aged 45, is told to take a holiday for the first time in his life. He decides to go to the seaside. But Fate has other plans in store… From his abduction by a cheerful crook, to his smuggling escapade off the south coast, the timid but plucky Mr Finchley is plunged into a series of the most astonishing and extraordinary adventures. His rural adventure takes him gradually westward through the English countryside and back, via a smuggling yacht, to London. This gentle comedy trilogy was a runaway bestseller on first publication in the 1930s and retains a timeless appeal today. It has been dramatized twice for BBC Radio, with the 1990 series regularly repeated. What people are saying about the Mr Finchley series: ‘Wonderful character from a kinder slower England between the wars.’ ‘An overlooked gem. An innocent picaresque novel set in an arcadian version of mid 20th century England. The literary equivalent of naive painting, it narrates the adventures of a respectable upper middle-aged man who takes retirement.’ ‘An antidote to the rush of the early 21st century.’ ‘A thoroughly enjoyable stroll through a vanished England with some lovable characters. Don't expect modern, fashionable agonisings, here there is good, evil, and understanding. A lovely reminiscent wallow of a read.’ ‘Gentle well told simple story, full of pleasant surprises, and a mild mannered believable hero. Loved it to bits.’ ‘So gentle, it hurts.’ ‘There is a freshness about the writing which is charming and that disarms criticism. Don't expect any great profundities, a gripping plot or inter-character tensions - these books are of the world of Billy Bunter and William Brown - but do expect a very well-written and enjoyable romp through early twentieth-century England in the company of an engaging protagonist.’ ‘A delightful story of a man who finds himself jolted out of his comfort zone and taken on a journey beyond his wildest imaginings.’ ‘Another lovely book detailing the adventures of Mr Finchley in altogether far too short a series. Full of humour and a book I was sorry to finish as I wanted it to go on and on.’ ‘Highly recommended for anyone seeking an entertaining amusing read.’ ‘A delight to be transported to an England I never knew despite growing up in the 1950s and to experience the countryside through the sharp eyes of the author who obviously had a great love of all things rural.’ Editorial reviews: ‘Quite delightful, with an atmosphere of quiet contentment and humour that cannot fail to charm … The longer we travel with Mr Finchley, the better we come to love him. He makes us share his bread and cheese, and beer and pipe. His delight at the beauties of the countryside and his mild astonishment at the strange ways of men are infectious.’ Daily Telegraph ‘His gift of story-telling is obviously innate. Rarely does one come on so satisfying an amalgam of plot, characterisation and good writing.’ Punch ‘A paean to the beauties

Victor Canning (Author), John Higgins (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mr Finchley Takes the Road

'Book 3 of the classic trilogy of humorous rural adventures through pre-war England Mr Finchley takes a fancy to a horse-drawn caravan that he sees for sale, but his new wife does not relish the prospect of a caravan journey so she goes to visit her brother, while he sets out to explore the countryside and go house-hunting. While learning to handle the horse and the caravan, he encounters a variety of eccentrics and country characters, and several unsuitable houses. It gradually emerges that the caravan contains a secret, and Mr Finchley finds himself in real trouble – until his wife comes to the rescue. This gentle comedy trilogy was a runaway bestseller on first publication in the 1930s and retains a timeless appeal today. It has been dramatized twice for BBC Radio, with the 1990 series regularly repeated. What people are saying about the Mr Finchley series: ‘Wonderful character from a kinder slower England between the wars.’ ‘An overlooked gem. An innocent picaresque novel set in an arcadian version of mid 20th century England. The literary equivalent of naive painting, it narrates the adventures of a respectable upper middle-aged man who takes retirement.’ ‘An antidote to the rush of the early 21st century.’ ‘A thoroughly enjoyable stroll through a vanished England with some lovable characters. Don't expect modern, fashionable agonisings, here there is good, evil, and understanding. A lovely reminiscent wallow of a read.’ ‘Gentle well told simple story, full of pleasant surprises, and a mild mannered believable hero. Loved it to bits.’ ‘So gentle, it hurts.’ ‘There is a freshness about the writing which is charming and that disarms criticism. Don't expect any great profundities, a gripping plot or inter-character tensions - these books are of the world of Billy Bunter and William Brown - but do expect a very well-written and enjoyable romp through early twentieth-century England in the company of an engaging protagonist.’ ‘A delightful story of a man who finds himself jolted out of his comfort zone and taken on a journey beyond his wildest imaginings.’ ‘Another lovely book detailing the adventures of Mr Finchley in altogether far too short a series. Full of humour and a book I was sorry to finish as I wanted it to go on and on.’ ‘Highly recommended for anyone seeking an entertaining amusing read.’ ‘A delight to be transported to an England I never knew despite growing up in the 1950s and to experience the countryside through the sharp eyes of the author who obviously had a great love of all things rural.’ Editorial reviews: ‘Quite delightful, with an atmosphere of quiet contentment and humour that cannot fail to charm … The longer we travel with Mr Finchley, the better we come to love him. He makes us share his bread and cheese, and beer and pipe. His delight at the beauties of the countryside and his mild astonishment at the strange ways of men are infectious.’ Daily Telegraph

Victor Canning (Author), John Higgins (Narrator)

Audiobook

Death and Croissants

‘A very funny page-turner. Fantastique!’ Adam Kay, Comedian and author of This is Going to Hurt 'A writer of immense wit and charm.' Paul Sinha, ITV's The Chase THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE ENTHRALLING FOLLET VALLEY SERIES, BY TV/RADIO REGULAR IAN MOORE Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B&B in the fictional Val de Follet in the Loire Valley. Nothing ever happens to Richard, and really that’s the way he likes it. One day, however, one of his older guests disappears, leaving behind a bloody handprint on the wallpaper. Another guest, the enigmatic Valérie, persuades a reluctant Richard to join her in investigating the disappearance. Richard remains a dazed passenger in the case until things become really serious and someone murders Ava Gardner, one of his beloved hens ... and you don’t mess with a fellow’s hens! Unputdownable mystery set in rural France, by TV/radio regular and bestselling author Ian Moore – perfect for fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club, Julia Chapman, or M.C. Beaton. Praise for Death and Croissants: 'Death and Croissants is a far funnier book than a story about a bloody murder has any right to be.' Josh Widdicombe, BBC's Mock the Week 'This is like two great books in one, a tricksy whodunnit, and a really, really funny story.' Jason Manford 'Ian is one of my favourite writers; this is hilarious and a great mystery too.' Janey Godley 'Good food and a laugh-out-loud mystery. What more could anyone want in these dark times?” Mark Billingham ‘Death and Croissants is such a relentless rollercoaster ride of laughs and twists, it should come with a height restriction and health warning.’ Matt Forde ‘Sharp, slick and surprising – like the author himself – Death and Croissants is the Loire Valley’s answer to Murder on the Orient Express. I’d marry him tomorrow (Richard, the protagonist; Ian too).' Cally Beaton ‘Though I disagree with the opinions on muesli and the hen naming system that are in this book, I will let those pass and say that it is funny, pacy and very entertaining! It also has short chapters – I find many modern novels take far too long to get to the next chapter, but there's no hanging about here.’ Robin Ince 'I’d never connected the words “death” and “croissants” before, but now they’re inextricably linked. It’s a rollicking qui-dunnit with as many twists as the Loire itself'. Stephen Clarke, author of 1000 Years of Annoying the French 'Moore's French whodunnit is an engaging caper through the Loire Valley with an expat reluctant hero mixed up with a Maigret-like rural cast, a glamorous heroine and a couple of Mafia killers. It is finely paced, truly funny and written with a wry detachment that conjures up a gentler age of murder mystery.' Charles Bremner ‘Just like the Loire’s other great export, Sancerre, Ian Moore’s prose is reassuringly dry, beautifully constructed, and

Ian Moore (Author), John Higgins (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by John Higgins