Audiobooks narrated by Malcolm Sinclair

Brought to you by Penguin. 'Let there be no more of this clucking and wheedling. Oh Pa, are you sure? Or: Oh Francis, is this really a good idea? Let me be clear. I am always sure, and it is always a good idea.' An old man is sleeping fitfully. It's too hot. The air is thick with Spanish Jasmine floating in from his overgrown garden. And he's not sure whether he'll be woken by General Franco sitting on the end of his bed. It's 1975 and Francis McNulty is nearing the end of his life but feeling far from peaceful. A veteran of the Spanish Civil War, he is tormented by grief and guilt about a brief, terrible act of betrayal from that time; and he's started seeing his old nemesis on the street, in the garden and now in his bedroom. Neither he nor his daughter Gillian, who lives with him in Cleaver square, know what to do. When Gillian announces her impending marriage to a senior civil servant, Francis realises that he must adapt to new circumstances - and that the time has come to confront his past once and for all. 'This is a wonderful, thrilling novel . . . in Last Days in Cleaver Square McGrath has broken through to new depths of insight and emotion.' JOHN BANVILLE 'McGrath is a conjuror of fine detail . . . a master of the unreliable narrator - the best in the business.' JOHN SELF '[W]onderfully sinister ... a delight ... you are in for a thrilling ride.' SPECTATOR on The Wardrobe Mistress © Patrick McGrath 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Patrick Mcgrath (Author), Malcolm Sinclair (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Memoirs of Berlioz: Including His Travels in Italy, Germany,Russia, and England, 1803-1865

Hector Berlioz was one of the most significant artistic figures of the nineteenth century. Intended for medicine, he turned instead to music and became one of its most original composers. His first major work, the semi-autobiographical Symphonie Fantastique, revolutionised the sound of the orchestra and its use in storytelling. Unhappy with the quality of performance of his works he took up the baton himself and became a great conductor, celebrated across Europe and in Russia. Requiring large numbers of performers, his works were expensive to perform and he was condemned (as he saw it) to earn extra money from writing – at which he also excelled. His was a passionate life driven by love: of music but also of three women in particular. First came the Irish actress Harriet Smithson, then the singer Marie Recio and in his final years he communicated with Estelle Fournier, a woman he had been infatuated with when they were both children. His experience of the artistic politics of the Paris music scene, the itinerant life of the guest conductor and the upheavals in the world around him called out to be told – and fortunately his masterly use of the written word enabled him to do so with an irresistible combination of exuberance, humour and indignation. His portraits of friends, enemies and organisations are perfectly drawn, taking us back to his time but also allowing us to recognise parallels with our world now. The translation of the Memoirs is the definitive version by David Cairns, whose two-volume biography of Berlioz won many prizes, and captures to perfection the dazzling prose of the original. It is read by the distinguished actor and Berlioz enthusiast Malcolm Sinclair, who brings the man’s personality and style brilliantly to life.

David Cairns, Hector Berlioz (Author), Malcolm Sinclair (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Noël Coward Quintet: Detective. Spy. The entirely fictional adventures of Noël Coward

The Master turns sleuth and spy in this quintet of radio dramas Actor, playwright, songwriter, director, author and star – as far as we know, Noël Coward never added ‘detective’ or ‘undercover agent’ to his astonishing achievements. But could the intriguing gaps in his memoirs be hiding a thrilling secret life? Design for Murder In this wry backstage whodunit set just before World War II, Coward must put aside the play he’s writing to track down a murderous psychopath in London’s West End. Blithe Spy This Second World War espionage adventure finds Coward in New York, where he turns secret agent and uses his talent to amuse to help Britain battle the Nazis. A Bullet at Balmain’s 1948, and the celebrated playwright is in post-liberation Paris to take the lead role in his play Present Laughter. But the murder of a fashion-house mannequin provides a stylish distraction. Death at the Desert Inn 1955. When $300,000 is left in a satchel in Noël Coward's Las Vegas suite, it’s the prelude to a baffling murder mystery, complete with Judy Garland, a showgirl, a Broadway agent, an unlikely croupier, and a US Congressman. Our Man in Jamaica 1961. Reconciled to being out of fashion, Noël Coward is determined to finish his first novel – until his neighbour Ian Fleming sets him a challenge: become a spy once more to help destabilise Fidel Castro… Written by Marcy Kahan and starring Malcolm Sinclair as Coward, Eleanor Bron as his devoted secretary Lorn Loraine and Tam Williams as his devoted valet Cole Lesley, these light-hearted thrillers see Noël Coward solving crimes and foiling villains with his favourite weapon: wit. Cast and credits Written by Marcy Kahan Starring Malcolm Sinclair as Noël Coward, Eleanor Bron as Lorn Loraine and Tam Williams as Cole Lesley

Marcy Kahan (Author), Eleanor Bron, Malcolm Sinclair, Tam Williams (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Malcolm Sinclair