Audiobooks narrated by Simon Mattacks

Classic Fairytales Re-Imagined: Bedtime Stories for Kids & Adults

Immerse yourself in the charming world fairytales and folktales, re-imagined and narrated for sleep by Slumber Studios. Are you or your child struggling to fall asleep? No matter the cause, this audiobook is crafted to induce relaxation and guide you into a deep, restful slumber. Fairytales and folktales have told the cultural narratives of human society for thousands of years. They weave together fantasy and reality into magical narratives that have captivated us for ages. The stories themselves change from culture to culture and from time to time. Many classic tales have countless variations. As society has changed, so have the stories. This collection presents modernized retellings of fairytales and folktales from around the world. Some you will recognize immediately, while others may be new to you. Some remain closer to their 'original' storyline than others. However, they all modernize the underlying plot in different ways. The purpose of these adaptations is to make the stories more suitable for all ages and more relevant to the modern world. For example, many classic fairytales have dark themes. We’ve reimagined these themes — not to suggest that the world is perfect, but to show that challenges can be overcome with a positive mindset. This collection is designed for all ages. Although the stories are specifically adapted to help you or your child relax before bedtime, they can be enjoyed at any time of the day. At Slumber Studios, we specialize in creating relaxing content to help you relax and fall asleep. This audiobook features a slow, soft narration and calming background music, ensuring a peaceful journey into dreamland.

Diana Avram-Anghel, Divya Tiwari, Jacob Duarte Spiel, Jo Steer, Kayla Kurin, Leila Kheiry, Samatha Priestly, Shady Grove Oliver, Shamica Latchman (Author), Abbe Opher, Arif Hodzic, Heather Foster, Nadine Brown, Simon Mattacks, Thomas Jones, Tk Kellman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Killjoy

Killjoy is the fourth mystery novel in the Inspector Ramsay series by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series. The youth theatre cast are in their places but Gus Lynch's female lead is missing, that is, until she's found in the boot of his car . . . Detective Inspector Stephen Ramsay and Sergeant Gordon Hunter are assigned to head the murder enquiry, meanwhile violence is escalating on the Starling Farm Estate as police battle to contain the latest outbreak of joyriding. Is the death of Gabriella connected to the events at Starling Farm? When another death occurs, investigations suggest a possible link, and Ramsay realizes what could have provoked someone to kill . . . and kill again.

Ann Cleeves (Author), Simon Mattacks (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Lesson in Dying

A Lesson in Dying is the first mystery novel in the Inspector Ramsay series by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series. Who hung the headmaster in the playground on the night of the school Halloween Party? Almost everyone in Heppleburn either hated or feared the viper-tongued Harold Medburn. Inspector Ramsay is convinced it was the headmaster’s enigmatic wife but Jack Robson, school governor and caretaker, is determined to prove her innocence. With the help of his restless daughter Patty, Jack digs into the secrets of Heppleburn, and uncovers a cesspit of lies, adultery, blackmail and madness . . . Continue the detective series with Murder in My Backyard.

Ann Cleeves (Author), Simon Mattacks (Narrator)

Audiobook

Murder in My Backyard

Murder in My Backyard is the second mystery novel in the Inspector Ramsay series by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series. No one in Heppleburn has a bad word to say about Alice Parry . . . but here she is, murdered in her own backyard on a bitter St. David’s Eve. When detective Stephen Ramsay starts asking questions in the village, a more ambiguous picture begins to emerge. Yes, old Mrs. Parry was loved by everyone, but sometimes her kindness had caused trouble. Yes, her two nephews were devoted to her, but they didn’t really want her interfering in their rather complicated personal lives. Even among her neighbours, Alice Parry’s helpfulness had sometimes misfired; and after her death, tension tight as a clenched fist grips the uneasy village. Meanwhile, the suspects keep rolling in, and Heppleburn’s friendly neighbourhood killer continues his nasty piece of work . . .

Ann Cleeves (Author), Simon Mattacks (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Pimlico Murder

Armistice Day 1940. The Blitz Detective John Jago finds himself despatched to Pimlico to investigate a suspicious death. A young man, Terry Watson, has been found in an Anderson shelter, battered about the head, and with two white poppies in his pocket. As the investigation delves into Watson's background, Jago and his assistant DC Craddock find themselves knee-deep in Pimlico's shady underworld, and connections with Oswald Mosley's BUF party. It will take all their skills to uncover the truth behind the pacifist's brutal death.

Mike Hollow (Author), Simon Mattacks (Narrator)

Audiobook

Demon

In 1995, twelve-year-old Sidney Parsons was savagely murdered by two boys his own age. No reason was ever given for this terrible crime, and the 'Demonic Duo' who killed him were imprisoned until their release in 2002, when they were given new identities and lifetime anonymity. Online journalist Scott King investigates the lead-up and aftermath of the killing, uncovering dark and fanciful stories of demonic possession, and encountering a village torn apart by this unspeakable act. But soon King himself becomes a target, with secrets from his own past dredged up and threats escalating to a terrifying level. It becomes clear that whatever drove those two boys to kill is still there, lurking, and the campaign of horror has just begun. . .

Matt Wesolowski (Author), Anne Dover, David Thorpe, John Telfer, Julie Maisey, Kitty Kelly, Mark Milligan, Richard Burnip, Simon Mattacks (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Dockland Murder

November 1940. Darkness descends and another anxious night begins for those tasked with guarding the industrial heartland of London from enemy attack. As a policeman patrols the Royal Albert Dock, something catches his eye - a man is sprawled awkwardly across a nearby barge, a dagger lodged in his back. Detective Inspector John Jago of West Ham CID discovers the victim was a dock worker by day and a Home Guard volunteer by night - and there are things even his wife doesn't know about his past. As the investigation unfolds, Jago uncovers a widening circle of secrets ranging across family tensions, the last war and a far-flung corner of the British Empire.

Mike Hollow (Author), Simon Mattacks (Narrator)

Audiobook

Three's A Crowd: 'If ever a book was a mood-lifter, it's this one. I cried laughing!' MILLY JOHNSON

What happens when an estranged father and son unwittingly fall in love with the same woman? 'If ever a book was a mood-lifter, it's this one. Full of caustic wit, I cried laughing!' MILLY JOHNSON, Sunday Times bestselling author 'Smart, clever and engaging - the perfect 'what-if' novel' PENNY PARKES 'What a treat this novel is! Compulsively readable, and with surprising twists and turns right to the end. And who knew that such a nightmarish situation could be so funny?' DEBORAH MOGGACH 'Fun, fresh and endlessly entertaining!' HEIDI SWAIN, Sunday Times bestselling author 'A witty twisty romp that leaps from the page. Perfect for lifting the spirits' FANNY BLAKE 'Funny, sad, uplifting and clever - pure escapism!' SUSI HOLLIDAY 'What an incredible read - tender, engrossing and extremely funny. I was laughing from the first page!' LISA CUTTS 'A beautifully executed, laugh-out-loud ride through the complex fluctuations of a father/son relationship and an unwittingly shared love interest' OLIVIA LICHTENSTEIN 'I can't begin to tell you how much I loved this funny, clever and surprisingly touching novel. Pitch perfect, it had me howling with laughter from beginning to end' HOLLY MARTIN 'Punchy and pacey, witty and engaging with entertainment by the bucketload. I absolutely LOVED it' KIM NASH 'A fresh funny and modern take on the romcom' CLAIRE McGOWAN A hilariously laugh out loud, romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Something to Live For (Richard Roper), Love, Unscripted (Owen Nicholls), The Love Square (Laura Jane Williams), and Us (David Nicholls). Out-of-work actor Harriet is recuperating from a crash-and-burn affair with Damian - aka 'Cockweasel' - and making ends meet as a barista when she meets two rather lovely men. Tom is a regular at the café, and seems like such a nice guy. Smooth-talking DJ Richard is older, but in great shape - a real silver fox. Deciding to take a chance on both of them, Harriet doesn't realise at first that she is actually dating father and son. Tom and Richard aren't on speaking terms, and don't share a last name - so how was she to know? By the time everyone finds out, both Tom and Richard are truly madly deeply in love with Harriet, and she's faced with an impossible choice. But as the battle for her affections intensifies, 'Cockweasel' makes an unexpected reappearance and begs her to give him another chance…

Simon Booker (Author), Ben Higgins, John Telfer, Karen Cass, Simon Mattacks (Narrator)

Audiobook

Time to Heal: Tales of a Country Doctor

Time to Heal tells the story of the colourful life of a country doctor towards the end of his career. In turn shocking, sad and funny, they describe a doctor who feels poorly served by the conventional medicine of his time and finds new ways to relieve the suffering of his patients. This tale has a twist. Twenty-first-century General Practice and its patients have been betrayed by top-heavy regulation, performance management and a blame culture. Young doctors no longer want to enter General Practice. The author explores why and how pandemics might provide the answers.

Michael Dixon (Author), Simon Mattacks (Narrator)

Audiobook

Substitute

Three people live. Three people die. You make the choice. Like any mother, Chrissie wants to protect her family. She would do anything to keep them safe. So when a mysterious stranger turns up at her door, offering to prevent the deaths of the people she loves, it sounds too good to be true. The only problem: she must choose someone to die in their place. A substitute. When her daughter Holly has a terrible accident, Chrissie has no option but to enter the programme. In that horrifying moment, she would do anything to save her. But even after Holly makes a miraculous recovery, Chrissie is convinced it’s just a coincidence. After all, who can really control the laws of life and death? But as the dangers to her family escalate and her chosen substitutes begin to disappear, Chrissie finds herself in an underworld of hidden laboratories and secretive doctors. And the consequences of playing by their rules are far deadlier than she ever imagined…

Susi Holliday (Author), Esther Wane, James Langton, Simon Mattacks (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Stratford Murder

October 1940. Bombs are falling on Stratford when air-raid warden Sylvia Parks sees a house with a light shining like a beacon to the enemy aircraft overhead, violating the strict blackout regulations. With no answer at the door she manages to break in, only to discover the body of a young woman - and she's been strangled with a stocking. For Detective Inspector John Jago, the scene brings back memories of the gruesome Soho Strangler, who murdered four women in the mid-1930s but has never been caught. Is there a connection? As the investigation develops, it leads him into a web of family jealousies, violence, robbery and the underworld of political terrorism.

Mike Hollow (Author), Simon Mattacks (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball

A locked room. A mysterious death. Just another gig for the Dizzy Heights. When London’s finest jazz musicians, the Dizzy Heights, are booked to play the glitzy Midsummer Ball at a country house in Oxfordshire, they expect a weekend filled with flappers and toffs having a roaring good time. But the festivities at Bilverton House take a turn for the worse when the group are stranded by a summer storm. And when a member of the Bilverton family turns up dead in a locked room in an apparent suicide, Skins, Dunn and Ellie realise this is going to be a much tougher gig than they thought. But here’s the lick. What if it was in fact cold-blooded murder? And what if the killer is still at large? It’s up to the Dizzy Heights to once again put down their instruments and get improvising if they want to solve this confounding mystery.

T E Kinsey (Author), Simon Mattacks (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Simon Mattacks