John Le Carré - A Murder Of Quality

JOHN LE CARRÉ - A MURDER OF QUALITY (320kbs-m4a/312mb/2hrs16mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 4th to 8th August 2025

George Smiley is lead to one of England's most famous public schools...

John le Carré's second novel, first published in 1962.

Smiley is a career intelligence officer with "The Circus", the British overseas intelligence agency.

Starring George Cole and Norman Bowler.

Murder mystery dramatised in five parts by Rene Basilico.

Producer: John Fawcett Wilson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March/April 1981.

JOHN LE CARRÉ - A MURDER OF QUALITY - 1. THE LETTER (320kbs-m4a/63mb/27mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 4th August 2025

A visit to an old friend from "The Circus" days - and consequences of a letter from a frightened woman.

George Smiley .... George Cole
Inspector Rigby .... Norman Bowler
Terence Fielding .... Peter Jeffrey
Miss Brimley/Mad Janie .... Sheila Grant
Felix D'Arcy .... Richard Pearson

Other parts played by:

Leonard Fenton
Stephen Garlick

JOHN LE CARRÉ - A MURDER OF QUALITY - 2. UNNERVED (320kbs-m4a/63mb/27mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 5th August 2025

The wife of one of the masters at Carne School has been murdered.

George Smiley is helping the police - unofficially.

Though unnerved by an encounter with the strange Mad Janie, Smiley is not inclined to dismiss her wild babbling as total nonsense...

George Smiley .... George Cole
Inspector Rigby .... Norman Bowler
Miss Brimley/Mad Janie .... Sheila Grant
Sergent Mundy .... Robert Brown
Miss D'Arcy .... Diana Ning
Miss Dawnay .... Jenny Lee

Other parts played by members of the cast.

JOHN LE CARRÉ - A MURDER OF QUALITY - 3. OPINIONS (320kbs-m4a/60mb/26mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 6th August 2025

Piece by piece, George Smiley tries to build up a picture of a murder victim.

But opinions of Stella Rode are conflicting and occasionally rather uncomfortable...

George Smiley .... George Cole
Inspector Rigby .... Norman Bowler
Stanley Rode .... William Gaunt
Simon Snow .... Jon Glover
Anne Snow .... Jane Knowles
Major Harriman / Samuel Glaston .... David Ryall
Police Sergeant/other parts .... Peter Tuddenham

JOHN LE CARRÉ - A MURDER OF QUALITY - 4. TRAGEDY (320kbs-m4a/62mb/27mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 7th August 2025

A school pupil has died tragically in a cycling accident.

This is adding poignancy to an already complex murder investigation for George Smiley.

George Smiley .... George Cole
Inspector Rigby .... Norman Bowler
Stanley Rode .... William Gaunt
Terence Fielding .... Peter Jeffrey
Miss Truebody .... Sheelah Wilcocks
Mrs Harlow .... Harriet Reynolds
Police sergeant .... Peter Tuddenham

JOHN LE CARRÉ - A MURDER OF QUALITY - 5. FOREBODING (320kbs-m4a/63mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 8th August 2025

Before she was murdered, Stella Rode wrote a letter accusing her husband of planning to kill her.

Now Stanley Rode has disappeared.

There are new and unexpected disclosures before the investigation is brought back to George Smiley's own London home in Chelsea.

George Smiley .... George Cole
Inspector Rigby .... Norman Bowler
Terence Fielding .... Peter Jeffrey
Stanley Rode .... William Gaunt
Miss Brimley .... Sheila Grant
Brigadier Havelock .... Anthony Sharp

Other parts played by:

Sonia Frase
Martyn Read