Eight Inspector Appleby Mysteries – Michael Innes Free Audiobook

Written by Michael Innes

1936. Death At the President’s Lodging aka Seven Suspects. [9 hrs 5 mins] . Read by Stephen Hogan.
Inspector Appleby is called to St Anthony’s College Oxford, where the president has been murdered in his lodging. Scandal abounds when it becomes clear that the only people with any motive to murder him are the only people who had the opportunity – because the President’s Lodging opens off Orchard Ground, which is locked at night, and only the Fellows of the College have keys…

1937. Hamlet, Revenge! [11 hrs 2 mins] . Read by Matt Addis.
At Seamnum Court, seat of the Duke of Horton, The Lord Chancellor of England is murdered at the climax of a private presentation of Hamlet, in which he plays Polonius. Inspector Appleby pursues some of the most famous names in the country, unearthing dreadful suspicion…

1942. The Daffodil Affair [7 hrs 47 mins] . Read by Matt Addis.
Inspector Appleby’s aunt is most distressed when her horse, Daffodil – a somewhat half-witted animal with exceptional numerical skills – goes missing from her stable I Harrogate. Meanwhile, Hudspith is hot on the trail of Lucy Rideout, an enigmatic young girl has been whisked away to an unknown isle by a mysterious gentleman. And when a house in Bloomsbury, supposedly haunted, also goes missing, the baffled policemen search for a connection. As Appleby and Hudspith trace Daffodil and Lucy, the fragments begin to come together and an extravagant project is uncovered, leading them to the South American jungle!

1943. The Weight of the Evidence [8 hrs 36 mins]. Read by Matt Addis.
Meteorites fall from the sky but seldom onto the heads of science dons in redbrick universities; yet this is what happens to Professor Pluckrose of Nestfield University. Inspector Appleby soon discovers that the meteorite was not fresh and that the professor’s deckchair had been placed underneath a large, accessible tower – he already knew something of academic jealousies but he was to find out a great deal more….

1945. Appleby’s End [8 hrs 11 mins]. Read by Vincent Brimble.
Appleby’s End was the name of the station where Detective Inspector John Appleby got off the train from Scotland Yard. But that was not the only coincidence. Everything that happened from then on related back to stories by Ranulph Raven, Victorian novelist – animals were replaced by marble effigies, someone received a tombstone telling him when he would die, and a servant was found buried up to his neck in snow, dead. Why did Ranulph Raven’s mysterious descendants make such a point of inviting Appleby to spend the night at their house?

1968. Appleby At Allington aka Death By Water. [5 hrs 45 mins]. Read by Gordon Dulieu.
Sir John Appleby dines one evening at Allington Park, the Georgian home of his acquaintance Owain Allington, who is new to the area. His curiosity is aroused when Allington mentions his nephew and heir to the estate, Martin Allington, whose name Appleby recognises. The evening comes to an end but just as Appleby is leaving, they find a dead man – electrocuted in the son et lumihre box which had been installed in the grounds…

1975. The Appleby File [8 hrs 48 mins]. Read by Andrew Timothy.
There are 15 stories in this compelling collection, including:
* ‘Poltergeist’ – when Appleby’s wife tells him that her aunt is experiencing trouble with a Poltergeist, he is amused but dismissive, until he discovers that several priceless artefacts have been smashed as a result.
* ‘A Question of Confidence’ – when Bobby Appleby’s friend, Brian Button, is caught up in a scandalous murder in Oxford, Bobby’s famous detective father is their first port of call.
* ‘The Ascham’ – an abandoned car on a narrow lane intrigues Appleby and his wife, but even more intriguing is the medieval castle they stumble upon.

1986. Appleby and the Ospreys [5 hrs 29 mins]. Read by Raymond Adamson.
Clusters, a great country house, is troubled by bats, as Lord and Lady Osprey complain to their guests, who include first rate detective, Sir John Appleby. In the matter of bats, Appleby is indifferent, but he is soon faced with a real challenge – the murder of Lord Osprey, stabbed with an ornate dagger in the library…

These Aud conversions to MP3 are not always the smoothest, particularly The Appleby File and Appleby’s End, but the narration is always clear, even if the sound quality is a little rough around the edges sometimes (although I do suspect the original recordings are to blame in some cases). These rare titles appear to only be available via electronic download – no CD or MP3CD versions exist to my knowledge. These eight titles are the only ones available as of April 2012 – hopefully more will be forthcoming in the future.