McLevy in the New World: A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Crime Drama

David Ashton

Feb 2024 · BBC Digital Audio · Narrated by Brian Cox, Siobhan Redmond, and Full Cast

About this audiobook

Brian Cox and Siobhan Redmond return in two new series of adventures set in San Francisco.

Forced to run for his life after killing two suspects, assaulting the Chief Constable and inadvertently causing the death of Lieutenant Roach, McLevy has fled Leith for San Francisco. Somewhat rashly, and against her better judgement, Jean Brash has decided to accompany him...

Arriving in America, it seems they’ve jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. San Francisco is as cold and foggy as Leith, and home to just as many criminals. With the Gold Rush at its height, the city is a madhouse, its inhabitants driven by greed. Everyone is dying to get rich quick, and McLevy and Jean are caught in the middle.

Unimpressed by San Francisco’s bawdy houses, Jean shifts from brothel-keeping to playing poker, and is soon making a killing. McLevy, however, is having a harder time adjusting. Adrift and purposeless, he goes looking for trouble – and finds it in spades. As he and Jean face violence, corruption, skulduggery and murder, McLevy sets about doing what he does best: tackling crime. His time as a policeman may be over, but in this wild, lawless West, there’s a desperate need for a good private investigator...

Starring Brian Cox and Siobhan Redmond, these four entertaining episodes follow ex-Inspector James McLevy and former madame Jean Brash as they attempt to forge a new life in the New World.

Cast and credits

Written by David Ashton

Produced and directed by Bruce Young

© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

About the author

David Ashton is a Scottish actor and writer. Trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, 1964–67, he has acted in a wide variety of film, television, theatre and radio roles. He has also developed a parallel career as a writer of fiction, film and television screenplays and plays for theatre and radio. His radio play The Old Ladies at the Zoo, which starred Peggy Mount and Liz Smith, won the Radio Times Drama Award in 1985.