When a body is found in the village pond, Convent Mother Helen and DI Cromwell are brought together to solve the crime and figure out what actually happened to Father Jack. The duo embark on an unlikely friendship as they bring their heads together to solve the murder. It’s not long before the two super sleuths are at it again when a precious icon goes missing from the church.

Widely considered as one of the finest historical novelists of the 20th century, Mary Renault brought the ancient world alive, turning age-old myths of gods and monsters into compelling human stories. In The King Must Die and its sequel, The Bull from the Sea, she retells the legend of Theseus, one of the greatest heroes of Ancient Greece.

Written by Sebastian Baczkiewicz and Steve May, these gripping plays take in all the famous Arthurian legends, from Lanslot’s tryst with Gwenfar to the quest for the Holy Grail. Ben Whishaw and Philip Glenister star as Arthur, with Ian McDiarmid as Merlin, Jane Lapotaire as Morgan, Eve Myles as Gwenfar and Andrew Scarborough as Lanslot.

British detective writer H. R. F. Keating was best known as the creator of Inspector Ghote of the Mumbai CID. He won two Crime Writers’ Association Gold Daggers, and in 1996 was awarded the Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement. Included here are dramatisations of two of his most popular murder mysteries, set in 1930s India and Victorian London, plus a short clip from Radio 4’s Bookshelf featuring the award-winning author.

Jack Higgins (the pen name of Henry Patterson) was the internationally bestselling author of 85 novels. He shot to fame with The Eagle Has Landed, which sold 50 million copies worldwide and became a hit film. Adapted for radio, it is included here, together with its gripping sequel The Eagle Has Flown and the sensational Falklands War thriller Exocet.

Peter Shaffer’s three most renowned plays, plus a radio monologue performed by Dame Judi Dench. Sir Peter Shaffer was one of the most distinguished and successful British playwrights of his generation. He won the Tony Award for both Amadeus and Equus, and the film adaptation of Amadeus garnered eight Oscars. In 1997, he was awarded an OBE, and he was knighted in the 2001 New Year honours list. This collection contains his best-known plays and a monologue specially written for radio, first broadcast in 1989.

A collection of intriguing thrillers, from murder mysteries to psychological dramas with unexpected twists and turns. Philip Levene, a prolific writer of radio plays from 1956 to 1967, also made his mark on television by penning 19 episodes of ITV’s The Avengers. While many of his works have unfortunately been lost , this collection of surviving recordings showcases his exceptional talent.

A lovely full-cast, family-based saga by Catherine Czerkawska. It follows Alison, as she discovers a yacht which belonged to a family of boat makers whose lives were tinged by turbulent love, sorrow and death. She finds the lady the boat was named after and discovers the history of the boat she has fallen in love with, and the family behind its excellent craftmanship.

Much of human history is hidden from us, buried deep under our feet. Layered beneath the landscape are the unknown stories of ancient peoples and civilizations, written in bones and long-lost artefacts, waiting to be revealed and deciphered. In these eight series, renowned author and broadcaster Aubrey Manning delves into the past, following geological and archaeological clues in an attempt to unravel some of these mysteries – from the Lost Map of London and the Amber Room to the Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Antikythera Mechanism and the Land of Punt.

Widely considered as one of the finest historical novelists of the 20th century, Mary Renault brought the ancient world alive, turning age-old myths of gods and monsters into compelling human stories. In The King Must Die and its sequel, The Bull from the Sea, she retells the legend of Theseus, one of the greatest heroes of Ancient Greece.