BBC Radio 4: Afternoon Play
Patrick Petrella was considered something of a curiosity at Divisional Headquarters. He certainly brought unusual qualifications to the lowly rank of detective constable. Son of a Spanish policeman and an English school mistress, he spoke four languages including Arabic, could judge wines, pick locks, and had the sort of endlessly enquiring mind which once caused Superintendent Barstow to ask if his latest recruit knew why God gave young policemen two feet but only one head.
Petrella's south London beat covers a world of small-time burglars, shady pawnbrokers, outraged ratepayers, juvenile delinquents, curious property dealers, clever fences and bent solicitors. More seriously, it touches gang rivalry, drug trafficking and murder.
There's something nostalgic about these stories: they depict a London that seems to have vanished, where there was still some sense of community even in very poor areas, where even criminals had some kind of code, where poverty rather than sociopathy drove people to commit crimes. In the era that these stories depict, a young girl ending up pregnant and addicted to cocaine was a great tragedy; whereas today, that fate wouldn't merit one sentence in the daily paper of a major metropolitan area.
Philip Jackson stars as the lugubrious Detective Petrella, an Oxbridge-educated South London sleuth based on stories by Michael Gilbert.
Dramatised by Michael Butt.
Directed by John Taylor.
0) 'The Phantom Billboard' (Wednesday 19th November 1997 @ 2:00 p.m.)
Detective Inspector Petrella lives in a twilight world of criminality and existential angst, and the mystery of a lost traveller on the Underground does nothing to improve his view of the universe. The year is 1948.
Dramatised by Michael Butt and based on the story 'A Case for Gourmets' (aka 'Mr. Duckworth's Night Out') by Michael Gilbert. The story was first published in Gilbert's 1973 short-story collection, "Amateur in Violence".
With Philip Jackson [Detective Inspector Patrick Petrella], Mamtah Kaash [Sara Petrella], Christian Rodska [Raynor Hasett], Stephen Boxer ['Smoke'], Anthony Jackson [Sergeant Dredge], John Rapley [Mr. Duckworth], and Rene Krapinski ['Cream'].
Other parts were played by members of the cast.
Originally broadcast as the second episode of a three-part series called "Mysteries of the London Underground".
Series 1
1) 'Good Fences Make Good Neighbours' (Tuesday 10th August 1999 @ 2:15 p.m.)
The lugubrious south London detective pits his Oxbridge wits against the ingenious and elusive killer of an apparently innocent woman.
With Philip Jackson [Detective Inspector Patrick Petrella], Nicky Henson [Sergeant Birley], Mamta Kash [Sara Petrella], Christian Rodska [Dr. Worsley], Ian Masters [Albie Lawrence], Howard Ward [William Standish], Timothy Block [Colonel Wing], and Kelly Bright [Jenny].
Other parts played by members of the cast. [Mr. Sligo], [The Milkman], [Dr. Hunter], [Mr. & Mrs. Robson]
2) 'The Myth of Return' (Tuesday 17th August 1999 @ 2:15 p.m.)
Lugubrious south London sleuth Detective Petrella meditates on murder in the marshes, and the foggy nature of truth...
With Philip Jackson [Detective Inspector Patrick Petrella], Nicky Henson [Sergeant Birley], Jamie Glover [Detective Constable Milo], and Mamta Kash [Sara Petrella].
Other parts were played by David Glover, Rachel Atkins, Jonathan Tafler, Frank Kovach, and Ian Masters.
3) 'Vengeance Foreseen' (Tuesday 24th August 1999 @ 2:15 p.m.)
The South London sleuth is forced to dip into the City's darkest sluices in pursuit of a violent and autocratic killer.
With Philip Jackson [Detective Inspector Patrick Petrella], Nicky Henson [Sergeant Birley], and Mamta Kash [Sara Petrella].
Other parts were played by Michael Cochrane, Kelly Bright, Donald Sinclair, Richard Tait, Jonathan Tafler, John Hollis and Keaton Henson.
4) 'Outpacing the Fiend' (Tuesday 31st August 1999 @ 2:15 p.m.)
The detective's civilised sleuthing is stretched to breaking point when merciless killers cunningly exploit his Achilles' heel.
With Philip Jackson [Detective Inspector Patrick Petrella], Nicky Henson [Sergeant Birley], Mamta Kash [Sara Petrella], and Jamie Glover [Detective Constable Milo].
Series 2
1) 'Heroes and Villains' (Monday 25th June 2001 @ 2:15 p.m.)
Confronted with robbery and murder, Petrella finds that even respected police officers are not exempt from suspicion.
With Philip Jackson [Detective Inspector Patrick Petrella], Anthony Jackson [Sergeant Birley], Jamie Glover [Detective Constable Milo], Mamta Kash [Sara Petrella], Nigel Carrington [Commander Jack Baylis], Robin Welsh [Dr. Pond], David Redgrave [Mr. Lamb], Carl Johnson ['Chesty' Lambert], Lizzie McPhee [Julie], and Cliff Parisi [Manfred Tillotson].
Other parts were played by members of the company.
2) 'The Missionary Position' (Monday 2nd July 2001 @ 2:15 p.m.)
When Detective Constable Milo encounters a former tutor, he is unprepared for where their friendship will lead him.
With Philip Jackson [Detective Inspector Patrick Petrella], Anthony Jackson [Sergeant Birley], Jamie Glover [Detective Constable Milo], Mamta Kash [Sara Petrella], Robin Welsh [Dr. Pond], Tim Wilton [Sir Andrew Galbraith], Christopher Scott
[Reverend Edward Freebone], and Laura Cox [Jackie Cripp].
Other parts were played by members of the cast.
3) 'Death Watch' (Monday 9th July 2001 @ 2:15 p.m.)
Petrella is charged with protecting Nuremberg trials judge Desmond Vereker from an avenger determined to kill him.
Dramatised from short story first published in a magazine, October 1957. Published later in book form in his 1988 short story
collection, "Young Petrella".
With Philip Jackson [Detective Inspector Patrick Petrella], Anthony Jackson [Sergeant Birley], Jamie Glover [Detective
Constable Milo], Mamta Kash [Sara Petrella], James Hazeltine [Judge Desmond Matthew Vereker], Timothy Watson [Dr.
Green], David Redgrave [The Deputy Commander] and Nina Young [Sally Easter].
Other parts were played by members of the cast.
4) 'Original Sins' (Monday 16th July 2001 @ 2:15 p.m.)
When low-life Soapy is found chained to a post in the Thames, drowned by the tide, the finger points to the uncatchable
Captain Crabtree.
With Philip Jackson [Detective Inspector Patrick Petrella], Anthony Jackson [Sergeant Birley], Jamie Glover [Detective
Constable Milo], Mamta Kash [Sara Petrella], Robin Welsh [Dr. Pond], Nigel Carrington [Commander Jack Baylis], David
Redgrave [Mr. Fisher], Simon Treves [Danny Salt], and Lynn Whitehead [Jillie Davidson].
Other parts were played by members of the cast.
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Michael Gilbert (1912- )
Michael Francis Gilbert was born in Billinghay, Lincolnshire. After leaving school he decided to read law but due to lack of funds
he had to teach at a preparatory school in Salisbury, while studying at London University. In 1938 he joined a firm of solicitors.
To bring in some extra money, he had the idea to write a detective story. He was however called up at the outbreak of World
War II. In 1943 he was captured by the Germans in North Africa. He managed to escape but was recaptured and sent to a
P.O.W. camp in Italy. In 1943 he was released and rejoined his regiment. Soon after the war he qualified as a solicitor. In 1947
he joined the firm of Trower, Still and Keeling and shortly afterwards married one of the firm's secretaries, Roberta Mary
Marsden. That year also saw the publication of his first crime novel. In 1952 he became a partner in the firm. In 1960 he became
legal adviser to the Goverment of Bahrain. Although Gilbert has used a large number of different protagonists in his novels and
stories, he has also created several series characters like Chief Inspector Hazlerigg of Scotland Yard.
The fictional career of Patrick Petrella has lasted almost forty years The first Petrella short story (in which his first name was
said to be Peter) was published in 1956; thus began a long series of stories, many of which are collected in "Petrella At Q"
(1977) and "Young Petrella" (1988). Until recently, the only novel in which he featured was "Blood And Judgement" (1959).
However, Petrella reappeared in "Roller-Coaster" (1993).
Michael Gilbert was a founding member of the Crime Writers' Association, and has had thirty crime novels and six collections of
crime short stories published. He was given the Swedish Grand Master Award in 1981 and the Edgar Allan Poe Grand Master
Award of the Mystery Writers of America in 1987. He retired from the law in 1983 and is married with seven children.
Titles and year of publication:
1) Close Quarters 1947
2) They Never Looked Inside 1947
3) The Doors Open 1949
4) Smallbone Deceased 1950
5) Death Has Deep Roots 1951
6) Death in Captivity 1952
7) Fear to Tread 1953
8) Sky High 1955
9) Be Shot for Sixpence 1956
10) Blood and Judgement 1959
11) After the Fine Weather 1963
12) The Crack in the Teacup 1966
13) The Dust and the Heat 1967
14) Game Without Rules (short stories) 1968
15) The Etruscan Net 1969
16) Stay of Execution (short stories) 1971
17) The Body of a Girl 1972
18) The Ninety-Second Tiger 1973
19) Amateur in Violence (short stories) 1973
20) Flash-Point 1974
21) The Night of the Twelfth 1976
22) Petrella at Q (short stories) 1977
23) The Empty House 1978
24) Death of a Favourite Girl 1980
25) The Final Throw 1982
26) Mr. Calder and Mr. Behrens (short stories) 1982
27) The Black Seraphim 1983
28) The Long Journey Home 1985
29) Trouble 1987
30) Young Petrella (short stories) 1988
31) Paint, Gold and Blood 1989
32) Anything for a Quiet Life (short stories) 1990
33) The Queen Against Karl Mullen 1991
34) Roller-Coaster 1993
35) Ring of Terror 1995
36) Into Battle 1997
37) Over and Out 1998
- Inspector Petrella - s1e2- 'The Myth of Return'
The south London sleuth gets embroiled in a ruthless smuggling racket on the Kent marshes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007jmbb
- Inspector Petrella - s1e1- 'Good Fences '
- Inspector Petrella - s1e3- 'Vengeance Foreseen'
- Inspector Petrella - s1e4- 'Outpacing the Fiend'
- Inspector Petrella - s0e1- 'The Phantom Billboard'
- Inspector Petrella - s2e1- 'Heroes and Villains'
- Inspector Petrella - s2e2- 'The Missionary Position'
- Inspector Petrella - s2e3- 'Death Watch'
