A Dangerous Thing by H R F Keating

Ashridge AND a detective story in one day?? Yes, please, and THANK YOU! 🎉🎉🎉

I think the character of Mrs Craggs owes more to Irene Handl, Beryl Reid and Pat Combs than anything else. Those East End ladies of fierce intellect, fiercer loyalties, and a no-nonsense humour. I can see any of them in the role and being utterly convincing.

[Edit] Loveday Brooke, female detective, written by C.L Pirkis, who died in 1904. A wonderful, humorous and intelligent character - as was the author. Baroness Orzcy (writer of 'The Scarlet Pimpernel') wrote a series of detective stories featuring a female newshound with the "Man in the Corner" who worked out the puzzles with a piece of string. She also wrote the 'Lady Molly of Scotland Yard' stories (1910-1928). Dame Agatha's stories featuring not only Miss Marple, but Tuppence and a few free range detectives, was by no means the first.

[Edit 2:] even Nancy Drew appears around the same time as Miss Marple.

Tony, I think you had almost as fun reading this wonderful story as I had listening to you reading it. Love your narrations and your after-story commentary. 👍

I have to give this story a second thought as far as commenting goes because I was considering the date of the story was written and I don't know when that was but I must have assumed it was much longer ago than perhaps is reality because I am blown away at how ridiculous they are overseeing his library card or whatever the hell that is if I was assuming pre 911 and free a lot of other nonsense that would have required such strict security measures for a 100 possibly plus year old person and the fact that they are spending these minutes left of his life or fiddling around looking for a plastic card with a name on it there's such a thing as karma you know and I think he who makes a person that old fiddle around for a card is asking for trouble

I really love that we got the bonus effort of the accents I think it's much more plausible and I love a Melting Pot

Loved this story! Your ready was wonderful!

I love inspector Ghoti, this story was fun as well.
Your accents are a delight, dont you dare stop doing them.
I think Keating is a humor writer at his core.

Loved this one. Thank you. The accents were entertaining 😊

The accents were great.

Loved the accents

Fun, love all ur accents, not so much American.

I'm a 72 year old female in the U.S. and, believe me, class distinction is obvious if you are aware. I really wish it wasn't so.

Love listening to your after story telling conversation.

What a great story. I hadn't heard this one. Thanks!!

Thank you Tony,~ this was a Lot of Fun Indeed!!
Brilliantly Narrated as Always, and we Enjoyed your Bletherings at the End!!
Andrea and Family. ...XxX...

Being a member of the American Society of Philowhatsits, I am insulted that this story takes our academic pursuit so lightly, LOL.

Thank you, great story telling❤

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Turkey overdose !'m Enjoying this story . Thank you.

Speaking of servants who are deeply snobbish because they work for someone important reminded me of some doctor's offices. In particular, there was a neurologist's staff who seemed to be under the impression that THEY had a medical degree. I had been summoned into the doctor's office for what turned out to be a trivial matter that could have easily been conducted over the phone. It was on a day when I wasn't feeling well and was quite weak, something the doctor didn't notice or care about. Because the doctor had trivialized my symptoms in his notes, the office staff spent more time huddling together and gossiping, while derisively keeping me on my feet much longer than they should have for any patient, and laughing about it. By the time I left, I was ready to faint, and couldn't handle the weight of the heavy glass door. It was one of the cleaning staff in the hall who came to my rescue, holding the heavy door open for me and asking in a kind way if I was all right. I will always remember the kindness of that woman and the malice of that office. I wish for each of them from that office the hell of my weakness and the same treatment they gave me. It's the least of what they deserve.

I like your reading, thanks.

I shared this episode, along with high praise, on Bluesky. Gorgeous narration!

Mr Tony, another excellent narration and story.

There is no need to even apologize for your accents... imho, they were just fine!!

T: Your content and narration are awesome! (But that music on the sax sucks! It isn't what yur channel is about. No music would be better than that clip you use. It makes potential listeners turn yu off within the first 3 seconds--just my humble opinion.)

Thanks!

The nice ladies who wrote detective fiction for magazines inbetween the Wars were upper middle class themselves and wrote for the journals read by ladies som ein the U S. Ngaio Marsh went from New Zealand with her class prejudices and maintained them even when writing about Post War England. The worst snobs I have come across are what I call Afrikaners. from S African states which rid themselves of these classes. A lot came to New Zealand and still survive in groups here. The accent is amazingly not really English though. They do not realise that British people have regional accents now no matter what their educational status. Typical of a society of immigrants :-)