Trouble on the Thames

By: Victor Bridges

Narrated by: David Thorpe

Owen Bradwell is a courageous naval officer who returns to England in the 1930s. He believes that his career is over because he has become colour-blind – but with Nazi Germany an increasing menace, the authorities cannot do without Bradwell, and he is assigned a special mission.

A former acquaintance of Bradwell's has been trapped into betraying his country's secrets by a Nazi agent. Bradwell is sent to spy on the spy, and travels down the Thames on a surveillance trip. Things soon take an unexpected turn, and Bradwell finds himself in the company of a dead man, and a pretty young interior decorator called Sally. Will Bradwell triumph over the villains, and will he and Sally fall in love?

©2015 Friends of the Elderly (P)2018 Soundings

Look Not on His Picture, but His Book

Ok, Victor Bridges may not be Shakespeare. Still, Jonson’s line applies. Google up Bridges; the only photo you’ll find shows a face that might belong to any of the minor thugs who populate this story. But that beetle-browed, seemingly clueless map hides a maker of believable characters, witty dialogue, nicely observed descriptions, tricky situations and thrilling escapism. Among the 41 other titles listed as “Selected Works” at Wikipedia, there must be a few more worthy of the recording booth.

Granted, I enjoy this kind of book with a relatively uncritical eye, relishing the villainous villains and heroic (if unassuming) heroes and heroines, knowing that, in the end, virtue will prevail, and the hero win the heroine. Yes, there are limits to my tolerance (see The Exploits of Elaine, by Arthur B. Reeve) but Trouble on the Thames doesn’t come close to straining my credulity. My only caveat: remember that this book was published in the final year of the Second World War. Otherwise this story, set in the mid-to-late 30’s, may at times make Bridges seem clairvoyant.

Once again, David Thorpe turns in a terrific performance. I had no notion he had that many different voices inside him.

Brings back memories...

Lovely story. Wonderful performance. Wish I could find more written in this vein. Good cozy adventure. Great characters. Now where do I find more by Victor Bridges??

So So

I must say I only got this because of the narrator. However, even David Thorpe, couldn’t make me stick this one out. It started interesting, but a quarter of the way through, I got tired of the plot - particularly with the older sister coming to the rescue of the younger one. I could tell how it would go and skipped to the end. Maybe, I go back and read the middle but doubt it.

Meh

A good mystery unfolds in your mind like a movie. This story unfolds like a one hour TV show. It’s pretty predictable though the descriptions of characters and places are well done. Have the British Library folks already reissued all the really good ones???