"Hale knew, before he had been in Brighton three hours, that they meant to murder him..." So begins Brighton Rock, in which a gang war rages through the dark underworld of 1930s Brighton. Seventeen-year-old Pinkie Brown, malign and ruthless, has killed a man. Believing he can escape retribution, he is unprepared for the courageous, life-embracing Ida Arnold. Greene's gripping thriller exposes a world of loneliness and fear, of life lived on the 'dangerous edge of things'. Brighton Rock has twice been adapted for film. Richard Attenborough starred as Pinkie in the 1947 version, with Sam Riley and Helen Mirren starring in the 2010 release...

This complete and unabridged reading of Graham Greene's 1938 novel Brighton Rock is spread over eight CDs and lasts for just over nine hours. Samuel West is an excellent choice to read this novel, and his delivery will keep you gripped for the duration.

For those that don't already know the story, it's a thriller set in 1930s Brighton. Charles "Fred" Hale is in Brighton on a job that sees him hiding cards in various places for a newspaper competition. Fred crosses Pinkie Brown, a local hard boy who is in the process of becoming a young gangster. After Pinkie murders Fred his constant attempts to stay one step ahead of the law lead him to commit further crimes.

Another great release from BBC's Audio Go label.

10

Nick Smithson