Bookish star Mark Gatiss adapts and stars in classic cosy crime tale – and it airs on Monday

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While viewers eagerly anticipate the second season of Mark Gatiss’s historical crime series, Bookish, another of his mystery stories will premiere on Monday, January 12th, 2026.

This is an audio version of Pamela Branch’s novel, Murder Every Monday. Mark Gatiss adapted the book for BBC Radio 4 in 2008 and also played a role in it.

You can hear the one-hour drama again on Radio 4Xtra. It will be broadcast on Monday, January 12th at 3pm and 9pm, and again on Tuesday, January 13th at 5am.

Clifford Flush, the founder of the Asterisk Club, hasn’t committed murder in years. However, when he feels an overwhelming urge to kill his bridge partner – who was a particularly frustrating player – he and the club members are forced to quickly leave London.

After escaping danger, the group settled in the small village of Krunte Abbas and bought the run-down Dankry Manor, where they began working as consultants specializing in homicide cases.

This adaptation of Pamela Branch’s 1954 novel features a strong cast including Simon Williams, John Castle, Barbara Kirby, Graham Crowden, David Ryall, Stephanie Beacham, Mark Benton, Ian Hallard, Cal Jaggers, and Mark Gatiss, who also appears in a supporting role.

Mark Gatiss has a strong background in both crime dramas and adapting existing stories. He created and stars in the popular series Bookish, playing Gabriel Book, a bookshop owner who solves mysteries, and he was also a key figure behind the successful modern update of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock.

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As a big fan of spooky season TV, I always look forward to Mark Gatiss’s yearly ‘A Ghost Story for Christmas’ on BBC Two. He’s really got a knack for bringing those classic ghost stories to life, and his most recent one, ‘A Room in the Tower,’ with Tobias Menzies and Joanna Lumley, was fantastic. He’s adapted so many of them now, it’s become a real tradition!

As a total radio drama fan, I’m excited to share that Pamela Branch’s ‘Murder Every Monday’ is coming to Radio 4Xtra! You can catch it on Monday, January 12th at 3pm or 9pm, and if you’re a night owl (or an early riser!), there’s another showing at 5am on Tuesday, January 13th, 2026.

Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs writes about TV dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations, first at a business-to-business agency and then at Fremantle, a major international TV production company. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Theatre Studies, as well as a Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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2026-01-09 16:08