The Specialist, Matthew Broughton
The Specialist, Matthew Broughton
List: $15.75 | Sale: $11.03
Club: $7.87

The Specialist
A Full-Cast BBC Mystery Thriller

Author: Matthew Broughton

Narrator: Full Cast, Saran Morgan, Sion Daniel Young, Michelle Bonnard

Unabridged: 2 hr 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/01/2024


Synopsis

From the writer of Tracks and Broken Colours, a gripping new drama about the collision of medicine and something infinitely stranger

When Dr Anna Diaz moves from an urban practice in Cardiff to take on a new job in Bly, a remote village in rural Wales, she finds a community reeling from the unexpected death of their last GP and a startling number of curious rare medical conditions. Among them, a young woman who has become so hairy she looks like an ape, a farmer who is growing new bones, a teacher who hasn't slept for a month, and an old man who has gained enormous amounts of weight and has horns growing out of his head. Deeply unsettled, the locals feel something viral and horrendous is happening to them - they're anxious, confused, afraid, and need help.

Dr. Diaz is determined to understand what's happening, and to cure and reassure the people of the village. But when the sicknesses evolve and villagers start dying, things begin to balloon out of even the Doctor's serene control. The puzzle forms piece by piece as Anna's investigations into the disparate conditions reveal hidden connections. All the illnesses appear to be leading her to the previous GP, his death, and something she's never seen before.

Starring Saran Morgan as Anna Diaz, Sion Daniel Young as Ged Diaz and Michelle Bonnard as Ruth.

Cast:
Anna Diaz – Saran Morgan
Ged Diaz – Sion Daniel Young
Ruth – Michelle Bonnard
Mr Devonshire – Pal Aron
Mr Dartington – Ifan Huw Dafydd
Raymond – Ioan Hefin
Maggie – Catrin Aaron
Nell – Diana Yekinni
Sian Ellis – Ceri Lloyd

Credits:
Written by Matthew Broughton
Original music by Sion Orgon and Rhodri Davies
Sound Design by Catherine Robinson
Production Coordinators: Eleri McAuliffe and Lindsay Rees
Directed by John Norton and Fay Lomas
A BBC Audio Wales production for Radio 4

©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Reviews

Goodreads review by Derek on May 31, 2016

I'll be honest, this book is never going to be your all time favourite book, but it is well worth a read. It's funny, in a gentle kind of way, and it's a window into a whole different time, a whole different world. I also need to say, I read this because Terry Pratchett said so - there can be no bette......more

Goodreads review by Chris on January 24, 2020

I remember reading this as a child, 60 years ago and identifying with it as we had our own "two-holer" over behind our woolshed. This short story has lost none of its charm.......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth on April 22, 2018

This quirky little book is full of gentle homespun humor. A written record of an oral story by a Vaudeville performer, this first-person narrative is just asking to be read aloud. It’s not the kind of book I typically read, but I am certainly glad I stumbled upon it. The author/performer was telling......more

Goodreads review by Rob on April 14, 2019

Saw Chic Sale again in a film, 'Treasure Island', last week and thought if I saw another of his books again, I'd nabbed it. So I did a few days ago. This tiny little thing has not much more than a transcript of a monologue. It's a neat monologue telling of the business of outhouse written in a humou......more

Goodreads review by Simon on April 23, 2017

A classic wee monologue - [URL not allowed] Found it on the shelf at my folks' house - used to be my grandfather's. Was a fun read, subtle humour, a great character-piece.......more