For millions of readers, especially in the 1930’s, there was only one Baker Street-based detective, and that was Sexton Blake. Although now overshadowed by Sherlock Holmes, Sexton Blake once rivalled Conan Doyle’s super-sleuth for popularity, being perceived as a more accessible example of the gentleman detective. Indeed there are many similarities between the two - both live in Baker Street, both have a housekeeper, both have a sidekick and both work alongside the police. But Sherlock didn’t have a faithful bloodhound called Pedro. Sexton did.

The original newspaper stories were written by a variety of authors, but, recently, some original 1967 BBC Drama recordings were uncovered, written by Donald Stewart. They are wonderfully atmospheric, as only radio drama from that era could be, and none of this has been lost in their translation into audiobooks for MP3 and audiobooks for CD. William Franklyn starts as the eponymous hero, his refined tones perfectly conveying the education and intellect that Sexton uses to unravel each mystery. His sidekick, Tinker, is deftly played by David Gregory but, sadly, there is nothing to say who played Pedro, the dog.

These Sexton Blake adventures on audiobooks for CD and MP3 are classy without being high brow and fun without being farcical. A perfect listening experience for sitting by an open fire with your dog resting at your feet -especially if it’s called Pedro.