Classic CBSRMT! Put this one on your list to listen to. It's 1860 and Scotland Yard has a new detective, Charles Dickens the famous author has been enlisted to help solve a murder. Your cast of characters includes a mother and her 20 year old son who own a farm in a rural area of England. Her husband passed away and now she has married a gentleman from London who has a daughter of the same age as her son. The two young people do not get along well and soon on in our adventure the young man is found dead - hanging in the barn. The handyman, trusted for many years, goes missing at the same time. The question is whether or not the young man has been murdered, committed suicide, or was the victim of some strange accident. Charles Dickens reminds us of Sherlock Holmes as he attempts to piece the puzzle together.

The New Man at the Yard was a classic episode. The story focused around a murder of young Francence--a young man of 20 with a quiet history of bullying and abuse of smaller people and animals. Well, he got his. His new step-sister was the main suspect until Charles Dickens--yes, that Charles Dickens--helps the constible catch the true guilty party. Great episode--5 stars.

Agreed. Wow, this was a winner! A true mystery well written and acted.

I rate this episode ★★★★★ for EXCELLENT. G. Frederick Lewis wrote a wonderful story on Charles Dickens: sharp-witted writer turned super sleuth. I enjoyed it more than #1283-DICKENS OF SCOTLAND YARD written by James Agate, Jr. This is the kind of Drama-Mystery where intuition comes into play and be spellbound by our main sleuth who solved the case without the source of forensics, but with the art of conversation. Another way to title this tale, would be “Dickens: The Super Sleuth.” In our Host’s Prologue, Tammy Grimes jumps right in on presenting us a true detective story involving Charles Dickens. In ACT-1, she quoted a line on murder from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but also takes us back to Somerset Shire in 1860 where Charles Dickens meets the Inspector. In ACT-2, question if this case was murder or suicide and list all the strange characters in this story: one writer, one Inspector, and members of the Kent Family with secrets to unfold. In ACT-3, after the case is solved, the murderer (SPOILER ALERT) pleaded guilty and our main sleuth went back to writing. In her Epilogue, Tammy Grimes informs us that Charles Dickens was the first novelist to be buried at Westminster Abbey. Her narrations on were on point and she explained the story meticulously. Sound Effects of the farm animals, rattle of the stove handle, grunt from the broom stick, birds chirping, barn door, footsteps, clock chiming at 2 o’clock, poker, fire cackling, window tapping, howling winds, door knocking, and clock chiming at 4 o’clock were supportive in this. The music tunes, to go with this dramatic theme, were exquisite, especially in the 2nd Act where murder becomes the likelihood. And finally, our talented cast: Paul Hecht (as Charles Dickens and Oliver Wattle), Court Benson (as John Kent and Mr. Bradfield), Evie Juster (as Constance Kent and Agatha Kent), and Gordon Gould (as Francis Kent and Inspector Thomas Whicher). These 4, each playing 2 roles, were superb. Props to Evie Juster for altering her voice to speak as a young girl to an old woman and back. But big props to Paul Hecht who played as Charles Dickens. He took on the role before in episode #1283 and did an amazing job in this one. I recommend this episode to all that are fans of Charles Dickens’ work as a writer & sleuth. SPECIAL NOTE: this has commercials of Pat Summerall for True Value Hardware, CBS-TV of “The Young & The Restless” and “As The World Turns,” Beverly Sills for March of Dimes, Gene King for Better Business Bureau, Maxwell House Coffee, White-Westinghouse, Cadillac services in Detroit, and Drivers Liquid Assets. Until next time…pleasant dreams. =^D