The long awaited return of Charles Paris

Good news! Simon Brett's Charles Paris returns, after more than 15 years away, in his eighteenth adventure, the aptly named, A Decent Interval. It will be out in March in the UK and July in the US, from Severn House.

I used to love these so I'm really pleased to see a new title.

By popular demand: a welcome return for Simon Brett's actor detective Charles Paris, last seen in 1997's Dead Room Farce. After a long period of 'resting', life is looking up for Charles Paris, who has been cast as the Ghost of Hamlet's Father and First Gravedigger in a new production of Hamlet. But rehearsals are fraught. Ophelia is played by Katrina Selsey, who won the role through a television talent show. Hamlet himself is also played by a reality TV contestant, Jared Root - and the two young stars have rather different views of celebrity and the theatre than the more experienced members of the cast. But when the company reach the first staging post of their tour, the Grand Theatre Marlborough, matters get more serious, with one member of the company seriously injured in what appears to be an accident, and another dead. Once again, Charles Paris is forced to don the mantle of amateur detective to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Simon Brett's Charles Paris - new radio series

The Dead Side of the Mike, Simon Brett's sixth Charles Paris novel, is being serialised on Radio 4, beginning this morning. The first of four parts, is on at 11.30am with Bill Nighy reprising his role as failed actor, Charles. The second part follows a week later.

Bill Nighy as Charles Paris, on the Radio...

The eighth book in the Charles Paris series by Simon Brett, Murder Unprompted, is being dramatised on Radio 4. In four parts, the first one was yesterday, the next is a week later on the 26th (11:30-12:00).. You can listen again to part 1 here for seven days from broadcast.

Failed actor Charles Paris is played by the somewhat more successful, Bill Nighy.