By Steve Lyons, read by Nicola Bryant

BBC Audio, out now

An unexpected sight brings the Doctor and young American Amber Lewis to Europa in 2060…

After the quartet of tales by Cavan Scott and George Mann, it’s back to standalone adventures for the 12th Doctor, this time courtesy of Steve Lyons. It’s a nicely self-contained piece that you initially think is going to riff off similar ideas to Empress of Mars (although clearly set some time before that – there’s no mention of Nardole or Bill, or the Vault, so it’s one of those stories that we would have had if Series 10 had been made for 2016 not 2017), but which heads in a very different direction. There are two or three times where you probably think you’ve got a handle on the sort of story Lyons is telling, but he constantly subverts expectations (and makes you reconsider the story’s title more than once!).

Nicola Bryant was an obvious choice of reader for an adventure featuring American companions, and there are plenty of American accents on display in this story too. Her rendition of Capaldi’s Doctor hits various key vocal points better than a number of narrators (Scottish, contrary to what some people seem to think, is not one single accent, any more than English or American is!), and she’s very used to suggesting a somewhat cantankerous incarnation of the Time Lord.

Verdict: An enjoyable new adventure for the 12th Doctor. 8/10

Paul Simpson