It’s one thing for a ghost walker to point out where ghosts may be found; something else entirely for them to start arguing with her…

James Goss’ adventure for the Season 19 TARDIS team separates them for quite a bit of the time and allows the story to be told on multiple levels. We’re dropped into the middle of the action with a really extended pre-credits sequence (I suspect one of the longest that Big Finish has done on the main range) that allows us to get to know Fenella Woolgar’s Leanne and those around her before the timey-wimey shenanigans begin.

Ghost stories are a perfect match for audio, and director Barnaby Edwards and sound designer Daniel Burnett use the soundscape to very good effect, making even very familiar environments feel wrong. There are strong performances from all the four leads – and even an in-story reason for Davison’s voice sounding older – as well as the guest stars, with Sacha Dhawan’s Matthew’s scenes with Nyssa very poignant. Stephen Greif’s Sabaoth is perhaps a little underused, and I wonder if I’m the only one who got a Sutekh/Fourth Doctor feeling from the scenes between him and Davison.

Verdict: With plenty of unusual situations for all the TARDIS crew, this is a very different adventure for the Fifth Doctor – and one that works well. 9/10

Paul Simpson