The Time Agency has removed something from Time, and the Doctor isn’t happy…

Comics writer and editor Robert Napton is a huge Doctor Who fan and he’s very well acquainted with the concepts of neatly slotting stories within established continuity. This might be his first piece for Big Finish, but I’ll be surprised if it’s his last.

There’s a very loose tie in to Time Lord Victorious here – the story is set in the same period, and given the Doctor’s actions and reactions you’ll probably choose to place it after the trip to the Dark Times and the painful reminder he receives there that actions have consequences. The story starts with its focus on Time Marshal Anna Barnes, who’s very pleased with herself for her actions – but she’s not reckoned with the righteous fury of the Last of the Time Lords.

Napton has a strong handle on what makes the 10th Doctor tick – and also on his very particular verbal idiosyncrasies, which Neve McIntosh delivers really well. She also provides a very creepy voice for a key character that may well send shivers up your spine. Nicholas Briggs’ direction and the sound design by Richard Fox allow the story to breathe a little, providing a sense of time elapsing.

Verdict: This is the last of the monthly Short Trips (like so much of Big Finish’s output the series’ future is as a box set) and the range in its current format goes out on a high. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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