Jasdar Crick is dead. But not everyone can accept that.

Where possible, when I’m listening to an audio, I try not to check who the author is beforehand to try to avoid preconceptions (either negative or positive); with some writers, however, you can tell pretty quickly that they are responsible – and John Dorney’s style is rapidly evident in this bittersweet love story. I’d wondered why the first story only briefly used Anthony Howell (Big Finish’s Dr David Keel from The Avengers) – it was setting up the background to this third tale.

Howell delivers a stunning performance as the widower who’s really not come to terms with the loss of his wife, and uses his skill in robotics to keep more than just her memory alive. Combine that with the work he’s been called to do on the sentient robot from the previous story, and it’s a recipe for even more heartache. Claire Rushbrook, Nicola Walker and Robert Whitelock also bring their A game to the production as secrets are revealed, and facades pulled away. Annabelle Dowler gives a heartrending quality to Jasdar, pulling off the difficult task of having to mimic her own performance with a twist, and director Ken Bentley infuses it with a feeling both of dread and pathos.

It’s one of the best stories I’ve heard in some time, and that’s before there’s the fan pleasing moment at the very end…

If you’re a fan of the musical side of the Big Finish productions, make sure you listen to the extras on this disc – there’s a fascinating interview with composer Joe Kraemer which reveals how and why he styles his musical scores.

Verdict: The best of an already very strong set. Highly recommended. 10/10

Paul Simpson

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