The Diary of River Song: Series 7

A set of four unconnected stories building on the ‘Melody Malone' concept by showing River solving mysteries. Each has a call-back to a particular mystery sub-genre, although they remain firmly science fiction stories, rather than straight whodunnits.

Colony of Strangers – First up is Scandi-Noir in a story about mysterious deaths on an isolated Scandinavian colony world, complete with lugubrious local police detective. We start in media res with the third body washing up along a fjord, something that saves us from some unnecessary set-up scenes. However, this is by no means the only ‘jump' in the narrative, with action scenes, in particular, tending to truncate part way through and then leap ahead to the next day; at times this is a little confusing if the next scene has no obvious connection to what just happened. That aside, though, it's a good story, with a mix of investigation and sudden danger and a chilly feel, enhanced as ever by the strong soundscaping that Big Finish have become so good at. 4 stars.

Abbey of Heretics – Next, we have something that's reminiscent of Name of the Rose, with more than a nod to Brother Cadfael in both the details of the setting and the presence of a herbalist as a major character. The setting in question is a 12th-century English nunnery where there are rumours of heresy, ghosts, and possibly a demon out in the woods. This, of course, gives us an almost entirely female cast as well as using a particular period of English history (the Anarchy) that we don't normally hear much about. The mystery is a strong one, too, with plenty of disparate elements even while much of the emphasis is on the interaction between River and the various nuns. 4.5 stars.

Barrister to the Stars – Third comes something in the mould of Perry Mason, with perhaps a nod or two to Rumpole of the Bailey in terms of its main guest character, although that show wasn't about murder mysteries. It features a barrister from 21st-century London being transported into the future to defend River from a charge of murder. Various bizarre aliens fill out the list of suspects in something that's more clearly a whodunnit than the other stories in the collection. The result is fun, but it's best not to try to take it too seriously, enjoying the daftness of it instead. 3.5 stars.

Carnival of Angels – And here we get what we were promised on the cover: Weeping Angels. This is also the straight up ‘Melody Malone' story, set in 1930s New York and emulating the hardboiled style of Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe. Which, of course, gives plenty of possibilities for British actors to put on American accents, as River heads to Coney Island to try and track down the Angels that have been making people disappear. It's another strong story, following up on one of the tales in River Song # 5 as well as presaging one of the TV episodes, although the first-person narrative from one of the guest characters feels tacked on to evoke the hardboiled genre and provides no real benefit. Considering that they are so visual, it's hard to make the Angels effective on audio, but once again, Big Finish have managed it. 4.5 stars.