Mrs Bradley | |
---|---|
First appearance | Speedy Death |
Created by | Gladys Mitchell |
Portrayed by | Mary Wimbush and Margaret Yarde (BBC Radio) Diana Rigg (TV) |
In-universe information | |
Gender | Female |
Title | Mrs later Dame |
Occupation | Psychiatrist |
Spouse | Mr Lestrange (first husband; deceased) Unnamed second husband (deceased) Mr Bradley (third husband; deceased) |
Children | Sir Ferdinand Lestrange (son) Unnamed second son by her second husband |
Relatives | Derek Lestrange (grandson) Sally Lestrange (granddaughter) Juliet Lestrange (ex-daughter-in-law) Caroline Lestrange (daughter-in-law) |
Nationality | British |
Beatrice Adela Bradley is a fictional detective created by Gladys Mitchell. Mrs (later Dame Beatrice) Bradley is Mitchell's most significant and long-lived character, appearing in 66 novels that were published between 1929 and 1975. [1]
Mrs Bradley is the first female character to be both a detective heroine and a member of an 'established profession'. [2] A fully qualified medical doctor and a psychoanalyst, she is a consultant for the Home Office, and she also acts as an amateur detective. [2]
Mrs Bradley lives in the village of Wandles Parva, located in the New Forest. Her sidekicks include her chauffeur George Cuddleup, and her secretary Laura Menzies.
The last-named is a collection of all but one of Gladys Mitchell's short stories from 1938 to 1956, many previously uncollected; edited and with a comprehensive introduction by Nicholas Fuller.
Mrs Bradley was portrayed by Diana Rigg in the television series The Mrs Bradley Mysteries, and on radio by Margaret Yarde [3] and Mary Wimbush.
Edith Caroline Rivett was a British crime writer, who wrote under the pseudonyms E. C. R. Lorac, Carol Carnac and Mary Le Bourne during the golden age of detective fiction.
Gladys Maude Winifred Mitchell was an English writer best known for her creation of Mrs Bradley, the heroine of 66 detective novels. She also wrote under the pseudonyms Stephen Hockaby and Malcolm Torrie. Fêted during her life, her work has been largely neglected in the decades since her death.
John Francis Regis Toomey was an American film and television actor.
The Mrs Bradley Mysteries is a British drama series starring Diana Rigg as Adela Bradley, and Neil Dudgeon as her chauffeur George Moody. The series was produced by the BBC for its BBC One channel between 31 August 1998 and 6 February 2000, based on the character created by detective writer Gladys Mitchell. Five episodes were produced, including a pilot special. Stylish images of the 1920s are featured, including a classic Rolls-Royce limousine and art deco fashions and jewellery worn by the title character.
Philip MacDonald was a British-born writer of fiction and screenplays, best known for thrillers.
Mignon Good Eberhart was an American author of mystery novels. She had one of the longest careers among major American mystery writers.
Joseph Jefferson Farjeon was an English crime and mystery novelist, playwright and screenwriter. His father, brother and sister also developed successful careers in the literary world. His "Ben" novels were reissued in 2015 and 2016.
Speedy Death is a 1929 mystery detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It introduced the character of Mrs Bradley who would go on to appear in a further sixty five novels. The title is sometimes written as A Speedy Death.
Death at the Opera is a 1934 mystery detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It was the fifth novel in her series featuring the psychoanalyst and amateur detective Mrs Bradley. It was published in the United States under the alternative title of Death in the Wet.
The Devil's Elbow is a 1951 mystery detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It is the twenty fourth in her long-running series featuring the psychoanalyst and amateur detective Mrs Bradley. The novel takes its name from a geographical feature along the route of the trip.
The Crozier Pharaohs is a 1984 mystery detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It is the sixty sixth and last in her long-running series featuring the psychoanalyst and amateur detective Mrs Bradley. The series stretched back to the debut novel Speedy Death in 1929, during which time Bradley had barely aged or changed except for acquiring a damehood. It was published posthumously following Mitchell's death the previous year.
Adders on the Heath is a 1963 mystery detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It is the thirty sixth in the long-running series of books featuring Mitchell's best known character, the psychoanalyst and amateur detective Mrs Bradley.
The Man Who Grew Tomatoes is a 1959 mystery detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It is the thirty second in the long-running series of books featuring Mitchell's best known creation, the psychoanalyst and amateur detective Mrs Bradley.
Spotted Hemlock is a 1958 mystery detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It is the thirty first in the long-running series of books featuring Mitchell's best known creation, the psychoanalyst and amateur detective Mrs Bradley. It has been considered one of Mitchell's best novels along with other works such as The Saltmarsh Murders, Death at the Opera and The Rising of the Moon.
The Twenty-Third Man is a 1957 mystery detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It is the thirtieth in the long-running series of books featuring Mitchell's best known creation, the psychoanalyst and amateur detective Mrs Bradley.
The Croaking Raven is a 1966 mystery detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It is the thirty ninth in the long-running series of books featuring Mitchell's best known creation, the psychoanalyst and amateur detective Mrs Bradley. The title is taken from a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet "the croaking raven doth bellow for revenge".
Dead Men's Morris is a 1936 mystery detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It is the seventh in her long-running series featuring the psychoanalyst and amateur detective Mrs Bradley. It was the first to be published by Michael Joseph who released all the subsequent fifty nine novels in the series. It was later republished with the alternative title Death Comes at Christmas.
Hangman's Curfew is a 1941 mystery detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It is the twelfth in her long-running series featuring the psychoanalyst and amateur detective Mrs Bradley.
Twelve Horses and the Hangman’s Noose is a 1956 mystery detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It is the twenty-ninth in the long-running series of books featuring Mitchell's best known creation, the psychoanalyst and amateur detective Mrs Bradley.
The Worsted Viper is a 1943 detective novel by the British writer Gladys Mitchell. It is the fifteenth in her long-running series featuring the psychoanalyst and amateur detective Mrs Bradley. Bradley was one of a number of investigators active during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. Much of the novel takes place on the Norfolk Broads.