When a Countess becomes the victim of blackmail, she calls in Lady Molly who's soon in hot pursuit.

Read by Sophie Thompson.

The Lady Molly of Scotland Yard stories by Baroness Orczy feature Molly Robertson-Kirk, one of the first female detectives in literature. Originally published in 1910, Lady Molly pre-dates her real-life counterparts by almost a decade.

Relying on brains rather than brawn to solve crimes, she and her faithful assistant, Mary Granard, take on the cases of The Ninescore Mystery, The Irish-Tweed Coat and A Day's Folly, applying feminine tact and intellect to catch the culprits.

Orczy's characters The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Old Man in the Corner are literary classics, but the lesser-known Lady Molly stories are some of the first to feature a female detective as the main protagonist.

Abridger: Libby Spurrier
Producer: Jo Green
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by Greenlit Productions. Show less