BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Drama

Scumdog Millionaires by Mike Walker

What if it turned out that there was an unidentified bank, so profoundly over-extended that the world’s financial systems didn’t dare even contemplate its existence? The possibility that such a bank may well exist is at the heart of Mike Walker’s new financial thriller, Scumdog Millionaires. Timothy Ng, one of the City’s sharpest hedge fund and derivatives managers is facing a charge of illegal trading. So when the FSA offers him immunity from prosecution he jumps at the chance. But that’s before he fully grasps what it is they want in return.

Previous dramas

Writing the Century, dramatised by Pat Cumper

Writing the Century returns with the story of Amy Barbour-James, who was born in England in 1906 of Guyanese parents. Her father was a British civil servant and a founder member of the League of Coloured Peoples. The series is set in the mid 1960s and tells the story of Amy's efforts to care for her sister, and her travels to Trinidad, Nigeria and the United States. We begin in 1963, when Amy is living in London with her sister Muriel as 'The Big Freeze' grips the country.

And if you want to know more about the series, or have unpublished letters or diaries dating between 1970 and 2000 which may be suitable for inclusion in the series, you can email the Writing the Century team at writingthecentury@bbc.co.uk

Our Mutual Friend, by Charles Dickens, adapted by Mike Walker

Dickens' last completed novel, the theme of Our Mutual Friend is "Money, money, money, and what money can make of life". According to the terms of his father's will, John Harmon will inherit a fortune, a fortune built on the collection and recycling of waste - but only if he marries Bella Wilfer, a beautiful but mercenary and wilful girl whom he has yet to meet. But when a body floating in the Thames is identified as that of John Harmon, his inheritance passes instead to the humble Boffins, and the effects spread throughout London society.

SINGLEPARENTPALS.COM by Sue Teddern

This week's story takes a look at a fictional website specially designed for parents bringing up children single-handed. Housing Officer Tom from Exeter is initially very nervous about using the message board forum of SINGLEPARENTPALS.COM for urgent advice about what to do when his 6 year old daughter Lily needs to use a public toilet. A swift and astringent response comes from Rosie, a careworker miles away in Bolton. This is the start of a combative, supportive, long-lasting and long-distance relationship.

The Dead Hour, by Denise Mina, dramatised by Chris Dolan

Since her first novel, Garnethill, Denise Mina has enjoyed a growing reputation as one of the UK’s leading crime writers. The Dead Hour is her second novel.

As she travels around the city at night in search of a story, Paddy decides to look into a domestic dispute in the wealthy Glasgow suburb of Bearsden - little knowing that this incident will turn into the biggest story of her career.

Degrees of Separation, by Katie Hims

This new series is directly inspired by the real experiences and reflections sent in by listeners on the theme of separation. We begin with Empty Nest, a story in which some listeners may well recognise echoes of their own experience.

TWILIGHT BABY.COM by Jenny Eclair and Julie Balloo

Cass and her husband Ken (Kevin Eldon) are 45 and 52. Their middle years are upon them and it's time to do things 'their way'. The kids have left the nest and after all those years of parenting Cass and Ken are looking forward to being able to be selfish again. Cass has been a teacher and wants a career change, she wants to paint and 'be creative' whilst Ken plans to write 'that novel'. Cass gets pregnant, shock horror, they are back where they started more than twenty years ago, his friends think he's crazy, her friends can't believe they still 'do it', the kids are horrified, disgusted and jealous. Cass begins blogging in an effort to share her experience with others who might have found themselves in the same situation, and ‘Twilight Baby.com’ charts the highs and lows of her pregnancy.

Craven by Amelia Bullmore

DCI Sue Craven starts her new job with a burnt out corpse, and a keen, far too good looking, new partner DS Watende Robinson. But Before the day is out her secret past starts to become a professional problem that isn’t going to go away. Craven has a rich cast of characters including a boss that has too much faith in her (DCI Price), a rival colleague willing her to fail (DI Terry Bird) as well as a piece of her past (Macca) who is about to become a witness and suspect. Craven’s efforts to clean the muddy waters of racial tension and sloppy policing are explored.

The Man in the Wooden Hut

Edward and Elizabeth Feathers’ lives are intertwined with that of his hated rival at the Bar, Terry Veneering. The action spans Hong Kong in the late forties to Dorset in the noughties; relationships constrained by apparent secrets are revealed. Barrister Edward Feathers finds it hard to demonstrate emotions. His wife Elizabeth is a free spirit. Her Japanese Internment camp upbringing, which killed her parents, has left her with a lust for survival. She’s attracted to Edward’s rival Veneering, who has no difficulty showing emotions.

Liam by Mike Bartlett

Liam, a ten year old boy goes missing. Over five days as the nationwide search intensifies we hear from his parents, the police and the press.

Au Pairs by Caroline and David Stafford

A new series of comedy adventures about Alvy from Ireland and Dorika from Hungary. They meet every day at the One O’Clock Club - a drop-in mother and child centre - where they bond over their mutual condemnation of modern parenting and their feelings of injustice. As each gradually becomes entangled in both the awful intricacies of the other’s life, and in the delusions, hypocrisies and moral turpitude of their employers, the lives of the girls - and the people they work for - undergo some startling transformations.

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