The Unseen Hand | M. McDonnell Bodkin | A Bitesized Audiobook

Paul Beck, the "rule of thumb detective", is called in to investigate the mysterious death of a man found dead in a locked railway compartment, his head crushed in by a violent blow. An accidental fall, or is another party involved? And does the pungent smell of asafoetida have anything to do with the mystery...?
Narrated/performed by Simon Stanhope, aka Bitesized Audio. If you enjoy this content and would like to help me keep creating, there are a few ways you can support me:
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:20 The Story begins
00:41:19 Credits, thanks and further listening
Matthias McDonnell Bodkin (1850-1933) was born in County Galway, Ireland, the second son of a doctor. Over the course of a long career he was a journalist, newspaper editor, barrister (QC during the reign of Victoria), county court Judge (for County Clare) and, for a brief period (1892-95), a Member of Parliament for North Roscommon, sitting in the House of Commons as an Irish Nationalist during Gladstone's fourth and final term as prime minister. Somehow alongside all this he managed to find time to write fiction, which he produced quite prolifically from the 1890s through to the late 1920s.
In this capacity he created two popular "rivals of Sherlock Holmes": Paul Beck, "the rule of thumb detective", who made his debut in 1897, and Dora Myrl, "the lady detective", whose adventures appeared in 1900. He subsequently had the ingenious idea of having them meet and work together, get married and produce a son (Paul Beck junior) who became a detective in his own right, appearing in stories from 1911 onwards. His other fictional output included a trilogy of historical novels set at the time of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, one of which ('Lord Edward Fitzgerald', 1896) was dedicated to William Gladstone, as well as several other novels, both contemporary and historical. He also published plays, works of history and some political journalism.
'The Unseen Hand' first appeared in the Royal Magazine in December 1907, as part of the serial entitled 'The Quests of Paul Beck' which ran monthly from March 1907 to February 1908.
Recording © Bitesized Audio 2022.

[@stevenverhaegen8729]

Those old railways were a godsend for detectives. Dangerous places. If it"s not objects dangling from bridges, it's thing being thrown from the next carriage... 😉

[@sonsoffalstaff2600]

Always a very pleasant surprise to see another one has appeared.

[@sharonwhiteley6510]

I look forward to each story with delight

[@CrowSkeleton]

Sergeant Death deserves a bonus for dramatic flair! Thank you for this.

[@LazyIRanch]

I think "Kaptain Karma" also had a hand in that! Great story, beautifully read.

[@REFaust]

Great stuff. I think these Edwardian detective stories, which bridge the gap between Sherlock Holmes and the 'golden age' are unjustly forgotten and underrated. Hope there are more to come 👍

[@Pattilapeep]

There is no day-maker like a new story by Simon!! Take care. Cheers Pat in New Jersey

[@cousinsister69]

A concisely written story. No words wasted & yet so highly illustrative. The narration spot on as always. I loved this one. 💜

[@shannondore]

Your voice made the rough day I had melt away. Thank you Simon.😊

[@BitesizedAudio]

Glad to help! Thanks Shannon 😊

[@possumaintdead]

Marvelous, but surprisingly free of twists. I imagine the audience then was not so sophisticated as we are now.😊 I was afraid, for one terrible minute, that the butler did it! Thank you Simon, always a treat!

[@LazyIRanch]

Same here! For just a moment I thought, "Really, The butler did it? How cliché!" 😄 Another wonderful story that beautifully paints images in my imagination. I can see that elegant first class train carriage, smell the brakes engaging, hear the steam hissing... My son was obsessed with trains when he was little, so 27 years ago, I took him on a trip to ride a beautiful antique steam train in E. Texas, between Palestine and Rusk, with added bonus of the train being stopped by costumed cowboys on horseback pretending to be train robbers which added excitement and a glimpse of real history to the 25 mile scenic ride. I think that re-enactment has been discontinued, as I can't find any mention of it on the website. What a shame! My grandfather owned an 800 acre farm near Palestine, which was the center of commerce in E. Texas at the turn of the 19th-20th century, so the Palestine bank was the largest bank between Dallas and Houston, and indeed, that train was often robbed! My grandfather had many stories of life in E. Texas during those days, as he was born in 1882. Some Karen was probably offended by the sight of prop six-shooters and handlebar mustaches, and threatened to get the manager of the railroad. 😏

[@williamgorden6390]

I wanted to make a similar comment without sounding too critical. The writing is very good but the plot underestimates the reader's power of deduction. Nevertheless, Simon's narration made it very enjoyable.

[@jackalina91]

Whilst I must admit that ghost stories are my favourites I do also enjoy a good detective story here & there. Thank you Simon for such quality entertainment. ♥️♥️🇦🇺✌️

[@rosiemcnaughton9933]

I'm probably getting redundant, but it's always a treat to see a new story from you, Simon. Seems to be the sentiment of most, if not all, of your subscribers! 😊

[@waningmooncancer9628]

HI SIMON!!! Haven't even listened yet, but my eyes popped out of my head when I saw you have a treat for us😁😁😁😁👏👏👏👏 THANK YOU 😌

[@taliabee8661]

Snap!! 😀♥️

[@waningmooncancer9628]

@@taliabee8661 😁

[@BitesizedAudio]

Thanks Nancy, I hope you enjoyed it! More coming soon(ish)

[@waningmooncancer9628]

@@BitesizedAudio Questioned the ethics of the nephew; questioned his lack of morals which led to his lack of sense (being close to his uncle, he wouldn't have been left out of the will); questioned the uncle's contempt of the young lady.....Yes! I enjoyed it very much 😁👍 🌟 Take your time, Simon. I'll be ready to listen whenever.

[@sugarfalls1]

@@BitesizedAudio We love your narrating! Glad to have the stories whenever you get the time! Thank you so much for another fantastic short story of yesteryear! It's great to listen to these stories as often and whenever you want. Thanks for sitting in your sound booth once again! As they used to say, "You're aces!" 🤩🤩☕☕☕🫖🫖🫖🍵🍵🍵🍪🍪🍪🍪🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰

[@susangordon1153]

I loved it! A wonderful whodunit with a healthy dose of karmic justice! Beautifully presented Simon! Thank you so much! ❤

[@blixten2928]

What a wonderful surprise for a dark winter day, a new Bite-sized! Now to relax, listen, and enjoy a beautiful voice telling a fascinating tale. Thank you!!!

[@irenabevans3411]

Ingenious method of murder, must have had a good eye, to make such a deadly connection between implement & skull while at speed, taking into account the variables of the up & down draft of the moving vehicle As ever a brilliantly narrated tale, Thank You

[@beverlyadams7205]

Excellent story, beautifully told. Thank you again, Simon you always come through with exceptional entertainment.❤

[@katyvdb5993]

Thank you for this new story featuring an interesting new (in the sense of 'hitherto unfamiliar') detective. I do hope you will give us further adventures of Mr Beck.

[@JD-cw4qg]

excellent story Simon, always love it when a notification for a new narration drops

[@holymags2495]

Would love to hear more stories from this author if possible, I do love a mystery. Happy Holidays to you and yours 🎄

[@mjrchapin]

What a wonderful surprise of a treat! Thank you!

[@scoutrifle6827]

Always excited for a new BAC release-thank you!

[@TRHARTAmericanArtist]

Thank you Simon. Can't wait to listen tomorrow. Always a treat!

[@SpuktasticAudio]

Immensely enjoyable as always. A journey back into time. Thoroughly enjoyed my 42.24 minutes with you. Was there ever a better companion? ❤

[@ianf2467]

What a super story and so well read it had me enthralled to the very last word. Bravo.

[@mijiyoon5575]

A new murder mystery! Woot! Woot! *Thank You Simon* for this gift can't wait to open it 🎁🎄

[@mariameere5807]

Could not have come at a better time for me Simon! They released me from hospital after 5 weeks and unbeknownst to me this was going to be the start of the worst part as the sleeping pills they gave everyone to stop us complaining ( not me…. Much ) about the couple of Alzheimer’s patients that were screaming for their mother’s all night even tho both dear’s were in their 90s! Calm as anything the next day so then I get home happy to be in my own bed when I woke up after having the shock of my life with withdrawal symptoms as apparently I should have been tapered off! Sorry for telling you all this, but I wanted you to know that your channel and Yt in general made it a lot easier being in hospital! Love this story and I think I may have heard it or something similar before, but maybe not! I think the corpse was in a suitcase 🧳 in that one! Thank you so much for another great story! 🌟🙏🌟

[@janetcw9808]

I'm glad that you are hame safe. I'm worrying about the elders! 😞

[@mariameere5807]

@@janetcw9808 they were happy in the day time acting as if butter wouldn’t melt! There families visit and feed them and one of them used to work for the government when the first big problem of weed & heroin came to the uk she used to work as a spy undercover and delayed the death toll significantly! I miss her actually she would make us laugh! Not at her tho! I told her a naughty joke once and she had a blank look on her face but then she burst out laughing and said in her upper class accent “ oh, I got there in the end!”

[@helendownie7062]

Terrible experience for you, I had something similar and found icepacks on the back of my skull near neck seemed to help for some reason .Lack of information from medical profession sometimes a bit of a worry.

[@BitesizedAudio]

Glad to know you're home Maria, I hope that your symptoms ease up soon. That hospital stay sounds quite the adventure. The story about the corpse in a suitcase sounds interesting... wasn't there a real life case along those lines? The Brighton Truck Murder? I must look it up...

[@mariameere5807]

@@helendownie7062 thank you so much for the tip Helen! I know exactly what you mean!

[@janetathanasopoulou2002]

What a joy to hear beautifully written English being beautifully read.

[@donnavorce8856]

A great novel of mystery and suspense from my reading history is The Sparrow's Fall by Fred Bodsworth. C 1967. The Canadian author has died as of maybe 6 years ago. (I spoke with him shortly before that.) Perhaps it's still under copyright law . . . but it's a stark tale of a first nations man trying, in impossible conditions, to hunt a reindeer to save himself and his pregnant wife. It's a story that people who hunt and hike can relate to especially when things go wrong. Perhaps you could look at reading this for your audience. Many thanks for all you do. We love your reading. Cheers.

[@ted-b]

Wonderful, as always, so full of "value" too!

[@BitesizedAudio]

Glad you think so! Thanks Ted

[@donyawicken2521]

Love that "value".

[@sugarfalls1]

I really enjoyed M. McDonnell Bodkin's short story and so I looked for more of his and found just one that you read - "How He Cut His Stick". I would love it if you would read more of his stories. Thank you for spending time in your small sound proofed studio and doing another fantastic reading! I listened to "How He Cut His Stick" again and it was fantastic. He definitely put his legal expertise to good use in writing these stories! I even looked up the term "nolle prosequi". So interesting! Thank you so much, Simon!

[@mijiyoon5575]

That is one stern lookin' judge in your thumbnail image ...guess that was the point ...he would scare anyone appearing before him😲

[@BitesizedAudio]

Ha! Funnily enough, I thought he had a bit of twinkle in his eye... could be my imagination though! Or maybe it's just that by comparison, he looks slightly less intimidating than Judge Jeffreys (aka "the Hanging Judge")!

[@lizday8140]

I arose early today, as I took a post-work nap yesterday - throwing off my sleep cycle. Bah! I was excited to see that you had uploaded this new story! Yay! Hugs from Texas, USA.

[@evelanpatton]

Dear Simon, Excellent! As well as Christmas Cookies is the warmth brought to my heart when listening to your voice! Such a fan! Thank you for all your hard work! Cheers❣️🖤🩸🪦💣⚔️🛡🧨⚖️📕

[@BitesizedAudio]

Thanks Evelan. I hope to have my Christmas stories baked and ready in the next week or so...

[@janetbate2900]

A joy to be able to hear every word . Such excellent diction! Enjoyed the tale .Thank you.

[@Scarter63]

Good way to spend an hour on Friday night.

[@julielevinge266]

You’ve done it again!👍😍 Found a wonderful story I’ve never heard of before, this was as good as any Sherlock Homes mystery many, many thanks ✊♥️

[@stephaniealeman8522]

Ah! A bit of botany in the mystery! thanks for the asafoetida Simon! Many common names here - stinking gum, devil's dung, satan's resin :)

[@LazyIRanch]

It is prized in Iran and Afghanistan as a spice, which might be one reason we don't see many Iranian restaurants in the US. JK, sounds like it's a substitute for garlic, but it's much more intense and smellier. I used to work next door to a Halal market 25 years ago and I can attest to the very pungent spices they sold, I imagine a Brit used to milder flavors would crave fresh air after a whiff of that market!

[@Frenchblue8]

@@LazyIRanch however I do believe the Brits love curries, but perhaps cuisine more specific to Iran and Afghanistan hasn't quite caught on but I believe it likely might do. Indian cuisine in the UK is rather like pizza is here, whether Greek or Italian..I live near the unofficial pizza capital of the US, New Haven Connecticut, even Indian cuisine is far from ubiquitous in these parts, so I'm sure we're probably not ready for asafoetida!

[@LazyIRanch]

@@Frenchblue8 That's true! I'm a fan of the British comedy series, "Red Dwarf" and I remember how much the character Dave Lister loved curry! I grew up in Dallas, TX and I loved having restaurants with cuisine from all over the world. I miss Indian and Vietnamese food in particular. Now I live in rural S. California, where it's all burgers, mediocre pizza, and Mexican food. We have some very good Mexican food, but more variety would be welcome.

[@kirpalani-griffin3706]

A breath of fresh air! Lovely as always. Thank you.

[@adathomas8604]

Maybe they are not out of copyright yet, but if they are I would love it if you added Walter de le Mare's atmospheric spookies to your list. Have you considered reading 'Seaton's Aunt'? Your reading voice would be just perfect for a rendering of it.

[@BitesizedAudio]

Thanks Ada. I do like Walter de la Mare, but unfortunately you're correct there are copyright issues: his work doesn't enter the public domain in the UK until 2027. It's a shame because I'd very much like to record some of his stories. H. Russell Wakefield and L. T. C. Rolt are other British authors I'd like to cover, but they're still under copyright for even longer. I'm aware that some other channels may have posted de le Mare stories; it's possible they're chancing their arm, or they may have applied for permission to the rights holders... I may look into doing that myself at some point, but for the time being I've still got quite a long list of public domain material to work through!

[@krishnasen397]

Super upload brilliantly narrated! Warm Regards Sir

[@cuthbert2546]

Simon, I do enjoy your choice of stories and, as always, your narration is so absolutely perfect for them. I imagine it's a lot of work to get the tone just right. I look forward to each new addition.

[@martiwilliams4592]

Excellent , Simon. Thank you!!!!!

[@williamhagen2792]

Stanhope does an excellent job.

[@michellepollard3591]

Thanks enjoy listening to your narrating.

[@BitesizedAudio]

Thanks for listening Michelle

[@moonspirit6555]

Loving these videos Simon, | play one every night before bed. Set in a time and place long gone, I can almost imagine I am there in that time of steam trains and gas street lamps. You have a wonderful voice for narration. Thank you so much

[@BitesizedAudio]

Very kind of you to say, thank you!

[@jasonsurrette76]

Master of Ceremonies. worthy! We're not worthy!

[@Frenchblue8]

Oh my gosh! Another one that got past me when it was uploaded! Well unlike Justice, a treat delayed is not a treat denied, lol. And with this one, not only did I learn a new word, actually a new spice type substance, asafoetida, I happily just realized that this is by the same author as one of my top five favorite of all the stories, thus far, "How He Cut His Stick", M. McDonnell Bodkin. The heroine in that one has a line near the end that I just fell in love with, I'll have to go search it out and return here to edit it in presently..... "Don't whine, you played a bold game and lost the odd trick, and you'll have to pay up, that's all" Genius!

[@BitesizedAudio]

Funny you should mention that, I'm currently in the middle of putting together a new compilation, bringing together ten stories set in or around the railway. Both this one and 'How He Cut His Stick' will feature in it, along with several others such as 'The Four-fifteen Express'. I've been working on it this week - cleaning up the audio of some of the older recordings - and hope to release it on YT in the next week or two

[@Frenchblue8]

@@BitesizedAudio Oh, hi there Simon, thank you for your prompt reply! Yes I was driving, had about 10 miles to go, my little one was playing a game on her phone but I believe she heard me exclaim out loud as I went to choose something from you to listen to, and discovered this one, ""Oh, good it's another railroad one, I love those! Perhaps you're reading my mind from across the pond?? Well, then, so be it! (Can't wait for the RR compilation, a stellar notion!)🚂💙

[@sebastianmelmoth9100]

"Unmistakeably dead."

[@CrowSkeleton]

Head smashed in like an eggshell, no less!

[@tammyhanlon3057]

Yay!!!! Thank you

[@exileinderby51]

Another great story, I believe Simon, you could narrate the phone book and it would be enthralling!

[@jclamay]

Thanks for your wonderful work. Great voice and performance of the audio stories. Most enjoyable !

[@nataliya2641]

What a wonderful story! What an experienced narrator. Thank you. Merry Christmas!!! Stay Warm.

[@irenabevans3411]

Really enjoyed re-listening to this story, Thank You

[@tinapeters5725]

Thank you for the upload of your stories 💐

[@patticriss2238]

Enjoyed it very much. Thank you, from Oklahoma.

[@deborahtrapper7421]

Thank you for this treat!

[@BitesizedAudio]

You're most welcome! Thanks for listening Deborah

[@jacksonburnette762]

My first story with you. Well read and short enough to entertain while waiting for the bus on my porch. I shall listen to more and see myself becoming a subscriber.

[@magicbulletdancers]

It's the wee hrs where I live. Twice I've had to do the ole rewind, yes, for Simon's voice lulls me to sleep ! To this pt I shall begin at the beginning, I do want to hear this story. West coast 🇨🇦 *edit: queer looking cove in baggy trousers :)

[@peachbottomparanormal3587]

Aaahh bedtime storytime 🤗💕💯

[@nesapanjalingam704]

Thank you for this story 🙏

[@snippycutwell9878]

Lovely story thank you again

[@lyndaa7560]

Very enjoyable, much always wants more xx

[@simoneclift3155]

Ooooooh bliss. X

[@Kojoanna]

Good job

[@jmalko9152]

Thank you for reading!

[@patriciaramsey5294]

Very satisfying story. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@ninaappelt9001]

I liked that story very much.

[@catherinemckinney4091]

Excellent

[@LauraTye-vc4ck]

I love this channel so much thank you x

[@williamfawkes8379]

Aye, Sgt. Death is a hard fellow to avoid. Some would call his methods inexorable.

[@sonjawells4265]

Thank you.

[@sonjawells4265]

Another very good one.😀

[@janetrocha3584]

Thank you very much. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[@kerrijones1726]

Thanks

[@kpcraftster6580]

I enjoyed this my second M.M. Bodkin here as much as the first: he gives all the clues so fairly, and I still failed to solve either! (I've also enjoyed things cooked with asafoetida, but it sure has to be used sparingly.)

[@jeffjones6951]

Mr. Bodkin would have done well to have taken Physics 101. 37:42 A projectile thrown from another coach of the train would be moving at the same velocity as the victim's coach, so the impact was a function merely of thrower's arm and NOT the "rush of the air" at 60 MPH. Great shot, by the way, for someone leaning out a window to throw, and having only a single projectile

[@emmaw7795]

Thanks!

[@BitesizedAudio]

Thank you so much for your support Emma, much appreciated!

Enjoying your readings. Yes, would like to treat you to a coffee. ....

[@jamesengland1101]

You should team up with Greg and do a collaboration

[@BitesizedAudio]

Funny you should say that, I spoke to Greg not so long ago and suggested something of the sort... a few possibilities in mind, we just need to work out the most suitable project! Hopefully next year sometime?

[@serenastate1859]

Hello ole friend:)

[@jillsmiley7701]

Sherman voice from Moose and flying squirrel!!

[@jillsmiley7701]

Mr.Peabody i mean

[@graciaschlafly7183]

Could you record these faster please? I’m gaining on you! I love these all, but not so much the ghost stories. Thanks for all.

[@BitesizedAudio]

I'll do my best, but sometimes events intervene!

[@robertobertini1872]

Grazie.

[@BitesizedAudio]

Thank you!

[@roelienpostma2367]

What is this medicine tlwith the strange smell?

[@grannykiminalaska]

🥰😘

[@Cnhfcsh]

“No one will tell you this. KZbin: Joseph Smith horror mansion”

[@rameyzamora1018]

Ah. Horses aren't born with hard mouths. No compassion in some of these stories.

[@smythharris2635]

Note to self; avoid trains.

[@shirleynarsi]

Enjoyable and wonderfully narrated. But lacked the scientific rigour of Sherlock Holmes

[@katiebw53]

Thanks

[@BitesizedAudio]

Thanks for your support Kate 🙏