Enjoy the BBC drama? Start here to find the series, explore the books and meet the historical detective behind David Ashton’s fictional McLevy.
Listen to McLevy
Brian Cox plays McLevy in the BBC radio drama. Visit the BBC programme page for episode information and current listening availability.
The site’s audio guide also brings together audio editions. Older availability and purchase information should be checked with the provider.
Read the fiction
David Ashton’s novels offer another way into the fictional detective’s world. Browse the David Ashton books linked from this site.
McLevy’s own published stories are a separate body of work: explore the original books and later editions.
Fact & fiction: where to begin
McLevy was a real person, but the radio drama is fiction. Its dialogue, relationships and plots should not be used as evidence for his life. Equally, his own accounts are recollections written for readers and deserve comparison with other records.
Explore the history behind the drama
- Who was the real McLevy?
- The historical William Mulholland
- How Edinburgh was policed
- Leith Wynd and the Happy Land
- A case examined: The White Coffin
Explore the site
The Real McLevy · Cases & Stories · Victorian Edinburgh · Places & Walks · Sources & Research
