Plenty of crime and corruption can be found in Victorian England, and not just of the human variety. There’s a bizarre alien invasion in the countryside, a murderous monster prowling London’s sewers, and a gentleman thief with devious doppelgangers. 

These are the latest cases to come to the attention of The Paternoster Gang – namely, Silurian “Great Detective” Vastra (Neve McIntosh), her resourceful wife Jenny (Catrin Stewart) and Sontaran butler Strax (Dan Starkey). 

The Casebook of Paternoster Row comprises three new audio adventures for the crime-fighting trio; the box set can be enjoyed on its own and also as the second instalment of the ongoing Trespassers series. 

The Paternoster Gang: Trespassers – The Casebook of Paternoster Row  is now available to own as a collector’s edition 3-disc CD box set (+ download for just £19.99) or as a digital download only (for just £16.99), exclusively here. 

The Gang’s three new cases are: 

Anne of a Thousand Light Years by James Kettle

The course of true love never does run smooth – especially when it involves a high-born young lady, a humble farmhand and extra-terrestrial chameleons on the lookout for breeding stock. Will Lady Anne Warminster marry the man of her dreams? Will the amorphous Glossophants secure their chosen spawn bride? Will Jenny ever finish reading a novel by Anthony Trollope? In the heart of the English countryside, the Gang tackle an assignment involving romance, skulduggery, and horse manure. 

Pater Noster by Gary Russell 

Something is hiding in the sewers of London, picking off the poor and lost souls who live down there... Madame Vastra opens a case file that takes her back to her early days and a Life Task that must be finally fulfilled. A case where she and her friends face death from an enemy capable of shredding matter into echoing screams… 

The Gentlemen Thieves by Lauren Mooney & Stewart Pringle 

Vastra reviews the case of a 'one-man crime wave' – break-ins and burglaries, committed by the same handsome and daring thief, even when they were committed at exactly the same time. Unravelling the secrets of these doppelganger ne’er-do-wells, the Gang touch on the fringes of a bigger conspiracy. But as Vastra recalls the past, the dangers of the present are closing in. 

The first story, Anne of a Thousand Light Years, features a guest performance from Tom Baker, as the Fourth Doctor teams up with The Paternoster Gang for the first time. And, joining the cast in The Gentleman Thieves is Cassian Bilton (star of Apple TV’s Foundation), making his Big Finish debut as the skulduggerous fop Rackham – and all his mysterious duplicates. 

The box set’s cast also includes Karen Archer, Anna Crichlow, Richard Reed, Jamie Newall, Helen Goldwyn, Yasmin Mwanza, Nicholas Boulton, Gareth Armstrong, and Leighton Pugh. 

Actor Catrin Stewart said: “It’s really lovely to get the gang back together. We filmed the first episode in 2011, and I can’t believe it’s 2023 and here we are, revisiting these characters again. They don’t go away, and you can always come back to them.” 

Dan Starkey added: “Strax as ever has some strong moments, where his enthusiasm overruns his ability to listen and take instructions. So, there’s violence, he’s rather excited about twelve-bore shotguns, and the world is a great surprise for him in his myriad ways!” 

And, Neve McIntosh said: “We have a very special guest performance from Mr Tom Baker as the Doctor, which I am so stoked about. Acting with Tom Baker has been something I've wanted to do for so long. He was my Doctor growing up, from when I was hiding behind the sofa. That’s a wee tick off the bucket list!” 

Big Finish listeners can save money with a bundle comprising all four volumes of The Paternoster Gang: Trespassers, available to pre-order for just £76 (collector’s edition CD box set + download) or £66 (download only). 

All the above prices include the special pre-order discount and are subject to change after general release. 

Please note that Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mail-out of collector’s edition CDs may be delayed due to factors beyond our control, but all purchases of this release unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded or played on the Big Finish app from the release date.