The Beiderbecke Tapes

Beiderbecke #2

by Alan Plater

The Beiderbecke Tapes is the second serial in The Beiderbecke Trilogy about schoolteachers Trevor Chaplin and Jill Swinburne.

When a tape recording of a conversation about nuclear waste inadvertently falls into Trevor's hands, Trevor and Jill find themselves being pursued by national security agents.

Genres: Fiction

202 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1986

About the author

Alan Frederick Plater CBE was an English playwright, novelist, and tv scriptwriter.

Reviews

[Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

And so we're back to San Quentin High, and the troubled lives of Trevor and Jill. Troubled, as ever, through no fault of their own.
In The Affair, they happened upon top-level corruption - now, a harmless set of jazz tapes leads to a heavy-handed intervention by the security services.
While not as cohesive as The Beiderbecke Affair, the Tapes still provide plenty of laughs, drama and the politics of a school trip. The ending may be a bit rushed, and plausability takes a bath on occasions for the sake of comic effect, but such niggles in no way detract from the fun being had as our happy-ish couple flee to Athens with a group of Elks.
Plater deserves to be lauded among the best of England's comic writers

[Davidg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I have given this the same rating, I probably didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first book in the series. There was still great fun to be had at San Quentin High and in the relationship between Mrs Swinburne and Mr Chaplin. I just didn't feel it was quite so believeable this time round, with the arrival of the security forces.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book up to the last few chapters. The ending is rather lame. As if the author just wanted to finish and wrap it up without being sure how to do it. Some lovely funny bits but a disappointing ending.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have all but forgotten the details of the first book in this trilogy and i wonder if I will forget those in the second. however while it is fresh in the mind, I can say that the story is fluent and compelling with some extremely funny use of language and dialogue, for example the juxtaposition of the two main characters' responses to politics and culture , namely Jill Swinburn's enviable and intelligent reactions and Trevor Chaplin's instinctive and amusingly reductive ones. one is not really sure of the purpose of the conduct of the dark agencies of the establishment, or maybe it is deliberately purposeless. it is of course possible that the third novel in the series will shed more light and I look forward to that. in terms of this instalment, I did not mind the unsatisfactory ending: the characters and narration were so entertaining it did not matter.

[Chris Sudall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another absolutely joyous read. Being able to picture Barbara Flynn and James Bolam in the lead roles makes it all the sweeter! (I loved the TV series' back in the 80s and watched with Dad).
Jill ans Trevor get mixed up in a matter of national security which leads to all manner of comedy.
Ace.
Read whilst travelling from Ethiopia to Angola to São Tomé and Príncipe.
Can't wait to read the next one.

[Olly Colluphid · Rating 4 out of 5]

More variation from the TV series than the Beiderbecke Affair.

The random appearance of Big Al was a little jarring: the TV series version was better.

The plot is more sinister than the first one, but the same gentle pace, ridiculous situations anc sympathetic characters.

Enjoyable, but not as good as the first one.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bonkers plot but humorous writing style with entertaining characters

[Roy M. Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

A master craftsman at his best. Quite simply, a joy from begin to end.

[Tamsin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous. Nice to meet Jill and Trev again. To make it perfect I need more Big Al!

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ar 64 he decided he didn’t want to be Holden Caulfield anymore and decided he’d become Trevor Chaplin instead.