There's a storm coming, and Cardiff braces itself to be awash with impending doom & death with only the TORCHWOOD lifesaver within grasp.

In a twisting, intelligent, character driven story, ANOTHER LIFE, continues the folklore developed within the BBC 3 TV series - more so as the plot and dialogue is genuinely threatening, absorbing and scary. As sleeve notes advise, this is not recommended for children or even adults with a nervous disposition.

Across Cardiff "Big Issue" sellers are being picked-off one-by-one and as TORCHWOOD's crime-busters believe that the murder has been stopped the murders continue. In TORCHWOOD's vision of Cardiff, even MIDSOMER MURDERS drama is being challenged into second place as being the UK's most crime-ridden community on TV. Is this one mystery that Jack Harkness and his disparate team one too many? Are they, with the environmental disaster lapping at their waists, out of their depth?

Author, Peter Anghelides, demonstrates an understanding of the motivation and morality of the main characters, particularly the DOCTOR WHO spin-off lead, Capt. Jack Harkness (played by the BBC AUDIO narrator, John Barrowman). Here, Harkness is wilfully arrogant and unsupportive, bullying his charges in perfecting their criminal deduction techniques even though he had instantaneously analysed and concluded the crime's "what-where-when. We've all had a boss like that.

Gwen (to Harkness): Sometimes I don't think that you like anyone.

Other characters are superbly rounded and reflective of their TV appearances. Owen Harper (PhD.) is as surly and indignant, as Toshiko Sato is as logical and methodical, whilst Gwen Cooper continues to struggle to acclimatise with her new role outside the reassuringly familiar local Constabulary. And receptionist 'dolly-bird', Lanto Jones has the ability of making a "fresh flask of coffee" whilst wearing an anti-radiation suit.

Mid-way through the story takes a side step that, initially, grates and, like James Dean meeting an arboreal obstacle, stops everything in its path. Owen seduces an ex-girlfriend with an alien device that avoided the awkward silence and fumbling embarrassment to release a seemingly impossible bra clasp on their first-base date. However, TORCHWOOD's resident heterosexual Casanova (and Tonto) reveals a fantastical alien revelation that drives ANOTHER LIFE to a new and exciting level that will wear thin the edge of your sofa (or car seat or deck chair).

This is clever, intelligent and crafted writing.

For DOCTOR WHO fans, there are several links back to the iconic series; how is BOOM TOWN's Blaidd Drwg involved?

However, whilst John Barrowman does not attempt to delineate individual characters (as David Tennant perfected in the first three BBC AUDIO releases that tie-in with SERIES 2) it does not detract the listener from tracking the layered plotline.

Reading Anghelides' dialogue, Barrowman's relentless pace and tempo is thoroughly engaging, driving the story forward to a point where the listener will be left breathless and sated begging for the next release.

ANOTHER LIFE will provide both fans of the TV series and DOCTOR WHO with three hours of pure escapism without the baggage of time-space gobbledygook that frequently cloud the storytelling of the latter.