TODAY’S RADIO

21 Shades Of Noir

11.30AM, RADIO 4 Lee Child, author of the hugely popular Jack Reacher books, has long been intrigued by the crime writer John D. MacDonald. MacDonald, who wrote under a bewildering number of pen names, produced more than 60 novels and made a speciality of writing about psychopaths. Lee looks into the mysterious life and work of the writer of the book that inspired the Cape Fear films.

Radcliffe & Maconie

1PM, BBC 6 MUSIC Bill Bailey has been a keen twitcher since he was a lad. The whole Bailey flock – grandparents, parents, cousins and uncles – loved to go out, with binoculars and a wellthumbed copy of The Observer’s Book Of Birds, looking for feathered friends. Bill joins Mark Radcliffe today to talk about those family outings and share twitching tales.

Bill Bailey (1pm, BBC 6 Music) The Town That Said No 1.30PM,

7.30PM, WORLD SERVICE Cheran lies west of Mexico City; its name means ‘a place of fear’. This little town, high in the mountains, lived up to its name. It was a violent place, given over to drug dealing and illegal logging, but, in April 2011, the women of Cheran had had enough. Armed with rocks and fireworks, they attacked a bus-load of heavily armed loggers, drove them out of town, barricaded the roads, threw out the corrupt officials and criminal gangs and declared Cheran independent. Since then, as Linda Pressly reports, murder and kidnapping rates have plummeted, and fear is leaving town. Sean Rafferty, the unflappable host of this programme that mixes live music with interviews and top-class recordings, welcomes jazz guitarist Martin Taylor. Martin, who worked for years with former Quintette du Hot Club de France violinist Stephane Grappelli, will play a live session.

Bob Harris Country

7PM, RADIO 2 Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes are singer-songwriters from Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, who make up The Shires. They are the first-ever English country act to be signed up by a big Nashville label. They join Bob for a session of beguilingly lyrical music.