This is my first experience of the Paternoster Gang spin off from Big Finish and it has to be said has made me want to listen to more, if only for the sublime comedy stylings of Dan Starkey as Strax.

In my reviews of their TV episodes, I've often expressed a dislike of Neve McIntosh's Madame Vastra as a character. Audio does little to change my mind and she actually comes over as quite bland. Without the distinctive visual, there's not much to Vastra except a Scottish accent. Jenny comes out of the audio medium a little better (although I'm sure Catrin Stewart has ramped up the cockney) and has emerged from the shadow of being Vastra's wife and servant (a mix which never sat well with me on TV). Dan Starkey's Strax, however, suits the audio medium. His voice is so distinctive and Starkey plays the comedy exactly right.

Much of this story revolves around Strax's desire to have the most deadly of defences installed at Paternoster Row, all of which end up putting the team in danger when trying to fend off an infestation of vermin from the Silurian era. It's lots of fun and very, very funny.

Added into the mix is Henry Gordon Jago, something few would have an objection to but, for once, I don't think he adds anything to the story. He sort of floats around the edges of the action and his only contribution to the plot is to accidentally let the villain of the piece into Paternoster Row as his guest. The absence of Trevor Baxter's Litefoot is keenly felt and something about Benjamin's performance seemed a little muted to me.

The Christmas elements are few and far between save for Jago being dressed as Father Christmas for the duration. It's a fun story but the Christmas setting and the inclusion of Jago are very much incidental to the overall story.