Mark Gatiss is out to convince us that there is room for another. No stranger to detective stories, Gatiss co-created Sherlock for which he produced, wrote, and acted. He has created a series set in an interesting time and filled with interesting people that I enjoyed watching. It is not perfect. The mysteries are bit hackneyed, but the character stories were so wonderful and so beautifully drawn that I found myself forgiving the series’ weaknesses.
SLIGHTLY FOXED
As our story opens, we quickly get to know the main characters. Gabriel Book lives and works on Archangel Lane at Book’s Books which he owns. His “hobby” is helping police solve crime which he may do at will as he has “a letter from Churchill.”
The show is set in 1946 London. The war is over, but the physical and mental scars are becoming more apparent as time goes by. It becomes clear very early that Book’s war was something in Intelligence, but as of now, we do not know what it was nor what the letter is all about.
Book works closely with Inspector Bliss. What makes this relationship unique is that they obviously like and respect each other. Bliss is a bit of a stock character; plodding and hard working, but not the sharpest of men. During the denouement of this first mystery, Bliss kept asking “why” and “how” and “what.” It was one of the few false steps in the entire episode.
The policeman who has enormous antipathy for Book is only a Sergeant, so he can growl and snap, but finally has to accept Book as being around. He could be, however, a real threat. In a tiny scene in the second half of this episode, we learn that Book is gay. Keeping in mind that homosexuality was illegal at this time, the Sergeant could have made Book’s life hell if he could prove what he obviously suspects.
Book is married to Trottie. Together since they were young, they obviously care deeply about each other although they do not sleep in the same bed. We have hints of an interesting backstory here as well, but only hints in this episode.
Into their world comes Jack. A young man fresh out of prison where he spent two years, he is immediately taken in by the Books who give him a job and a place to live. We learn that his mother is dead and that all he has of his father is a photo. Book has a reason for wanting Jack around and he persuaded his friends in Intelligence to help him find Jack. But, again, that’s all we know right now. Jack is wondering about his good luck as well, asking often “why me?” The Books keep pushing him off, but clearly there is a story there.
Finally, we have Nora. A young woman who watched her parents die during the Blitz, she should be completely traumatized and angry. Instead, she is full of life and ideas and brightens up every scene she is in.
This episode kicks off quickly. We meet Book and Jack, Jack gets hired, Trottie comes in to introductions all around, and then the three of them are off to a bomb site where a large group of skeletons has been found. On the way home, they discover that the local chemist, Harkup, has died of poison. The police want to call it a suicide; Book is not convinced. Quickly, suspects mount and the requisite red herrings are plentiful. The final reveal is well done and paced although not altogether unexpected. The final clue was so obvious that I discounted it as being too obvious. The only other false step.
This episode is a wonderful introduction to the series. Not only do we get an immediate sense of who our characters are, warts and all, we get a sense of place. London is literally digging out from the war. Rationing is still in effect and two orphaned children are trying to find their place while everyone else is just trying to get back to normal, even though “normality is overrated” according to Book.
DEADLY NITRATE
These two episodes show more of post-war London, both the glamour and the darkness. The glamour comes in the form of some very famous movie stars filming in Book’s store and along Archangel Lane. Very soon, an extra is killed by a poisoned chocolate meant for one of those stars and the mystery begins.
On the other hand, there is a lot of darkness lurking around the edges of all the stage lights. Not only is murder occurring with alarming frequency on the set, scenes of overt racism and sexism as well as spousal mental abuse are shown as just being part of the day to day. This may be a cozy British mystery, but for some these times were anything but.
As the episode progresses, we watch Book quietly watch those around him and piece together the truth of what is happening. He brings an intelligence and a compassion to the case. As he reveals the guilty, we are not necessarily surprised, but we are aware of why all of this happened and we feel the pain just beneath all the glitz.
As if we don’t care enough about Book, this episode shows us two aspects of his life that are incredibly moving. The first is his marriage to Trottie; the second is a scene with the a man he obviously loved. That man looks a great deal like the photo Jack has of his father, but we are left still not knowing what the truth of all this is.
SUCH DEVOTED SISTERS
For the final two episodes, the series moves to a locked room mystery. Maybe not a locked room exactly, but a location that is limited in the number of people “inside” who could have committed the murder. It is, by far, the weakest of the three mysteries.
The main story has jumped forward several weeks from the end of Deadly Nitrate. Jack is struggling with the idea of who his father is and has left. He has found a job (or, it turns out has one found for him) as a bodyguard to two exiled princesses who happen to be staying in this hotel.
Trottie is there as well. She is there to have an evening with an old flame from the beginning of the war. Unfortunately, he is the one who is killed. Trottie is briefly a suspect but is quickly cleared as both Book and Bliss show up and remove her from the potential list.
As the mystery unravels, it hits far too many cliched moments. The gathering of all the players in one place while Book reveals who the guilty party is right out of Christie. I was very disappointed in who the guilty party is. They come completely out of left field and, even on a re-watch, not enough clues are dropped to make it a satisfying conclusion.
What saves these particular episodes is the character development in those characters we care about. The first is while Book is trying to put the pieces together. He and Trottie are lying in a hotel bed talking. Trottie tells him what she is doing there and it is clear that their arrangement may no longer be entirely working for her. Book, however, assures her that he is fine and stops listening. It is a fascinating character moment for a man who is able to read strangers so clearly.
The second is the final scene of the series. We finally learn what Book’s connection to Jack is. It is incredibly moving and feels earned as we have watched these two men try to establish a bond during the past six episodes.
This is not a perfect series. The mysteries are bit overdone, predictable, and drawn out. There are nods to Conan Doyle, Christie, and even Dickens that can be a bit obvious. However, the stories lead to wonderful character moments that, by the end, made me love the people I was watching and want to see more.
ChrisB loves a great story both in the pages of a book and on a screen.
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