Category Archives: Scottish Detectives

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Traces (2019)

From IMDB:

While attending an online forensic course, young lab assistant discovers that the fictitious case study has a link to her past. With the help of two female professors she works on bringing a killer to justice.

From Amazon BritBox:

Emma Hedges needs to find out what happened to her mum. In a world of danger and deceit, will Emma have the nerve to follow the evidence no matter where it takes her?

From Amazon BritBox you can stream two seasons of this mystery series set in Dundee, Scotland.  Each season consists of 6 episodes. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

SEASON  1:

Emma (played by Molly Windsor) enthusiastically begins her new job in a forensics lab where she discovers a link to the still unsolved murder of her mother twelve years ago.  Coincidentally her team must investigate a suspicious fire in which 3 people died.  During this investigation she meets the father and son team of building contractors involved in the construction of that building.  Her relations with each of these two men could not be more opposing: she falls in love with son Daniel MacAfee (played by Martin Compston) and is afraid of the father Phil MacAfee (played by Vincent Regan).  And then the plot thickens.

Vincent Regan may be the most familiar actor in this series. Usually he plays a nice guy such as Ray Conlon in “The Bay“.  In “Traces”, however, he is a very effective bad guy.

Worth calling this season a DO NOT MISS.

SEASON 2:

Although this season begins with the trial of Phil MacAfee for murdering Emma’s mother,  this season suddenly ignores that plot and launches into the search for a serial bomber.  At least three bombs go off before the forensic scientists uncover the bomber’s identity.  Along the way there are many personality clashes and other issues.  To repeat: season 2 seems strangely disjoint from season 1, is more into scientific details, and is not as exciting as season 1.  Not exactly a “do not miss”, but still worth the watch.

2020, Abuse of Women, Acorn TV, Arson, Bullying, Controlling personality, Depression, Drama, Emotional abuse, Extramarital Affair, Jealousy, Lawyers, Murder, Panic Attacks, Police Corruption, Psychiatrists, Scottish, Scottish Detectives, Small Town, Spousal Abuse, Tragedy

Deadwater Fell (2020)

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From IMDB:

When a seemingly perfect and happy family is murdered by someone they knew and trusted, cracks appear on the surface of a supposedly idyllic community.

CORRECTED REVIEW: Now there are all 4 episodes.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 4 episodes of this Scottish detective series. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Rather than classify this series as a detective series, instead be aware that this story is a real tragedy in the classic sense that everyone in the story suffers.  In other words expect a bitter tasting ending.

David Tennant plays the lead tragic figure Tom Kendrick.  Tennant has an impressively long acting resumé including playing D.I. Alex Hardy in Broadchurch (which is a “must see”).  His character Tom is a remarkable contrast to that of D.I. Alex Hardy.

As the story progresses, you will see that first impressions are deceiving.  Little by little we discover the real nature of several inhabitants of this small town.

Superbly well done, but brace yourself.

 

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Rebus (2000)

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From IMDB:

DI John Rebus is a hard drinking, unkempt, womanizing police officer whose job is his whole life. He is the most senior and most experienced DI at his station. He has a mysterious past that his partner DS Siobhan Clarke learns about from time to time through various comments Rebus makes. She is a young woman who wants to succeed, but does not have much of a personal life. She feels being paired with Rebus jeopardizes her career because of his unorthodox methods, but she is also fascinated by the man and is extremely loyal. DI Rebus’ boss is Chief Superintendent Templar, a woman who was one of Rebus’ lovers in a distant past. Their relationship is now one where they barely tolerate each other.

From Acorn TV:

Based on the novels by Ian Rankin, this gritty crime drama stars Laurence Olivier Award winner Ken Stott (The Hobbit) as gruff Scottish detective John Rebus. The world-weary policeman investigates the grisly crimes that mar Edinburgh’s historic streets in these sharply written and intricately plotted mysteries.

From Acorn TV you can stream seasons 2,3,and 4. Season 1, which is described in IMDB, seems to be missing. Season 2 has 2 episodes. Season 3 has 4 episodes.  Season 4 has 4 episodes. Each episode is a complete story.  Each episodes lasts approximately 68 minutes.

Fans of Ian Rankin should enjoy these well-done adaptations with interesting and compelling plots.  Only one, season 4 episode 1 (Resurrection Men)  stands out as especially violent.

Beautiful Claire Price plays Rebus’ long-suffering partner, DS Siobhan Clarke (which is pronounced “sha-von”.) Jennifer Black plays DCS Gill Templer.

As is common in many detective stories, Rebus is a heavy smoking quasi alcoholic.  In all fairness, however, people as portrayed in the British isles and in my own experience drink A LOT of alcohol. In one of the more recent Ian Rankin novels, Rebus’ unhealthy lifestyle catches up with him.

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Shetland (2016)

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Formerly from Netflix:

Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez and his team face storms, corruption, cold cases and more as they investigate murders on the remote Shetland Islands.

2022 UPDATE:

Amazon Prime Brit Box now offers 7 seasons of Shetland.  According to reviews, season 7 sadly is the last. In fact, at the end Jimmy Perez quits the force because it takes too much out of him.   Like a fine wine, the series was good to the last drop.

CHANGE OF PROVIDER:

Netflix no longer (2019) offers “Shetland”. Instead Brit Box offers all 5 seasons. Season 5 was made in 2019.

Brit Box is a collection of British offerings.  Currently Brit Box costs $6.99 a month after a free trial. You can subscribe to Brit Box through many different providers. In my case, I went to my Amazon Prime and chose to subscribe to Brit Box. This means that when I choose Amazon Prime Videos, one of my squares which represents a choice is Brit Box. When I click on that Brit Box square, my screen switches to all the choices available to  Brit Box, including “Shetland”.

“Bleak” is the first word that comes to my mind when viewing the landscape of the Shetland Islands. Perhaps you might choose “beautiful in a barren sort of way”.  Because the population is small, you get the impression everyone knows everyone else.

As the episodes develop, you learn that each person has their own story to tell.  Respectable citizens are not often what they seem. Perez (played by  Douglas Henshall) struggles with helping his daughter find happiness, despite her missteps. He shares her upbringing with Duncan (played by Mark Bonnar).

For a complete rundown of all 5 seasons see Wikipedia.

We waited impatiently for each new episode.  Possibly you will feel the same.

 

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Case Histories (2011)

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From Amazon Prime:

Based on the novels by Kate Atkinson. Former soldier and police officer Jackson Brodie (Golden Globe-nominee Jason Isaacs, “Harry Potter,” “Star Trek: Discovery”) becomes a private investigator, assisted by the loyal Louise (Amanda Abbington, “Sherlock”), compelled to bring peace to victims and their families, all while escaping the memories of his own traumatic past.

Season 2 is now available from Amazon Prime.

SEASON 1 REVIEW:

Amazon Prime streams season 1 of this TV series set in Edinburgh, Scotland. Each of the 3 stories is presented as 2 one-hour episodes, giving us a total of 6 episodes.

Jason Isaacs is perfect for the part of Jackson Brodie. Once again his private life is the usual cliché of a detective so wrapped up in his business that his marriage fails. Much of the time he spends trying to convince his former wife not to move to New Zealand and take his young (and really appealing) daughter Niamh with her. His attachment to Niamh and subsequent heartbreak when she leaves for New Zealand is genuinely portrayed.

Jackson’s main line of work is finding lost people. Even in one story he is searching for more than one person. For this reason you must pay a bit of attention. Often these missing people are somehow connected.

SEASON 2 REVIEW:

Season 2 offers 3 episodes. In general the mood is the same: Jackson Brodie is still the lonely seeker of lost persons and solver of cold cases.

Episode 1: Started Early, Took my Dog has Jackson searching for a woman’s birth mother.

Episode 2: Nobody’s Darling (in which his daughter Marlee returns) has Jackson finding the true murderer of a woman’s daughter.

Episode 3: Jackson and the Women has Jackson finding the true murderer of a young man’s mother. In addition Jackson has several unfortunate relationships.

Because I watched this series twice and enjoyed it both times I hereby deem this series a DO NOT MISS!