Unearthing the mother of all mysteries
TRACES BBC1, 9pm IN this pacy forensic crime drama, shot in Dundee, there have been enough suspects to fill several series of Line of Duty and still have a few left over.
Emma Hedges (Molly Windsor) is desperate to find out who murdered her mother, Marie, when she was a child.
But she is surrounded by suspicious folk. She has not one, but two, dodgy dads. And her Aunt Julie seems to know something.
Her scientist colleagues occasionally seem suspect. Her ex-mate Skye (Jamie Marie Leary) and Skye’s mother Izzy (Laurie Brett) are definitely lying.
And then there’s Daniel MacAfee (Martin Compston) and his dad Phil (Vincent Regan), who have a father, son, seemingly cowboy building firm.
Then there was that bizarre situation when Emma nearly leapt off a balcony to avoid Phil, who we now know has a connection to Izzy.
And not to sound unromantic, but why on earth are Emma and Daniel madly in love after five minutes, and was their meeting really a coincidence?
Followers of this series will be relieved to hear that this finale gives all the answers as it barrels towards its conclusion and the evidence begins to point towards one person.
Kathy (Jennifer Spence) oversees the excavation of Marie’s grave, with help from her love interest Pia – and they make some astonishing discoveries there.
Meanwhile, Daniel finds out something important, then gives cop McKinven (Michael Nardone) the lead he needs to make an arrest.
But it’s the exacting forensic science – enjoyably pulled off by two brilliant female scientists – that finally brings peace for Emma.