TODAY’S TV A case of murder T

HIS clever crime drama picked up plenty of critical acclaim – and more than six million viewers – when the first series aired back in October 2015.

Thanks to smart, pacey writing from Chris Lang and brilliant performances from an all-star cast, led by Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar, we were thrilled at the news it’d be back for a second run. Nicola Walker can do no wrong in our eyes, whether it’s Last Tango In Halifax, River, Spooks, Prisoners’ Wives or Scott & Bailey, she is quietly, understatedly and consistently brilliant.

And her DCI Cassie Stuart fits that description too, working alongside DI Sunil ‘Sunny’ Khan to solve another murder which is decades old.

This case starts with the discovery of a body in a suitcase in the River Lea, and the rather gruesome and difficult task of identifying who the victim was, with clues provided by a pricey watch and a suitably old-school pager.

In the meantime, viewers are introduced to four very different characters and their stories, who all presumably have some connection to the murdered man. Although what that might be as yet, we are completely clueless. But each of their stories is pretty gripping, and with guest stars including Rosie Cavaliero, Nigel Lindsay, Mark Bonner, Charlie Condou and Lorraine Ashbourne, brilliantly portrayed as well.

There’s a gay couple in Brighton, about to officially adopt a daughter, a children’s nurse in south London, with a disapproving and annoying sister, a Muslim teacher in a school in Salisbury, who’s going for a prestigious new job, and a long-serving DI in Oxford, with a son who’s a bit of a loner.

We can’t wait to see how the threads of these connect over the six episodes, and see Cassie and Sunny discover whodunit – and why.