"A Place of Execution" is heavily dependent on the character of Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson), a reporter investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl, and the role of detective George Bennett (Lee Inglesby and, later, Philip Jackson) in solving the case. The girl's step-father, Philip Hawkin (Greg Wise) is suspected of abusing her sexually and of subsequently killing her. It turns out that he is guilty of raping her and other youngsters but not of killing her. After a trial, he is hanged for the crime he did not commit. It's a nicely plotted story and might have made an better TV series if Juliet Stevenson were strong enough to carry her end. Unfortunately, I did not find her especially convincing. Greg Wise is splendid and both Inglesby as the younger Bennett and Philip Jackson as the older Bennett handle their roles admirably. The ending is a bit improbable. However, I suspect that there would be many fewer successful crime stories if improbabilities were disallowed.
Review of Place of Execution
