User reviews

DI Lynley is home on the family estate, concerned for his mother, who is attempting to run the place on her own. He considers quitting the force. He also doesn't tell his mother that Helen has left him, hopefully temporarily.

Havers is in the area as well, at a rehab center (presumably for her shoulder injury from the shooting), and soon, the local police ask for their help in a death by hanging -- the man was drugged, and it has become a murder investigation. The two soon uncover a smuggling ring and there's another death. Also, one person is not as he seems.

Good mystery. I love how Havers takes in Lynley's bad humor and then does just what she wants anyway. That seems to be a recurring theme, and it makes their relationship not only realistic but fun for the viewer. She's very headstrong, and he can't intimidate or scare her. He could scare me, though, despite his good looks.

Entertaining.

This was a clever and dramatic episode, one which sees Tommy return to his family home, minus his wife of course.

Lynley gets caught up in a case of horse play as it were, every time Lynley arrives home, something bad happens. His family life is complex, we learn more about where he stands with his mother.

Very good production values, maybe it's my dvd, but the sound at times was iffy, and the picture was very dark and shadowy at times.

A very good cast, and as always the ever wonderful Stella Gonet steals the show, and gives a great performance.

Very good, 8/10.

The mystery was very good, mysterious happenings in a coastal village of Cornwall. Lynley and Havers are especially interesting this episode, reconnecting after Havers has been on leave, and with both visiting Lynley's family. The acting is all around excellent. There are interesting and shady characters that may have motives that Lynley and Havers try to deduce and then tie together to solve the case. I would give this an 8 or a 9 except for Lynley being incredibly stupid, putting himself in harm's way not once but twice for no reason other than to have a silly melodramatic conclusion. Still, up until then it's a satisfying and well-written and well-acted drama.

I recently watched this (for the first time).

It was pretty good in most regards and the baddie was a bit of a surprise.

I agree with the comment about the way that Lynley takes stupid risks. This was particularly the case in the ludicrous final scene. Amazing that Lynley didn't add to the body count.

On a technical point the lighting seemed very poor in some scenes. In the scene near the end where Lynley was interviewing Sarah in her home the upper half of both of their faces was in deep shadow.