The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries
Returning soon to Alibi
Based on a hugely popular series of novels, The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries are right out of the top drawer, in every sense. This gentleman detective may take no prisoners, certainly, but he always uses the right cutlery and he wouldn't dream of swearing in front of a lady.
Inspector Roderick Alleyn has an impeccable pedigree, to match his excellent manners and perfect breeding. First appearing in the 1930s in a series of novels by New Zealand author Ngaio Marsh, the Inspector is a far cry from the sort of rough-housing wideboys often seen taking the lead in cop shows, and recalls instead a simpler time when a detective wouldn't dream of attending an incident in anything other than a well-tailored suit.
The brother of a baronet, Roderick Alleyn's illustrious background means that even the wiliest of criminals rarely stand a fighting chance of outwitting him. Oxford educated, the former World War One veteran has seen it all, and is the CID's most elegant weapon. That's not to say that he's a stereotypical toff, though, there's a lot more to our Roderick than a stiff upper lip. Never afraid to get his hands dirty, and refreshingly free from snobbery, the Inspector is always on the side of what's right. Faced with murder, blackmail and corruption in 1940s London, Alleyn has his work cut out to stay ahead of the game.
Although the move from print to telly for Marsh's novels saw a couple of actors cast as the eponymous hero, it was Patrick Malahide who would come to make the role his own. Perfectly matched for the part of the impeccable inspector, charming Irishman Malahide's suitability was never really in any doubt. Patrick's relationship with the law goes way back in fact, having previously appeared in Minder and The Singing Detective.
The scene is all set for tales of intrigue and underhand dealings involving cabinet ministers, debutantes and all manner of English eccentrics, with every investigation seeped in sepia and filmed with loving attention to detail, perfectly capturing the feel of the time. Who needs a succession of science labs and swabs when the sharpest sleuth this side of Eton is on the force?
Episodes new to Alibi this month include Artists In Crime, which sees the Inspector investigate the murder of a model at a summer school for artists. In The Nursing Home Murder, Alleyn is plunged into a world of illicit affairs, when a prominent cabinet minister's dalliances come to light following a police raid on his home.
Elsewhere, Scales Of Justice presents a personal case for Alleyn. A World War I veteran is entrusted with the task of publishing his friend's controversial memoires, but he turns up dead on a river bank. One chapter is missing and it's up to Alleyn and his team to find out what it contained, which gives them a motive for murder.
