Inspector Lewis

Inspired by the Inspector Morse novels written by British whodunit specialist Colin Dexter, this outstanding murder mystery boasts a solid script with plausible characters and plenty of plot twists, incisive and perfectly calibrated performances from excellent actors, and muscular direction by Bill Anderson that wastes no time on nonessentials but highlights anything that will enhance mood and atmosphere. Kevin Whately plays Inspector Robert Lewis, who returns to England following a two-year assignment in the Virgin Islands and is partnered with the much younger Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox). Immediately sent to investigate the baffling murder of an American student attending Oxford University, Lewis uncovers a link to a previous crime, originally handled by his mentor, the late Inspector Morse. Distracted by interdepartmental rivalries, Lewis resists a proposed transfer and doggedly follows clues that lead to a prominent family with dark secrets. The British do this sort of thing extremely well, whether it's an old-fashioned, cozy Agatha Christie whodunit or a contemporary, gritty crime drama like Prime Suspect. Here's another well-nigh-perfect example of the genre. Highly recommended. (E. Hulse)