Murder on the Home Front

This 2013 British TV movie is a lively and witty murder mystery set in 1940 London, the harrowing time of the German Blitzkrieg bombing raids. Based on the memoirs of Molly Lefebure, Murder on the Home Front stars Patrick Kennedy as Dr. Lennox Collins, a civilian drafted into duty as the police coroner during the war, and Tamzin Merchant as newspaper reporter Molly (renamed Cooper for the screen adaptation), who is drafted by Lennox to be his secretary when she proves to be smart, gifted, and—most importantly—unfazed by dead bodies. The pair are a classic TV crime duo—brilliant but socially maladroit Collins clashes with conservative detectives who don't trust his science, while spirited, bubbly Cooper isn't shy about sharing her ideas or going undercover—who are dropped into the social and physical upheaval of wartime London. The plot involves a serial killer who carves swastikas on the tongues of his female victims, leading to an investigation that is complicated by interference and obstruction from the high command. While the story itself isn't new, this one is set apart from other wartime whodunnits that often take a serious, dour approach; by contrast, this tale has the lightness of a romantic thriller with an edge of gallows humor (and the climactic chase makes memorable use of the London Underground's maze of tunnels). Although a standalone film, Murder on the Home Front does play like a like a potential pilot for a new series. Extras include cast and crew interviews. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)