C.B. Strike: The Series

Tom Burke plays private detective Cormoran "C.B." Strike and Holliday Grainger is his assistant Robin Ellacott in this 2017-18 BBC/Cinemax co-produced series based on the novels written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Cormoran is a war veteran who lost a leg in Iraq and Robin arrives from a temp agency to be his office manager. She proves to be so sharp and adept that Cormoran eventually makes her an assistant and then partner in the business. The series presents three feature-length stories (each based on one of the Galbraith novels) over seven episodes: "The Cuckoo's Calling," which looks into the death of a supermodel that was ruled suicide by the police; "The Silkworm," which investigates the brutal murder of an author after he writes a scathing novel that caricatures his publisher and fellow authors; and "Career of Evil," which finds Cormoran himself becoming the target of a campaign to destroy his business and reputation. Set in contemporary London, it's a modern mystery series featuring an old-school PI who drinks too much, lives out of his office, and prizes justice over good business sense. The mysteries themselves are intriguing and the shows are well-produced, built on the respectful, platonic relationship between the divorced Cormoran, who has no romantic life, and Robin, who becomes devoted to her work, to the dismay of her fiancé (Kerr Logan), who really, really dislikes Cormoran. Burke brings an easy, low-key charm to Cormoran and Grainger reveals a gutsy, passionate undercurrent as Robin, and their chemistry is convincing and natural. C.B. Strike is likely to appeal to fans of both British and American detective dramas. Extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)