TV/Books: Wire in the Blood Series 1-3 (M)

What a great show! The first season of Wire in the Blood consists of only three episodes, The Mermaids Singing, Shadows Rising, and Justice Painted Blind, but they are awesome! Season Two and Season Three are also available on DVD and are just as wonderful.

This is a British police show with a twist. Tony Hill (Robson Green), a psychologist who specializes in treating serial killers, works with Carol Jordan (Hermione Norris), a smart and talented Detective Inspector, by offering profiles of what the killers are like. NOT how they commit their crimes, but what the evidence reveals about the killers themselves. The show offers an interesting perspective on how the killers' own personalities and obsessions lead to their arrest. This is tight and gritty television, with R-rated violence and some strong language.

The relationship between Tony and Carol is poignant and sweet. Tony is one of those geniuses who has a hard time choosing matching socks. He really likes Carol, she obviously likes him back, but he is reluctant to jeopardize their working relationship by getting too personal. Of course, by the third season, I was yelling at him, "Just kiss her!" The romantic tension between them is palpable yet not heavy-handed, because they have a sexual attraction based on solid friendship.

This series is based on some of the books of Val McDermid. So far, I have read The Mermaids Singing and The Wire in the Blood and The Last Temptation, and they are all outstanding. Grade: A