After the slow start with the 7 episode Death of an Expert Witness, the next adaptation of a P. D. James novel - the intriguingly named Shroud For a Nightingale - is reduced to 5 episodes and proves to be a compelling watch. The title refers to the names of the student nurses who reside at Nightingale House, a training school that sits in the grounds opposite the hospital where paying patients go to be treated. The shroud is, omniously enough, for one or more of the nurses who during this mystery will fall prey to a killer. But who, and why?
The story itself is originally concerned with the arrival at the hospital of Martin Dettinger (yes, that IS Richard Marner from 'Allo 'Allo), a gun runner who Dalgliesh is sent to question regarding the death of a witness in a fraud case. Many would like to see Dettinger dead, not least high up officials in government who he (unofficially) did deals for, and Dalgliesh becomes convinced that Dettinger is being framed for convenience sake. But whilst there Dettinger recognizes one of the staff from his past, but is not entirely certain where. However, while it looks as if Dettinger will be the victim, it turns out it is not him who is the first to die. That falls to student nurse Heather Pearce (Deborah Findley), who is the night nurse assigned to look after him. She is also a petty blackmailer who has already got her hooks into fellow student Christine Dakers (Natalie Ogle) after spotting her picking up money dropped by one of the other nurses. The scene where she blackmails Dakers in her room is somewhat amusing, especially the affronted tone she puts on when Dakers baulks at paying her. "No, not to me. This money is 'dirty', Christine," she says distastefully. Pearce pretends that she is doing it for Dakers' own spiritual wellbeing, but amusingly lets the facade slip when leaving. "I pray for you," she tells her, before adding "Cash." When Dalgliesh discovers Pearce is Dettinger's nurse he wants to question her, but he has to wait as Pearce is used as the human guinea pig in nasal gastric feeding training for the other nurses - yikes!. (When one nurse suggests rectal feeding I couldn't help but smile, as all I could visualise afterwards was one of the nurses desperately trying to feed a hamburger that way to an unfortunate patient they were treating). As it is, the demonstration leads to a memorable scene where Pearce is poisoned by the feed up her nose. But as Dalgliesh begins his investigations things are further complicated when he discovers that the original person due to play the patient was not Pearce, but Jo Fallon, who pulled out sick only that morning. Fallon herself has discovered she is pregnant, but parentage is not entirely certain. Was she the intended victim or Pearce? And if it was Pearce, is it because of her blackmailing or what she may of overheard during Dettinger's drug induced sleep? Or something else as yet unknown?
The first episode sets up this mystery perfectly as it establishes the lives of the student nurses and staff living there. As well as the above mentioned, there is also Sister Mavis Gearing's relationship with a married man, surgeon Stephen Courtney-Briggs' former affair with student Jo Fallon, while lesbianism appears again in P. D. James land with Sister Rolfe's infatuation with student Julia Pardoe, plus the special relationship between Matron Mary Taylor and Sister Brumfett - though that is somewhat more ambiguous. The many plot threads make fascinating viewing as we and Dalgliesh try to establish just why Pearce died and if she was the intended target. Roy Marsden is superb in this, ranging from gentle and probing to direct and brutal, and a few times he is surprisingly rude (for Dalgliesh's standards), such as when he questions Courtney-Briggs (Joss Ackland) over his relationship with Jo Fallon. Ackland is wonderful in this, with his charismatic performance and deep fruity voice. He rises to the occasion, as do a number of the actresses in this. I particularly loved the friendship Dalgliesh forms with Matron Taylor (Sheila Allen) and their well scripted conversations they have between them, and Sheila Allen makes Matron a warm and likeable character. She is also one of the few that has a well established alibi, unlike the others at Nightingale House. I also liked Andree Evans as Sister Rolfe, her misandry and contempt for men barely concealed as she more than holds her own against Dalgliesh's questionings. But she is equally touching when displaying her infatuation with Julia Pardoe (Judi Maynard) and the gradual realisation that at her age she stands little chance of a relationship with the younger (and shallow) Pardoe. Thelma Whiteley is effectively intimidating as Brumfett, but Liz Fraser as Sister Mavis Gearing is more of a Mavis Wilton from Coronation Street and as such seems a less obvious suspect to be a killer (or is she?). Fraser would give a much better performance in Miss Marple's Nemesis in 1987.
As for the students, performances range from perfunctionary to good. Of the more notable is Eleanor David, who gives an assured and intelligent performance as Jo Fallon, who discovers she is pregnant and uncertain whether to keep the child or not. She also supplies the one surprising moment of nudity in this - something I wasn't expecting! Rosalyn Elvyn carries much of the emotional baggage as Madeline Goodall, and her interrogation scenes with Dalgliesh are surprisingly uncomfortable, with Dalgliesh remarkably hard on her. The aptly named Natalie Ogle is sweet as Christine Dakers, but apart from Lynne Pearson as Diane Harper (who departs after two episodes) the acting could be a little sharper among the students. As could some of the dialogue early on, which is a little bit clunky. There is one scene where Dakers collapses after scalding herself. As the others race in, Sarah Thomas (of Last of the Summer Wine fame) declares "She's scalded herself," while Marcia Tucker cries out "It's her leg!" Talk about stating the bleeding obvious, and Tucker must of been cursing her luck being lumbered with such dialogue. And speaking of sitcom stars, this also contains Allo Allo's Richard Marner, who is surprisingly good as Dettinger, while Only Fools & Horses stars Lennard Pearce and Buster Merryfield also appear. While Merryfield is rather too clipped and mannered as the pathologist Miles Honeyman, Pearce is much more convincing with his whisky voice as the gate keeper Mr Coles in what was his last role before he died.
As it is, it tells the strength of this production that it is able to rise above such minor irritations to become a hugely compelling mystery. It is full of memorable moments, such as the stormy night in episode 2 that leads to a 2nd murder, plus the fire in the summerhouse in the climatic final episode. Even the interrogation scenes are hypnotic, and the eventual revelation proves to have a huge emotional impact that makes Shroud for a Nightingale one of P. D. James' best adaptations. I am torn between this and Taste For Death as the best in the series, but this certain ranks as one of the most rewarding.
