In this video adaptation of P. D. James' first Dalgleish mystery, "Cover Her Face," many liberties were taken. These apparently were done to convert a leisurely "County" mystery to a fast-moving TV miniseries.
While many fans of P. D. James find the changes disruptive and not true to the original, it must be said that this introductory video adaptation proved successful enough to warrant more Dalgleish mysteries being filmed.
The story is essentially a character study of a young woman and her effect on a number of assorted personalities, ranging from a housekeeper-cook to a young physician.
It's set in an England that is already fading from the memory -- big stately homes, church fetes, horse-riding gentry. vicars out of Anthony Trollope...and no cell-phones.
Roy Marsden plays Adam Dagleish, who, in this story, has been promoted from Chief Inspector to Chief Superintendent, which would seem to be a rather exalted New Scotland Yard rank for a detective concerned with only one mystery, rather than the half-dozen or so at one time that a real policeman-executive on that level would be working. He has but one assistant, whose function is primarily to take suspects into custody. The local police are fawning and ever so grateful for the great man's presence. Questioning of witnesses and suspects is casual and low- key and rarely confrontational.
The actor Roy Marsden, quiet and cool, would seem, at first glance, to be an odd choice to play a police detective. But he was a good choice for the role.
His character as Dalgleish is diffident, soft-spoken, observant, intellectual -- a poet, no less. But he is a super-smart sleuth who can be tough if the circumstances so warrant.
The pacing of this story, though speeded up for TV, can still seem excruciatingly slow at times, but stick with it. Superb acting makes it all worth while.
