If it's a British crime drama, I'm in. Broadchurch. Happy Valley. Line of Duty. Sure, there's some terrible ones too (I haven't been enjoying Ragdoll, and gave it up after one episode) but as a general rule of thumb, they're good at it.

However, I shied away from The Beast Must Die after I read 'after the death of her six year old son'. That seemed so terrible and tragic I didn't think I could face watching it. However, I'm glad I started. It's well produced and seems worth more than the 6.3 stars awarded to it via IMDB. My general rule of thumb is if it gets over 6, it's worth a watch. There are exceptions to that rule - but I digress.

Isle of Wight

Here's the synopsis:

After learning the police investigation into the fatal hit and run of her young son, Martie, has been dropped, Frances Cairns takes matters into her own hands. Posing as a novelist researching a murder mystery, Frances ingratiates herself with the family of George Rattery, the cruel and pompous man she suspects is responsible for the death of her son and sets in motion a plan to kill him. She's tracked by detective Nigel Strangeways, who has reason to believe his department covered up George's involvement in the incident. Suffering from PTSD following the recent death of his partner, Strangeways throws himself into pursuing justice for Martie. However, when he discovers Frances living with George and his family, Strangeways finds himself working to both prove George's guilt and head off Frances' plans for revenge before anyone else dies.

The first episode plots the character's lives quite well - the detective who is traumatised by the death of a colleague and moves to the Isle of Wight, and the single minded desire of a mother determined to kill the unknown man who ran over her six year old son and left the scene whilst she was on holiday on The Isle of Wight. It's not mawkish at all, which made me persist. Whilst the detective story is a common one - I'm sure we could all think of a police officer in some crime drama or another suffering PTSD - the mother story is a little different in how she goes about making decisions in the aftermath of loss. Unhappy with how the police at the time investigate the drama, she impersonates investigators and pretends to be a crime writer in order to insert herself into the lives of a very rich and privileged family she believes is responsible for her son's death.

The actors and characters propel the plot forward nicely, so that even the unbelievable twists work well on the screen. The villain plays his role well too - he's deplorable, of course, not because of what he did but because he represents the rich who know there is no consequence for their actions.

It's also great to see the scenery of the Isle of Wight. Like Broadchurch, the landscape is an important part of the the series - the winding roads one speeds down on the way from grief and toward revenge, or perhaps justice, depending on what side of the road you're speeding down.

⭐⭐⭐
3.5/5 Stars - Worth a watch if you love British crime dramas.

Have you seen this series? What did you think? What's your favourite British crime drama? What are you watching right now?

Other River Reviews
Season 2 of the Bear and Australia's Bloom
Vortex, Dead City, Last Light, The Swarm, Succession