Emma Thompson delivers a magnificent performance as private investigator Zoë Boehm in the new eight-part thriller Down Cemetery Road, based on Mick Herron's debut novel. The Oscar winner, known primarily for her film work, proves she can fully inhabit a character, playing a woman of 'flint and diamond' who serves as a role model for women everywhere. Thompson stars alongside Ruth Wilson, who plays art restorer Sarah Tucker, in this pacy, twisty adaptation by Morwenna Banks.
The story begins when a neighbour's house explodes during a dinner party, killing two adults and injuring a child. Sarah becomes obsessed with finding the little girl, Dinah, after hospital staff behave strangely and she later sees the child being bundled into a car. Her quest brings her into contact with Zoë and her hapless husband Joe (Adam Godley), who begin investigating the disappearance.
Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Defence, handler Hamza Malik (Adeel Akhtar) faces pressure from his boss C (Darren Boyd) over the explosion, which was caused by a bomb planted by a rogue agent. The agent must be brought under control, and the consequences of his mistakes covered up. The plot thickens at pace, with twists worth waiting for, and retains the dry humour and acuity fans of Slow Horses will expect.
Down Cemetery Road is great stuff, with not a wasted moment or word. The adaptation smooths out the book's few technical problems, bringing Zoë to the fore much earlier, and features strong supporting performances from Fehinti Balogun, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and Tom Goodman-Hill as the rich prick Gerard Inchon. For those who find Jackson Lamb's filth off-putting, Zoë Boehm is a refreshingly clean and competent protagonist.
