Check out BBCAmerica on Sunday evenings for the latest installment of adaptations of  “Wire in the Blood”.

Based on Scottish writer Val McDermid’s dark psychological Tony Hill/Carol Jordan novels,  Robson Green plays haunted psychologist Tony Hill so believably you’ll want to scoop him up and make him a cuppa, poor dear.  Last night’s season opener saw Tony travel to Texas, a true duck out of water–entering his rental car from the wrong side, trying to figure out the Old Boys network–whilst endeavoring to figure out if a vet with PTSD had murdered his wife and children.  Gritty stuff.  Satisfying ending.  DVR it if it conflicts with Masterpiece Theatre, Austen fans~

McDermid’s other series include the Manchester-based, smart-mouthed PI Kate Brannigan novels; the classic Brit mystery-with-a-twist novels of lesbian journalist Lindsay Gordon; and multiple stand-alones that are intricately plotted and delve into the psychology of her characters.  One of my personal favorites, Place of Execution, won the Macavity, Barry, Dilys and Anthony awards.

McDermid puts her ability to write in so many veins down to her Gemini personality.  The first student ever accepted at Oxford from a Scottish state school, due to a mix of her ability and sheer tenacity, she read English at St. Hilda’s.  She traces her realistic dialogue back to that time, learning to listen carefully to discern other accents from her thick Scots brogue.

If you haven’t discovered McDermid yet, you’re in for a treat!