I hope it inspires more stories like this

RUTH WILSON AND DAME EMMA THOMPSON TELL LYNN RUSK THEY HOPE DOWN CEMETERY ROAD WILL ENCOURAGE OTHER FEMALE-LED THRILLER SERIES

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WHEN the opportunity arose for Ruth Wilson and Dame Emma Thompson to work together arose, the pair of them jumped at it.

Two of Britain's greatest actors, the pair had previously appeared together in the 2013 film Saving Mr Banks, though they shared little screen time.

Now, the duo are fronting a new thriller, Down Cemetery Road, based on the novel of the same name by Slough House author Mick Herron.

Emma stars as Zoe Boehm, a private investigator created by Mick, who also appears at the centre of three further novels: The Last Voice You Hear, Why We Die, and Smoke And Whispers.

Ruth plays Sarah Trafford, a woman who becomes obsessed with finding her neighbour, a girl, who goes missing after a house explosion.

The series follows Trafford as she enlists Boehm's help, and the two soon find themselves entangled in a complex conspiracy, one that suggests the dead may not be as gone as they seem, while the living are in ever-growing danger.

The eight-part thriller is written by Morwenna Banks, who has also penned multiple episodes of Slow Horses, the hit series based on Mick's Slough House novels, starring Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas.

"It was such a gorgeous thing to be offered," reflects London-born Dame Emma.

"We'd worked together on Saving Mr Banks, but not really together. And we're mutual admirers, so it was a chance for us to finally play opposite each other."