DIVINE intervention

AMIT SHAH on how his cynical cop teams up with a country cleric

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Amit Shah won rave reviews for his performance as pharmacist-turned-killer Faisal Bhatti in BBC1 crime drama Happy Valley two years ago. But the actor is firmly back on the right side of the law in his latest role, playing DS Neil Vanloo in 5's six-part whodunnit Murder Before Evensong.

The opening episode (set to air on Tuesday 7 October) saw Neil arrive in the fictional village of Champton to investigate the death of Anthony Bowness (Adam Smethurst). However, coming from the nearby town of Braunstonbury, the dynamics of this area are a mystery to him, so the cop soon relies on calm and collected local rector Canon Daniel Clement (Matthew Lewis) for guidance.

KEEPING THE FAITH

'Neil considered that Daniel could be a suspect just like anyone else when he first met him,' Amit, 44, tells TV Times in an exclusive interview. 'But he soon realised that Daniel wasn't guilty, and could actually be useful in solving this crime, because he's at the centre of this tight-knit community. They develop a really interesting working relationship.'