BOOK 'EM

TURNS THE PAGES ON NOVEL CRIME FIGHTERS AS GRACE RETURNS TO TV SCREENS

- MARION MCMULLEN

1990

Rhyme and reason: P D James wrote 14 Dalgliesh novels beginning in 1962 with Cover Her Face. The poetry-writing detective chief inspector has been played several times on TV. Roy Marsden, above, first took on the role in 1983 and has been followed by Martin Shaw and Bertie Carvel.

2008

Follow the clues: Sir Kenneth Branagh was solving the murders in Wallander based on the Swedish crime novels by Henning Mankell. The series is now available on BBC iPlayer and Henning is said to have got the name of Wallander by running his finger through a telephone directory.

2013

Murder in mind: Brenda Blethyn began playing no-nonsense Northumberland detective Vera Stanhope in ITV's Vera in 2011. Filmed and set in the North East, the series is based on the novels by Ann Cleeves. She brought out her 11th novel, The Dark Wives, last year.

2022