The indomitable DCI Vera Stanhope, assisted by her trusted colleague, DS Joe Ashworth, steps up for another series of challenging cases. She investigates the mysterious death of a pensioner on a busy commuter train (On Harbour Street), unearths a thirty year mystery after a brutal murder on the sands of a seaside resort (Protected), unpicks the tragic last months of a failed novelist gunned down on a remote Northumberland moor (The Deer Hunters), and delves into the tangled life of a businessman found floating in the water under the Gateshead Millenium Bridge (Death of a Family Man).Inspired by the novels written by renowned crime writer Ann Cleeves, and filmed against a backdrop of outstanding Northumberland landscapes and atmospheric production, each enthralling story is enhanced by the captivating performance of Brenda Blethyn as this shambolic yet brilliant detective.