Holmes spends a weekend at a country estate where a rich financier dies of a tropical disease, whose cousin happens to be a principal authority on a very rare tropical poisons. It's story seems thin and it quickly becomes obvious who the perpetrator is. Still, it manages to be pretty diverting and leads to a conclusion that is satisfying if not amusing as the final ten minutes are certainly a treat. The sets, scenery, and periodic flavor continue to be beautiful. Jeremy Brett is fine form here, even though given how ill he was "The Dying Detective" seems like an ironic title. Edward Hardwicke is also great and Jonathan Hyde is splendid as the ruthless Culverton Smith. Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville (billed here as Richard Bonneville) has a small role in the beginning as Victor Savage.
Review of The Dying Detective
