Rent Traces: Series 1 (2019)

Good UK drama - Traces: Series 1 review by JG

This is basically a crime drama but has more to it than that. It is set in Dundee, which as the extras say is unusual. Although there are a lot of Scottish accents there are American and English ones too. To my southerner's ears none of the dialogue was hard to follow, which can be a failing in modern productions. Molly Windsor is Emma Hedges, the heroine, and the story revolves around her quest to find out about the murder of her mother when she was young. It includes the workings of the Scottish Institute for Forensics and (Anthropology?), the Dundee CID and a building firm which gives it more depth than just a "catch the drug pushers" crime story. It is also a love story which adds more to the mix. It was well written and well acted. One short scene I really enjoyed was between Professor Sarah Gordon the head of Sifa, D.I.Neil McKinven and the heroine Emma . The two look at each other, and Emma looks at both then turns away with a small smile. Although there is no dialogue and it is not explicitly stated, we deduce there is an attachment between the scientist and detective. This subtle drawing of the watcher into the plot is what made it an enjoyable series. It is only 6 episodes, but this means it is not drawn out and can be watched in an evening provided you start early enough. I thoroughly enjoyed it.