Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Cast: Sarah Greene, Killian Scott, Michael D’Arcy, Eugene O’Hare, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Moe Dunford, Ellie O’Halloran, Niall Jordan, Ian Kenny, Conleth Hill, Amy Macken, Leah McNamara, Peter McDonald, Jonny Holden, Daniel Brickenden, Sam Keeley, Niall O’Brien, Aoife Fitzpatrick, David Thomas, Aiden O’ Hare, Alexandra Moen, Jonathan Forbes, Carolyn Bracken, Antonio Aakeel, Vanessa Emme, Charlie Kelly, Amelia Crowley, Barry O’Connor, Eunice McMenamin, Ned Dennehy, Erika Roe, James Browne, Caoimhe O’Malley, Paul Roe.

There is always an issue for the fan of the adapted novel, the question that sits uncomfortably in the room alongside the elephant that doesn’t understand why they are relegated to the corner of the room, that of running two pieces of literature together to make one story.

Of course the feeling is that it adds depth, that the characters are given time to be fleshed out and given more than just a reason to be part of the scene; however, it can create a distinctive creative sense of dissociation, the reader caught between two glaringly different styles of action and intrigue that is welded together as if taken to a dishonest auto-repair shop and given new life under a different badge and engine.

With that said, Dublin Murders is still an eight-part television drama that deserves its spot, however, it arguably should have been one that relished in the sincere writing of Tana French and the two initial books of her acclaimed series, In The Woods and The Likeness, and whilst Dublin Murders is gripping, not least because of the performances of Sarah Greene and Killian Scott as Detectives Cassie Maddox and Rob Reilly, it arguably could have been more illuminating, more in depth of how the structure of both cases would have severe implications on the mental health of all involved.

This can be seen in how Killian Scott portrayed the slow unravelling of the delicate psyche of his character, a detective with a haunting secret that blights the modern-day investigation. It is in this slow decay of spirit that the series is enhanced, and with the introduction of Leah McNamara’s Rosalind Devlin to the story, what comes across is the manipulation of events, of how we remember certain times in our lives and the lies we tell to either comfort our soul or improve the situation we are in, Dublin Murders goes a long way to explain how these moments arise.

A wonderful piece of drama which in all honesty could have been greater than the sum of its parts, Dublin Murders has the scope to become an institution of television drama.

Ian D. Hall