I’m embarrassed to admit that I have never watched one minute of the Luther television series. I know a lot of people who love it, think it’s one of the better BBC shows to hit American tv sets. And then there’s the whole Idris Elba thing.
But, Amazon had a deal (as they often do – and I’m sorry for not supporting local booksellers, but my Kindle is just so much easier, and I am very lazy). This is a stand alone prequel, and may not be suitable for all eyes – there is a lot of violence, and even more nastiness. I’m not sure if the show is like this, but proceed with caution.
In this book, Luther is still married, but they’re on the rocks. He’s called in on a horrible murder of what appears to be an entire family. Except the daughter has gone missing. Is this crime connected to an old kidnapping from years ago? And how is it connected?
Luther gets way too involved in the investigation, and gets into trouble. His marriage is crumbling, and can he really trust the people around him?
The story is gritty in the extreme, and possibly explains why Luther is the way he is in the series. Guess the Netflix queue is going to be growing.
The show is violent and sometimes nasty, but Idris Elba prevents it from sliding into a bog of brutality. He really gives an amazing performance of a tortured cop who wants to do the right thing and be a bulwark against chaos. So, you should watch it.