Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators

- Season 1

(2018)

Bride to be Luella Shakespeare believes her future husband Clive Brenton is unfaithful and approaches shabby private eye and ex-policeman Frank Hathaway. Her suspicions seem unfounded but directly after the wedding Clive is murdered and Luella the main suspect as he is proved to have been a con-man who took her money. Joining with Frank and his assistant Sebastian she uncovers Clive's shady past and proves her own sleuthing skills, leading to the killer's apprehension and a new partnership.

Penelope and Owain Pincott approach Luella and Frank to investigate acts of sabotage at their rest home, so Sebastian is sent undercover as a care assistant. He discovers that one resident is a kleptomaniac and Owain has an admirer so both become suspects when Penelope is murdered. However a death from the past provides as clue to solving one in the present.

Undertaker Peter Quintus is visited by two sinister hitmen, who say they will kill him in twenty-four hours so he seeks help from Luella and Frank. Peter's ex-wife, the voracious Brenda, claims that he owes her a lot of money and then current wife Anne is attacked. Somebody clearly bears him a grudge and the detectives must find them before the deadline runs out.

Jill Shiplake dies after being picked from the audience to assist magician Laurence Pross in a stage trick. Laurence believes rival conjuror Anton Duke sabotaged the trick and consults Luella and Frank. They discover that wealthy Jill had argued with cash-strapped spouse Steffan and CCTV seems to incriminate him but the detectives find that he has been framed and must work out why and by whom.

Mayor Rexler is murdered and known criminal Billy the Brick is the chief suspect so Billy approaches Frank to clear his name. The mayor was launching an affordable housing scheme with property developer Victoria Cathness but was facing environmental protesters. However he appeared to have a change of heart, unlike politically ambitious new mayor Moses Abiola. . With Billy's mother the protest leader things look bad for the lad so Frank and Luella have to save him.

Self-centred actress Sally Balthasar receives death threats after rewriting 'Romeo and Juliet' as a feminist tract and is poisoned on stage. Cast and crew benefit from her absence, including director Roman Randall, who worked with Sally in a soap with a similar poison plot-line, and his lover, understudy Belle Roehampton. Somebody wants Sally off the stage, and Luella and Frank must find out who.

Frank is sceptical when an American, Martin Mariner, shows up, claiming to be his uncle. Meanwhile Frank and Luella are asked by shop-owners Diana and Leon Tarsich to prove that their cash-strapped employee Lola is faking an injury claim against them. Then Diana is murdered and Martin is a prime suspect. In proving his innocence, Frank also gets to clear up another mystery.

Student Hamish Kingly tells the detectives that he has had a premonition of a murder at the retreat run by his mother Sandra and step-father Rex so they sign on for the weekend. Hamish's therapist Polly Rattle arrives, demanding her daughter Lily, Hamish's ex-girlfriend, leaves immediately and when Polly is murdered Hamish is arrested. In addition to being in a feud with Sandra and Rex Polly had been having an affair with another student Uzomu but by delving into Hamish's past Luella and Frank unmask the killer.

Volatile Len Tekler, owner of the Hiverna restaurant, complains of culinary sabotage, designed to give him a bad review by food critic Paulina Stainton. When the restaurant is closed by health inspectors Tekler suspects rival chef Trevor Cordiss but then Tekler is found dead. Paulina has an old grudge against him but she provides a link from the past which helps to crack the case.

On the eve of an Autumn charity ball Lady Tanya Bede discovers that her rebellious daughter Mia has disappeared along with a priceless necklace she intends to wear at the ball. A ransom note implies that Mia has been kidnapped and suspicion falls on spurned boyfriend Dimitri. However CCTV footage from a pawn-shop and a drunken admission from Lady Tanya suggests otherwise.