At first glance, it might seem odd for a writer as ambitious and celebrated as Marlon James (who won the Man Booker Prize in 2015 for his novel A Brief History of Seven Killings) to attempt something as seemingly generic as an episodic TV crime thriller. But, as anyone familiar with his sprawling, complex and multi-faceted fiction will know, James can locate worlds within worlds – so why would the story of a missing girl be any different to his other creations?
Millie Black’s life is underpinned by loss. First, the death of her father, then her banishment as a teenager from her native Jamaica by her cruel mother after she attempted to defend her LGBT+ brother Orville. Eventually, the adult Millie (Tamara Lawrance, superb) washes up in London, working as a detective for the Met – but there’s only so much bad food, damp weather and institutional racism she can take. When her mother dies, Millie takes it as a sign to return home.
