Examiner par Tweekums

These comments are based on watching the first five episodes, the only ones to date to be available in the UK. They were watched in German with English subtitles.

This German crime series is set on the island of Usedom, just off the coast, in the Baltic. The island is mostly German but the eastern tip is over the border in Poland.

As the series starts former prosecutor, Karin Lossow, is released from prison having served her time for the killing of her husband. Her daughter, Julia Thiel, is a senior police officer on the island and she isn't keen to re-establish a relationship with her mother. Each episode features a self-contained mystery which inevitably requires Julia to work with Polish colleagues... including one she is having an affair with. In the various cases Julia's family often seem to be tangential involved; if it isn't her mother it is her teenage daughter.

I rather enjoyed this series. Its new title here is clearly aiming to get on the 'Nordic Noir' bandwagon; this is a bit unfortunate as it doesn't have that feel. It might not be as light hearted as the likes of 'Midsomer Murders' but it certainly isn't as dark in tone as 'The Killing' or 'The Bridge'. The murder mysteries are interesting and provide enough suspects to keep the viewer guessing and the main characters are interesting; their relationships adding to the story rather than detracting from it. The setting added to the series; it is part of the world I knew nothing about and the fact that it was on the German/Polish border added to the interest. I hope further episodes are made available here as the final episode shown leaves many questions unanswered. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of murder mysteries looking for a new location.