FIRST LOOK Bookish 2

Mark Gatiss' hit drama returns later this year!

As filming recently wrapped on the second series of Mark Gatiss' hit drama for U&Alibi, Bookish, several first look images have been released alongside an impressive list of guest stars.

Guest stars include The Celebrity Traitors' Ruth Codd as India Flynn, Jason Watkins as Harold Sneed, Miranda Richardson as Duchess Alberta, Simon Callow as ‘E’, Rupert Graves as Colonel Reggie Winters, Claire Skinner as Mrs Calthrop, Youssef Kerkour as Yusuf, Allan Corduner as Maxie Kleinmann and many more.

They'll join returning cast members, Mark Gatiss as Gabriel Book, Polly Walker as Trottie Book and Connor Finch as Jack Blunt. As well as Elliot Levey as Inspector Bliss, Blake Harrison as Sergeant Morris and Buket Kömür as Nora.

Series two of Bookish also sees the return of Rosie Cavaliero as Ada Dredge, Gerard Horan as Mr Baseheart, Nadia Albina as Dr Calder and Jonas Nay as Felix.

London 1946 is the setting for Bookish, with viewers introduced to the appropriately named Gabriel Book, who owns a bookshop in Archangel Lane. If his War was packed with espionage and secrets, Book’s Peace is just as full of adventure! Now he helps the police solve the strangest of crimes and the knottiest of murders.

In the second series, Book investigates the world of spiritualism when he’s asked to help solve the mysterious case involving medium, Harold Sneed.

Off Savile Row, Bliss asks Book to help in a puzzling murder at a gentleman’s outfitters, the elderly tailor Maxie Kleinmann is keen to confess to the murder, but the evidence doesn’t quite stack up and points to something much more complex and sinister. And Book and Jack are sent to the seemingly charming German village of Würl by the mysterious ‘E’ to thwart a thieving Duchess at Christmas time.

However, festivities take a deadly turn when Book and Jack uncover secrets of their own, past and present, in an ominous castle brimming with plausible murder suspects.

Book’s close association to the police continues to be not without its personal dangers, and his lavender marriage with childhood best friend Trottie is threatened by debonair Colonel Winters. Marrying post-war nostalgia with the reckless and life-affirming atmosphere of the times, Bookish is a stylish period detective drama with a difference.

The first series averaged 1.5m viewers across its six episodes (total consumption) and became the channel’s second highest-performing premiere ever.

Created by Mark Gatiss, Bookish is produced by Eagle Eye Drama (an ITV Studios Company) in association with Happy Duck Films, directed by Carolina Giammetta, produced by Jake Harvey, and executive produced by Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino for Eagle Eye, Helen Perry for UKTV and Carolina Giammetta. The second series has been written by Mark Gatiss, Matthew Sweet and Ian Hallard.

Bookish returns later this year on U&Alibi