Murderland

Season

2009

6.6

A thriller that tells a traumatic murder story through the eyes of three central characters: Carrie the daughter of the murdered woman, Douglas Hain the detective in charge of the investigation, and Sally the murder victim.

Episode List

S1 • E1

Carrie's Story

As a child Carol, known as Carrie, came home from a party to find her mother Sally, a prostitute, had been murdered. She saw a shadow, possibly that of the killer, on the wall and, whilst phoning the police, observed a man with a blood-stained hand.She was keen to help D.I. Hain in his investigation, though child psychiatrist Dr. Maitland clashed with Hain, accusing him of pushing Carrie too far. The crime went unsolved and, fifteen years later, Carol, about to get married, goes to visit Hain.

S1 • E2

Hain's Story

Hain explains to Carol his own position fifteen years earlier and how he was dropped from the case - and even briefly in the frame - because he was a client of Sally, whom he loved. He used Cleo's,the massage parlour where Sally worked, to gain information from other working girls like Rachel and suspected another policeman, Oliver, of having shady dealings with Tony Phillips, the man behind Cleo's, though Oliver explained he was working under cover, to expose fraud. Hain was subsequently given early retirement, though he tells Carol that he has recently seen Whittaker, a man who wanted to photograph her when she was a child and was himself, for a while, a murder suspect. She decides to go under cover herself at the massage parlour.

S1 • E3

Carol's Story

Hain and Carol continue to dig into the past, despite death threats when a hearse is sent to Hain's house. Carol registers at the massage parlour as Angel and forces Whittaker, a regular client, to admit he took photographs for a paedophile ring. She tracks down another victim, Andrew, who identifies Rachel as a procuress for the group. Rachel names Phillips and Oliver as its ring-leaders and admits she saw the murderer of Sally but was forced to keep quiet as Carol was being threatened if she spoke out. The killer is eventually arrested but at a price.