The Doctor appoints himself sleuth in charge when a friend is poisoned…

After the raw tension of the box set opener, James Moran’s detective tale is a huge amount of fun, as Christopher Eccleston displays other sides to his incarnation, notably his complete inability to take a hint that his presence is neither wanted nor required. That’s a trait that most, if not all, the Doctors have to some extent or another, but the Ninth goes to town with it.

There’s a fine line to walk in comedy drama, to ensure that the comic side comes across without undercutting the serious nature of the drama, and Helen Goldwyn balances that very well here – there’s plenty of times that you’ll be laughing or smiling at the Doctor’s antics, but you’re never able to forget why he’s doing his best Poirot. Moran plays with the tropes of the genre and, along the way, gives the Doctor yet another nudge towards starting to travel with someone else again – although I hope that Eccleston and the Big Finish team stick to the idea of these stories occurring before he meets Rose, and it’s the encounter with her that allows him to heal.

Verdict: The Doctor finds his inner Columbo in another strong tale. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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