Murdoch Mysteries Complete Series 2   Starring: Yannick Bisson, Thomas Craig, Hélène Joy and Jonny Harris ITV Studios Home Entertainment RRP: £39.99 3711532633 Certificate: 15 Available 15 February 2010

William Murdoch is a young detective who uses progressive new forensic techniques, such as fingerprinting and trace evidence, to solve some of the city’s most gruesome murders. Murdoch is a man with an almost supernatural instinct in solving crimes. Each theory is revealed as an intuitive flash - a visual dramatisation of events based on the evidence given. This process evolves as the evidence mounts and the fragments of the crime are gradually pieced together...

Murdoch Mysteries is a Canadian / British co-production which is set in Canada during the 1890s. The show is based on the critically acclaimed mystery novels by Maureen Jennings.

The show's first second season was originally screened in 2009. Fans will be pleased to hear that a third season is due to begin broadcasting in March 2010.

This box set contains all 13 (40 minute) episodes from the show's second season. Highlights include:

Episode 1, in which both Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley become suspects in a killing during a live performance at Buffalo Bill's Wild West travelling show.

Episode 2, introduces us to one of the possible Jack the Ripper killers when a badly mutilated prostitutes body is discovered on Murdoch's patch.

Episode 4, sees Houdini arrive in town. When the bank next door to the theatre is robbed, Houdini becomes the chief suspect - especially as an eyewitness sees him exiting the bank.

Episode 8, which takes on a mysterious edge when a young boy comes to the police station claiming he saw a giant knight and heard gunshots in the woods. Could Murdoch be on the trail of the world's first robot?

Episode 9, sees constable Crabtree taking over Murdoch's role at the police station after Murdoch is ordered to stay in bed following an accident.

Episode 12, in which a wolf seems to be on the prowl, tearing resident's throats out. But what Murdoch discovers is much more sinister as this wolf seems to be picking its victims very carefully.

Of course, there's the introduction of new gadgets and technology, some of which Murdoch appears to invent himself. These include sticky tape, ultraviolet light to determine if there is blood where there appears to be none, X-ray machine, computer, robot, night vision goggles and a version of the Internet chat room - using telegraphy).

This series also goes a little deeper into the main character's backgrounds. So, we have Ogden and Murdoch's ongoing sexual chemistry; Brackenried's fight with alcohol; and Crabtree's search for his real mother. What is interesting about the Murdoch/Ogden relationship is that the writers successfully spin the story in a much more mature way than most will be expecting. This isn't just an ongoing sexual chemistry thing that then happily concludes with the two getting it together - it's much more complicated than that and makes the whole show much better as a consequence.

So, another collection of quality episodes of this show which just keeps on getting better.

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Pete Boomer