A pensive poet and crimesolver is back

There are crimesolvers whose stories keep being retold.
They include Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and – of current interest — Adam Dalgliesh. And yes, there’s a trend there.
All are from British authors; all (except Holmes) are from women, combining clever mysteries with a rich sense of character detail.
Now it’s time for Dalgliesh (shown here in a previous season). On three Mondays, the Acorn streamer (www.acorn.tv) has one of his stories.
That starts Dec. 2 with “Death in Holy Orders.” Dalgliesh probes a small seminary that has has scandal accusations, a murder and a valuable painting.
Coming are “Cover Her Face” (murder in the home of an influential family) on Dec. 9 and “Devices & Desires” (a larger tale about the murder of women who work at a nuclear-power plant) on Dec. 16.
Each is from a separate P.D. James novel. Each was a two-parter in England; Americans (not known for patience) will get both parts in one night, adding up to a strong, movie-length drama.
James wrote 14 Dalgliesh novels and the first 12 were gobbled up by British TV producers. (She also wrote a few books with female protagonists. “The Children of Men” became a fantasy movie; “An Unsuitable Job For a woman” became a terrific PBS mini-series.)
The first 10 Dalgliesh movies or mini-series (1984-98) starred Roy Marsden; the last two (2003 and 2005) had Martin Shaw. Now Bertie Carvel has taken over; this is his third year of three Dalgliesh tales, with the others already available on Acorn.
Carvel is a skilled actor who won two Olivier Awards in London theater and followed with a Tony – as Rubert Murdoch, no less – on Broadway. Here, he has a challenge – doing almost nothing and making it something.
Dalgliesh is a widower, a published poet and a police detective. He’s a listener and a thinker, but not often a talker. His face seems impassive at first, until you notice the deep wells of pain and empathy.
He’s a kind man. We probably need more like him on TV; we definitely need more in real life.