Kerry Godliman in Whitstable Pearl

Whitstable Pearl, cozy mysteries from the coast of England

Whitstable Pearl is a six part mystery series streaming on Acorn TV. The first two episodes went live on May 24, with the remaining episodes to be released weekly on Mondays. The lead character, Pearl Nolan (Kerry Godliman), is one of the most likeable characters I’ve seen on TV in a long time. I simply loved her and her style with a mystery.

In Whitstable Pearl, the character Pearl is running an oyster restaurant. She lives in the picturesque English seaside town of Whitstable. Every scene in the series – from the homes, the restaurants, the docks, to the beach huts – was picture postcard charming. The town is known for it’s native oysters. There were problems and secrets under the surface, however.

Pearl was once a police officer, but gave it up to raise a son. Charlie (Rohan Nedd) is now ready to head off for college, and Pearl has a side business as a private detective. She’s kept busy by both jobs.

Howard Charles as Mike – Photo Credit: Mark Bourdillon/AcornTV

A new cop, Mike McGuire (Howard Charles) arrives in town. He’s DFL (down from London). He’s not a happy fellow. We learn what kind of pain he’s left behind as the series moves along.

Almost immediately Pearl and Mike are investigating the same cases from different angles. Two things happen. They learn to respect each other and share information on the investigations. The other is zing in the chemistry between them.

The zing is slow to grow because both of them are pretty wary, but grow it does.

Kerry Godliman and Frances Barber in Whitstable Pearl
Pearl works with her mom in the restaurant – Photo Credit: Mark Bourdillon/AcornTV

Pearl’s mother Molly (Frances Barber) works in the oyster restaurant, too. She’s a free spirit and quick to point out how much better her love life is than her daughter’s. If there’s a bit of naughty innuendo anywhere, you can bet it comes from Molly.

Each episode has its own crime, but there is an ongoing story that begins in the first episode that continues throughout. Plenty of secrets are spilled in the last episode as the season-long mystery is solved.

Pearl and the picturesque Whitstable – Photo Credit: Mark Bourdillon/AcornTV

The series was created by Julie Wassmer based on her novels. I found all the characters and the crimes investigated very interesting and engaging. The actors were wonderful down to the smallest supporting part. Kerry Godliman, who has 58 credits in her filmography on IMDb, has never crossed my radar before. But, as I said in the beginning, I found her wonderful.

Poster for Whitstable Pearl

Take a look at the preview.

If you’re a fan of charming English mysteries, you must give Whitstable Pearl a look.

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Comments

14 responses to “Whitstable Pearl, cozy mysteries from the coast of England”

  1. Rebecca Avatar
    Rebecca

    So glad to see your review! I’ve been eagerly awaiting this series (and the time to watch it…perhaps this weekend!) Thanks for the post.

    1. Virginia DeBolt Avatar

      It’s being released weekly, so you can’t watch it ALL this weekend. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

  2. peggyatthemovies Avatar

    Damn these pay channels.. I can only afford so much.. I love shows like this. :/

    1. Virginia DeBolt Avatar

      I know. I have the same problem.

  3. Sandra Soloff Avatar
    Sandra Soloff

    Thanks for this review. I saw the visual promotion on Acorn but it did not attract my attention nor did he name
    Pie in the Sky”. I thought it was a show primarily about cooking. I wish Shetland would return, but until then I have this show to enjoy.

    tt

    1. Virginia DeBolt Avatar

      Glad you’re enjoying it.

  4. Don Plunk Avatar

    Watching episode 3 just re-affirmed my opinion of this show. Very good. However, I wish they had avoided the cliche missed connections trope at the pub.

    1. Virginia DeBolt Avatar

      Missed on purpose. Their romance burner is definitely set to low.

  5. christopher a swaby Avatar
    christopher a swaby

    loving this show. i hope there will be more seasons.

    1. Virginia DeBolt Avatar

      That would be wonderful, I agree.

  6. Don Plunk Avatar

    The Season 1 finale was great. Season 2 has not been announced, but hope there is one. Spoiler: There was a loose thread regarding Tina Rowe, Vinny’s wife, that I was expecting to be tied up, but was not.

    1. Virginia DeBolt Avatar

      Here’s my vote for a second season.

      1. christopher a swaby Avatar
        christopher a swaby

        it appears there are novels still to be made into episodes/seasons. but that ending felt like a completed story.

      2. Virginia DeBolt Avatar

        The series is from 2021, so it may be a little early to know if it will be renewed.

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