Two ITV serials from 1978, doling out suspense and mystery in 25-minute episodes. Rachel In Danger, by John Bowen, has a Scots girl duped by a terrorist who pretends to be the father shes never met and uses her in a scheme to kill the Queen. Its gripping, and surprisingly timely, but not a patch on Bowens excellent adaptation of Patricia Highsmiths A Dogs Ransom, which starts with a bitter old git writing anonymous letters and kidnapping a publishers poodle, then puts the screws on an upper-class policeman (Brian Stirner) who gets involved in the case and finds himself stalked by a copper (Paul Angelis) who makes Gene Hunt look like Polly Toynbee. Acute observation, clever plotting and ratcheting suspense will keep you watching over six tricksy episodes.
Armchair Thrillers Review
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