As this episode opens everything looks perfect; we see a pleasant middle class neighbourhood as Louis Armstrong's 'It's a Wonderful World' plays in the background
then every parents worst nightmare happens; a baby is snatched from inside its home. Gently and Bacchus are soon on the case. Things aren't quite as simple as they first looked; baby Faith had been adopted by her new parents, The Groves, only three weeks before. The investigation will take them to the home where young single mothers are persuaded to give up their children for adoption into a 'better life'. Clearly not every mother wants to give up their child; shortly after Faith was adopted her mother fled the home with Faith's twin brother. It is thought she might have tried to reunite her family but she had no idea where Faith was. There are other suspects though; a pale blue car had been seen parked nearby several times, somebody demands a ten thousand pound ransom and even Faith's father is suspected! While this is going on Bacchus has to deal with his own family; a daughter who lives with his ex-wife and a father who is disappointed with him.
This episode might not be about a murder but the nature of the crime makes it even more gripping as Gently and Bacchus rush to find the missing child. Helen Baxendale does a great job as a mother whose child has been kidnapped and Mark Gatiss is also good as her husband; a man who was less keen to have a child. There is a sense of tragedy through much of the episode; not just the worry about baby Faith but the way the young mothers are virtually forced to give up their children and in a shocking twist the death of the man the then unwed Mrs Groves had given up for adoption when his father went off to war; a father who never knew he had a son until he was gone. It isn't all tragedy thankfully; Lee Ingleby provides some laughs as Bacchus shows his insensitivity and chauvinism once again.
This episode might not be about a murder but the nature of the crime makes it even more gripping as Gently and Bacchus rush to find the missing child. Helen Baxendale does a great job as a mother whose child has been kidnapped and Mark Gatiss is also good as her husband; a man who was less keen to have a child. There is a sense of tragedy through much of the episode; not just the worry about baby Faith but the way the young mothers are virtually forced to give up their children and in a shocking twist the death of the man the then unwed Mrs Groves had given up for adoption when his father went off to war; a father who never knew he had a son until he was gone. It isn't all tragedy thankfully; Lee Ingleby provides some laughs as Bacchus shows his insensitivity and chauvinism once again.