Clear-eyed Detective Chief Constable Brendan Moran, homicide head in the Thames Valley between the Cotswolds and the Chiltern Hills, is back for a fifth outing in “Gone Too Soon.” The Irish investigator tackles the baffling murder-disguised-as-suicide of an up-and-coming female pop star. Very much in the hallowed tradition of the British procedural, this fast-paced mystery ducks and weaves through the complications of the dead singer’s life. Moran is of course the hero, and a stalwart. engaging one, but his team, including bouncy George and traumatised Tess, share the limelight. Executed well, atmospheric, with an ending hard to pick . . . a gentle winner.
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