The miniseries follows Detective Tyburn (played wonderfully by Trevor Eve) from the day he arrives in Colonial Africa as he is greeted by the terrible bigotry that existed in the colonies at that time. He does not conform to what the “elite” British class expects of him. And, as if that’s not enough, one of his superiors is an old boss (as in nemesis) from his Scotland Yard days.
The wonderful Susannah Harker plays Emma Fitzgerald, a woman who is about the only down-to-earth person in the “elite class”… a woman before her times: a pilot and one of the very few Brits who sees the African people as… people, and not as servants.
The mysteries are well-executed, the scenery is phenomenal, the wardrobe is realistic, and the acting is outstanding. The miniseries follows Detective Tyburn as he bucks the system and actually does what he is supposed to be doing>>> He finds the culprits of crimes, even though they could/might be from the upper British hierarchical class. He protects the innocent even though they could/might be from what the Colonial Brits consider the very lowest of classes.
This is yet another terrific character-driven mystery miniseries that we have come to expect from Great Britain. Be forewarned though… it is not for children.
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Roselyn says
Was Heat of the Sun based on a series of books? And if so, who wrote them and where can I get the books?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Roselyn, I can’t find anything that suggests it was based on books. What I did find is that there is some speculation that the female pilot was actually based on Beryl Markham’s life. She wrote West with the Night in which she writes about her life in Africa.
doyenne says
The music from Heat of the Sun is fascinating. Unfortunately, it was never recorded.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Doyenne, that is a shame. (I’ll have to watch the series again to refresh my memory of the music.)
Patrick says
I loved Heat of the Sun. It reminded me a lot of the movie “White Mischief” which was also set in South Africa in the same time period
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Patrick, this series is terrific! Now I’m going to have to watch to see if I can find White Mischief.
Nigel M. says
Loved this series, and my question is:
Why was it not renewed for renewed for more? Surely it was popular enough!