When a dead body is found on Hastings beach the main suspects are an American multi-millionaire, an old flame of Sam's and a man that claims to be a Ditch refugee. Sam looks for a place to live when her house is destroyed by a bombing raid.
Foyle's War opens in southern England in the year 1940 - which may seem a strangely remote period in which to place a new detective, but the setting turns out to be a means of adding moral and dramatic depth to the storylines.
Christopher Foyle is a police inspector frustrated at being stuck at home investigating provincial crimes during the second world war.
Honeysuckle Weeks is an inspired choice as Foyle's sidekick, a clergyman's daughter posted from the Women's Royal Army Corps to serve as his driver, and she plays the part with an admirable period style.