Whitstable Pearl

Set against the backdrop of Whitstable’s moody skies and oyster-strewn shoreline, Whitstable Pearl brings to life Julie Wassmer’s crime novels in a warmly familiar package. Developed for television by Øystein Karlsen and starring Kerry Godliman (After Life) as the titular Pearl Nolan, the series offers an absorbing, low-stakes murder mystery experience with more heart than horror.

Pearl is a single mother, ex-police officer, and current proprietor of The Whitstable Pearl, the town’s local seafood restaurant. But she also runs a private detective agency on the side – a convenient excuse for poking around when something fishy turns up in the harbour besides oysters. She’s joined by her forthright mother Dolly (Frances Barber – Silk / Doctor Who), who serves food and side-eye in equal measure, and her loyal son Charlie (Rohan Nedd).

Each episode begins with what seems a mundane problem – a missing person, suspicious behaviour, or a quarrel – that inevitably ends up revealing a corpse and a web of buried secrets. There’s something almost nostalgic in the way the show embraces the idea that small towns like Whitstable are really just Agatha Christie villages with Wi-Fi.

Opposite Pearl is DCI Mike McGuire, a gruff London transplant still mourning the loss of his wife. Played with simmering restraint by Howard Charles (The Musketeers), McGuire is a man closed off to life – and especially to love. Naturally, he and Pearl develop a will-they-won’t-they relationship full of emotional false starts and seaside stares. Their dynamic adds a thread of romantic tension to the weekly whodunnits, with sparks flying and frustrations simmering.

Supporting cast members like Sophia Del Pizzo as DS Nikki Martel and Isobelle Molloy as the ever-cheerful waitress Ruby provide texture to the town, while Robert Webb (as Pearl’s series 2–3 love interest, Tom Grant) and Emily Head (as McGuire’s short-lived partner Kat Bergman) round out the romantic entanglements.

The show is at its best when it’s not trying to reinvent the genre but rather to settle comfortably within it. There are no bleak Scandi-noir monologues or stomach-churning autopsies here. The violence is mild, the emotions steady, and the pacing gently episodic. If you enjoy the likes of Midsomer Murders, Inspector Morse or Beyond Paradise, you’ll feel right at home.

Visually, Whitstable Pearl is a treat. Filmed primarily on location in Kent – with key scenes shot in Whitstable’s harbour, yacht club and nearby beaches – the series makes excellent use of its coastal setting. The occasional jaunts to Margate, Ramsgate and Dover only enrich the sense of place. There's a quiet beauty to the boats bobbing in the mist, the wind-tossed sea grass, and the low grey skies that add atmosphere without ever threatening to overshadow the story.

While the mysteries themselves may not rival Poirot’s for intricacy, they are more than serviceable, offering neat conclusions and enough twists to keep things engaging. The show understands that, at the end of a long day, many viewers don’t want to be challenged – they just want to spend time with characters they like in a place they wouldn't mind visiting.

Kerry Godliman’s performance as Pearl is key to the show’s charm. She’s not your typical glamorous detective, but rather a warm, no-nonsense everywoman who relies more on instinct and empathy than deduction. Charles' McGuire, meanwhile, gives the series a welcome counterbalance of grit and gravity, while Barber’s Dolly regularly steals scenes with her sardonic wit and implied backstory.

Whitstable Pearl doesn’t aim to dazzle – but it doesn’t need to. It’s reliable, comfort viewing, and Acorn TV wisely renewed it for a third series in 2024. The platform itself, at just £4.99/month (with a free trial available), remains one of the best-value streaming services for fans of British and international crime drama.

In all, Whitstable Pearl offers a breezy mix of local intrigue, coastal charm and character-led storytelling. It may not be groundbreaking, but it’s exactly the kind of thing you want on a quiet evening with a blanket and a cuppa – and sometimes, that’s more than enough.

^{Laurence Marcus}