Bookish Season 1 Review: When a Bookshop Beats the Law

TL;DR

If you’ve ever wanted to watch a librarian outwit actual killers with nothing more than dusty tomes and Victorian grammar pedantry, welcome home.

Bookish is crime drama for people who think guns are vulgar and ignorance should be punished by embarrassment.

It’s clever. It’s smug. It’s slow. And it absolutely delights in making the police look like enthusiastic interns.

Not thrilling. Not gritty.But sharper than it looks, like a letter opener disguised as décor.

CRIMENET approved.

Before you watch Bookish, equip yourself properly.This is not a show for idiots with energy drinks. You need tea, tweed, and intellectual arrogance.

→ Classic Bone China Teacup & Saucer (Royal Albert style), Drink from this while judging fictional detectives and real people alike.

→ Or slink back to our CRIMENET Cozy Crime Hub and admit you’re not ready

Sherlock, But With Better Cardigans

This show scratches a very specific itch: watching the police be outsmarted by a man whose most dangerous weapon is owning too many books. CRIMENET approves. Not because it’s edgy, but because every episode quietly screams: “The system is useless, let the weirdos handle it.”

Gabriel Book doesn’t kick doors. He doesn’t interrogate suspects. He judges them silently, which is far more devastating. The cops arrive with notebooks and optimism, and leave having learned absolutely nothing. Again.

That’s not crime fiction. That’s public service broadcasting.

Six Episodes, Three Murders, Zero Sense of Urgency

The plot moves like a pensioner reversing a Jaguar into a hedge. Slowly. Carefully. With confidence that borders on delusion.

Each mystery unfolds over two episodes, which sounds indulgent until you realise half that time is spent watching people sip tea, stare meaningfully at spines of books, and explain metaphors nobody asked for.

And yet, it works. Because the show knows exactly what it is: a smug intellectual jog, not a chase. No explosions. No ticking clocks. Just vibes and murder politely waiting its turn.

Everyone’s Suspect, Except the Man Judging You

Mark Gatiss as Gabriel Book is phenomenal in the same way a cat is phenomenal: aloof, smug, and convinced it’s the smartest being in the room. He doesn’t solve crimes so much as allow the truth to reveal itself out of sheer intimidation.

His wife Trottie is the emotional ballast, the only person who occasionally punctures the balloon of his ego. Everyone else exists to either look suspicious, look baffled, or look like they’ve wandered in from a costume department that only owns tweed.

The police, meanwhile, are decorative. Like lawn gnomes with warrants.

Every Line Sounds Like It Owns a First Edition

The dialogue is sharp, clever, and occasionally so pleased with itself it practically applauds mid-sentence. Characters don’t speak; they perform. Every line feels like it’s been polished with a monocle.

Sometimes it’s brilliant. Sometimes it’s exhausting. But never boring.

You won’t quote it at parties unless your parties involve wine, Latin phrases, and people named Geoffrey.

Post-War London, But Make It Pinterest

Post-war London here looks like a museum exhibit titled “Hardship, But Make It Charming.” There’s poverty somewhere, allegedly, but mostly off-screen, so we can focus on bookshops, fireplaces, and the comforting idea that murder is just another intellectual puzzle.

It’s cosy crime taken to its logical extreme: danger without discomfort. Death without mess. Consequences without inconvenience.

Frankly, it’s aspirational.

At this point you’re either nodding smugly or screaming “YES” at your screen. Either way, you now need tools.

→ Brass Sherlock-Style Magnifying Glass, Completely useless, wildly pretentious, and guaranteed to make you feel smarter than the police.

→ Still hungry? Dive into our CRIMENET Crime TV Reviews where authority figures go to die.

Shot Like a Painting That Disapproves of You

The direction is restrained to the point of near-religious devotion. No flashy camera moves. No adrenaline. Everything is framed like it’s being judged by a librarian who will shush you if you fidget.

And that restraint is the point. This isn’t trying to impress you. It assumes you’re already impressed. If you aren’t, it doesn’t care.

That confidence is either seductive or infuriating. Possibly both.

Murder, Set to Polite Piano

The music exists mainly to reassure you that everything is under control. Gentle strings. Soft piano.

Nothing that might raise your pulse above “lightly concerned.”

If this soundtrack were a drink, it would be lukewarm Earl Grey served with a disapproving glance.

Justice, But Smarter Than You

Morality here is flexible, situational, and mostly decided by who sounds smartest. The show quietly suggests that justice isn’t about law enforcement, but about being right, preferably in a well-lit room surrounded by books.

The cops follow procedures. Gabriel Book follows logic. Guess who wins.

CRIMENET takes notes.

Comfort Viewing for People Who Hate Comfort

This isn’t a binge. It’s a slow burn you return to when your brain wants stimulation but your soul wants a cardigan.

You don’t devour Bookish. You nibble it. Like a smug biscuit.

How Long Can a Bookshop Outsmart the Law?

The fact this got renewed tells you everything: there is a ravenous audience for crime shows that don’t shout, don’t chase trends, and don’t pretend policing works.

As long as people enjoy watching authority figures be quietly humiliated by intellect, Bookish will survive.

Finished Bookish and feeling superior? Good. Lean into it.

→ Men’s Tweed Waistcoat (Classic British Cut), Put this on and instantly believe you could solve murders while seated.

→ Then continue the descent through our CRIMENET Villain & Antihero Archive, where morals are optional and intelligence is mandatory.

FAQ

Is Bookish worth watching in 2026? Only if you enjoy witty detectives, dusty bookshops, and solving puzzles over tea.

Does Bookish deliver real crime tension? Not in the visceral sense, it’s cozily cerebral, not gritty or gut-punching.

Is Bookish a good choice for crime genre fans? Yes for fans of classic mystery and unconventional sleuths; less so if you crave high-stakes noir.

Can I binge Bookish in a weekend? Absolutely, it’s leisurely paced but concise, ideal for slow Sunday evenings.

Are the characters memorable? The leads are charming; the rest add atmosphere more than drama.

How does Bookish compare to other period detective shows? It leans more charming than dark, more clever than intense, it’s cosy with bite, not blood.