It's been a few years since I read the massive psychological/crime masterpiece The Roth Trilogy, by the British crime writer Andrew Taylor. Now ITV1 is airing a three part adaptation of the novels in ninety minute episodes, each covering the scope of one title.
Fallen Angel should make compelling viewing- Taylor himself, in his blog, writes that he has seen the previews, and feels it works 'wonderfully well' for the screen.
Essentially, The Roth Trilogy is unique in the annals of crime fiction. It tells the story of a female murderer, and how her soul and character become twisted and perverted, turning her into a true sociopathic personality. It's completely a question of whydunnit, but what is so unique is that the trilogy runs backwards. The first novel, the Four Last Things, centres around a child gone missing in the 1990s. The Judgment of Strangers moves us back to 1970, and finally we see the killer as a troubled child in The Office of the Dead, set in 1958.
I was lucky enough to interview Taylor a couple of years ago, and he explained the genesis of the story to me. He was living near Gloucester when the extent of the horrific crimes of Fred and Rosemary West were becoming public knowledge. He said : 'It's the first time I've been geographically fairly close to major murder case, and it was a strange experience. I was, and am, interested in the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, and lawful and unlawful. I wanted to do something that was structurally adventurous – and eventually the idea of three layers, like an archaeological dig, emerged, each one to be very different. The first title, The Four Last Things, came very early on, and it led automatically to the church background. And the characters were clamoring to be let out.'
Writer Peter Ransley, whose credits include A Good Murder and Fingersmith, took on the feat of adapting the trilogy for the screen, and the two key roles in the saga went to the magnificent Charles Dance and the lovely Emilia Fox, last seen together in ITV's 1997 production of Rebecca. Dance stars as the sexually frustrated priest David, and Fox as his murderous daughter Rosemary.
Rosemary, or Angel as she is known in part one, has become a woman prone to the most unspeakable crimes. She seems to be a completely different character when we see her as a seventeen year old in the second episode, as the story moves to the village of Roth, where David is Parish Priest. This episode is key to the unravelling of her personality as her father, with whom she had been very close, is set to remarry...Unfortunately, David is blinded by his own narcissism, and misses all the signs of pathological jealousy.
Part history of a family torn apart, part whydunnit, I'm hopeful that Fallen Angel will be as riveting as the books. With a stellar cast which includes Clare Holman (Lewis, Marple) , Sheila Hancock (After Thomas, Bleak House), and Niamh Cusack (Too Good to be True, Loving You), and superb material, let's hope ITV is on to a winner.
Be sure to catch the behind the scenes special which features not only material on the making of the show, but a fascinating insight into the psychology of the characters. Consultant psychologist Professor Vincent Egan examines the character of Rosemary and the rare breed of female serial killer, and interviews with Andrew Taylor, Peter Ransley and the cast will also be featured. The documentary will air on ITV 3 at 10:30 on Tuesday night, following the final episode on ITV1.
The DVD will also be released om March 19th in the UK.
Fallen Angel airs on ITV1 Sunday March 11th, Monday 12th, and Tuesday 13th at 9 pm.
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