Gabriel (Mark Gatiss) and his wife Trottie (Polly Walker) are quite a pair. While he runs the bookstore, she is next door with her wallpaper shop. Together they join efforts to solve the local murders. Their marriage is not conventional, as viewers discover in the first episode. And Book has his own personal secrets he is hiding from the world.

Also in the opening episode, Gabriel, aka Book, hires a young man to help in the bookstore, as he is often away working on the crimes. Jack (Connor Finch) has a past, which doesn’t concern Book in the least. Jack is just as mysterious as his new boss and he happens to appear at the right time. Coincidence? This offbeat group manages to get to the bottom of several mysteries while at the same time slowly revealing things about their own pasts.

Book is able to freely work with the police, thanks to “a letter from Churchill.” What is in the letter? It is a carte-blanch for him to investigate unrestricted by the police. In a sense, it is permission from the top. Viewers never get to see what it says, if anything. It is as big an enigma as Book himself.

The series takes place in London right after World War II, where there are several bombed-out locations. This gritty atmosphere adds to the bleakness of not only the city but also the stories.

There are three storylines in the six episodes of this season. Each story runs two episodes.

The first story involves the “suicide” of a local chemist, which in the U.S.A. is called a pharmacist. It is immediately evident to Book that this was no suicide. As he quickly discovers, there are a couple of suspects to investigate, which he does.

The second storyline involves a movie being filmed on Archangel Lane, where Book’s bookstore is situated. These little nuances add to the fun of the series. As the murders on the set continue, it is just a matter of time for Book, in his brilliance, to uncover the murderer.

And the final two episodes delve into the past as two exiled princesses are associated with the latest murder. They have been in fear for their lives, but others are the ones ending up dead. Book, Trottie and Jack make a great team, leading to conclusions to the murders.

This series is a unique and fresh look in the “cozy crime genre.” Besides the eccentricities of Book and Trottie, the characters are definitely quirky and each of their pasts are riddled with secrets. The finale uncovers some of the mysteries that have threaded themselves throughout the season.

At this time, there is no confirmation whether there will be a second season; however, as with other fun crime series on PBS, namely “The Marlow Murder Club,” there most likely will be another season.

In the meantime, “Bookish” is available to stream on PBS platforms, including the PBS website and the PBS app. It is also available to stream on PBS Masterpiece on Prime Video, and via PBS Passport. The series began dropping Jan. 11, 2026, and will drop the finale on Feb. 15.