Mark Gatiss stars in quirky first trailer for new detective drama Bookish

In the trailer, we get a sense of some of the mysteries to come, with Book attending a crime scene with his wife Trottie, played by Bridgerton's Polly Walker.

The year is 1946, and when Connor Finch's Jack comes through the doors of Book's Books for the assistant job, he is greeted with a lot more than he bargained for when Trottie returns, telling them both of a crime that's unfolded "in suspicious circumstances".

When he visits the scene, Book tells some of the investigating officers: “Leave nothing out, especially if it’s salacious, gory, or vaguely scandalous."

The rest of the trailer gives us a brief snapshot at some of the familiar TV faces set to grace the series, including Daniel Mays, Rosie Cavaliero and Joely Richardson, to name a few.

You can watch it for yourself below.

The series is set to premiere on U&Alibi this July but even before any of the episodes have landed, Bookish was already renewed for its second season. Like season 1, season 2 will also consist of six episodes, focusing on one case per every two episodes.

On the renewal announcement, Gatiss said in a statement: "I’m thrilled that the team at U&alibi are allowing me to dive back into the world of Bookish and create more fiendish crimes for Gabriel Book and the team to solve.

"I can’t wait for viewers to immerse themselves in the world we’ve created when the first series airs in a few months’ time."

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To also coincide with the announcement, U has also shared a first-look clip of the premiere episode, which shows Jack (Connor Finch) getting acquainted with Book's shop and expressing a need "to get back to normal".

Described as a series that "marries post-war nostalgia with the reckless and life-affirming atmosphere of the times," Bookish is set to be a "fast-paced and stylish detective drama," according to its synopsis.

The official synopsis for Bookish reads: "London, 1946, is the dynamic, dangerous and chaotic setting for this stylish new detective drama, with the whip-smart and debonair Gabriel Book (Gatiss) at the very heart of the story: a maverick consultant detective to the local police.

"The thousands of books that line the shelves of his shop provide him with all the knowledge he needs to solve even the most puzzling of crimes."

It continues: "Book has gathered around him a host of lovable, damaged misfits whom he informally protects, cajoles, and mentors. His wife Trottie (Walker) runs the wallpaper shop next door.

"She’s a charismatic adventuress whom Book loves deeply but not physically, for they are in a 'lavender' marriage to help conceal Book’s sexual orientation in a time when it was illegal to be gay."

Bookish will air on U&Alibi this July.

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