In this British television series, which was an enormous hit in Britain, Helen Mirren plays the role of Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison. She is the first woman to become head of the London police homicide division. The Prime Suspect series (only seven "chapters) follows her career.

We became addicted to the series a few months back and rented all seven DVDs in quick succession. Mirren plays a woman whose career comes first and manages to navigate herself up the ranks of a male-dominated police force with intricate internal politics. Yet, she never sacrifices her commitment to solving murders at whatever cost, even if it means defying her superiors. The seven cases are all of great interest, as the mystery of each murder unfolds, due to Jane Tennison's unrelenting pursuit of the killer.

What makes Prime Suspect so fascinating is Mirren's nuanced performance of a British working class woman who is devoted to her police work and her sense of justice, as well as her fascination with assembling clues. She has a remarkable ability to solicit information from sources, but -- due to her devotion to her job -- makes a mess of her personal life.

We've chosen to offer Prime Suspect 6, The Last Witness, because it interweaves international politics and accountability with a murder inquiry. Specifically, it traverses between a killing in London and Bosnian war crimes.

If you like murder and suspense thrillers for the thinking person, then the Prime Suspect series is for you.

And BuzzFlash readers won't be disappointed with "The Last Witness." Unlike American police films, there are is no fusillade of gunfire every five minutes, just fascinating character and plot development -- although there are some graphic morgue shots.

You can find out more on Prime Suspect on Wikipedia.