Watch the Trailer for Upcoming Acorn TV Original 'Whitstable Pearl'

Acorn TV's new original mystery series Whitstable Pearl lands next week, and aims to explores the dark undercurrents of murder and debauchery swirling beneath the surface of the English seaside town of Whitstable, famous for its native oysters and buffeted by the prevailing winds and spray of the North Sea.

Based on the much-loved novels The Whitstable Pearl Mystery and Disappearance at Oare by Julie Wassmer, the series stars After Life's Kerry Godliman as Pearl Nolan, a woman who has always dreamed of becoming a detective. However an unplanned pregnancy in her early twenties left her police career in tatters before it ever truly began. Instead, Pearl resolved to pour all her energy into raising her son, Charlie (Rohan Nedd), alongside working with her mum, Dolly (Frances Barber), to build the family seafood restaurant - the eponymous Whitstable Pearl - into a thriving business.

Eighteen years have passed since then, and the restaurant has become an iconic feature of their coastal hometown, Whitstable. With Charlie all grown up and making plans for his gap year, Pearl can’t help shaking the feeling that there is more to life than just serving oysters and cava. Determined to rekindle her passion for life, Pearl sets up a private detective agency. Known amongst the community for her caring and compassionate nature, locals soon flock to her with all manner of cases. When a new mysterious client arrives in Whitstable and demands Pearl investigate an old family friend, she is left feeling conflicted over what she should do. Pearl reluctantly agrees to take on the case, believing she can help get her friend out of whatever trouble he’s managed to land himself in this time. However, when his body is discovered under gruesome circumstances, Pearl is unwilling to accept the official verdict that it was a tragic accident.