Dalgliesh season 2 cast - Meet the characters in the Channel 5 drama

The series is adapted from PD James's Dalgliesh novel collection, covering Death of an Expert Witness (episodes 1 and 2) followed by A Certain Justice (episodes 3 and 4) and The Murder Room (episodes 5 and 6).

A new face also joins Dalgliesh and Miskin's team, which creates some tension, and there are also plenty of guest stars across the second instalment.

Who's in the cast of Dalgliesh season 2?

The main cast of Dalgliesh season 2 is as follows:

• Bertie Carvel as Adam Dalgliesh
• Carlyss Peer as Kate Miskin
• Alistair Brammer as Daniel Tarrant

And there are plenty of guest stars too, a number of whom you'll recognise from other projects.

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast and characters in Dalgliesh season 2.

Bertie Carvel plays Adam Dalgliesh

Who is Adam Dalgliesh? Detective Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh is the protagonist of the PD James mystery novels. Reserved and enigmatic, Dalgliesh is a widower and is reluctant to commit to anyone following her passing.

He's also a published poet and has begun writing again after taking a break. In season 2, his agent wants him to ditch his police work and commit to poetry full-time. "In the first episode Blanche asks him, 'Why don't you give up your day job and stop looking at dead people and come and be Dylan Thomas?' And I think inside a voice goes, 'Why not? Why wouldn't I do that?'"

Where have I seen Bertie Carvel before? Bertie Carvel is best known for playing cheating husband Simon Foster in Doctor Foster alongside Suranne Jones and his role as magician Jonathan Strange in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. He also plays Tony Blair in The Crown, starred in ITV drama The Sister with Russell Tovey, appeared in the film adaptation of Les Misérables and won two Olivier awards for his work on stage in Matilda the Musical and Ink.

Carlyss Peer plays Kate Miskin

Who is Kate Miskin? DS Kate Miskin is Dalgliesh's work partner. "The two of them have become closer through working together and at the beginning of the new series we sense that possibly Miskin is developing feelings for Dalgliesh or at least thinking about him a little too much," said writer Helen Edmundson.

Where have I seen Carlyss Peer? You might recently have spotted her in an episode ion Beyond Paradise playing a woman whose house was burgled. Her CV also includes Doctors, ITV crime drama Viewpoint, sci-fi series The Feed and Holby City.

Alistair Brammer plays Daniel Tarrant

Who is Daniel Tarrant? DS Daniel Tarrant joins Dalgliesh and Miskin's team in episode 3. "He's in his late 20s and unlike Miskin, he's been fast-tracked into becoming a detective quite quickly, purely because as a white, male, Cambridge graduate he's from a privileged background," said Brammer.

"He's certainly a product of his time – but he's a good guy. He's got a good heart. He's quietly good at his job, he's got good instincts. I think he can read people well. He’s certainly got the makings of a good detective."

Where have I seen Alistair Brammer before? He's best known for his stage work, appearing in Les Mislerables, War Horse and Miss Saigon. You night recognise him from Casualty.

Dalgliesh episodes 1 and 2 guest stars

• Dominic Rowan (Law and Order: UK) as Dr Edmund Lorrimer - a senior forensic biologist
• Sam Hoare (Grace) as Maximillian Howarth - the director of the laboratory where Lorrimer works
• Margaret Clunie (Victoria) as Domenica Howarth - Howarth's sister, who lives with him
• Richard Harrington (Hinterland) as Dr David Rollinson - a forensic biologist who worked on dozens of cases with Lorrimer
• Lara Cohen and Ezra Carlisle as Nell and William Rollinson - Rollinson's children
• Stuart Graham (The Fall) as DI Doyle
• Alyth Ross (Last Light) as Brenda Pridmore - the clerical officer at the lab
• Carolina Main (Unforgotten, Blood) as Angela Foley - Howarth's secretary and Lorrimer's cousin.
• Shanaya Rafaat (EastEnders) as Stella Mawson - Angela's partner
• Perry Millward (Monroe) as Clifford Bradley - junior biologist who worked under Lorrimer.
• Francis Mezza (Derry Girls) as DC Mercer
• Conor Hinds (The Innocent) as DC Carling
• Deborah Findlay (The Split) as Miss Willard - Rollinson's housekeeper
• David Hargreaves as Lorrimer's father
• Debbie Chazen (The Last Kingdom) as Blanche Fielding - Dalgliesh's agent
• Lucy Cray-Miller (The Frankenstein Chronicles) as Mrs Pridmore - Brenda's mum

Dalgliesh episodes 3 and 4 guest stars

• Yaseen Aroussi (Irma Vep) as Garry Ashe - he's on trial for the murder of his aunt
• Sara Stewart (Doctor Foster) as Venetia Aldridge - the barrister who represents Gary in court
• Daisy Waterstone (The Durrells) as Octavia Aldridge - Venetia's daughter
• Venetia's colleagues – Old (Desmond) Ulrick, Drysdale Laud and Hubert Langton are played by Michael Maloney (The Trial of Christine Keeler), Silas Carson (The Gold) and Michael Culkin (The Crown)
• Charlotte McCurry (Hope Street) as Valerie Caldwell - the barristers' clerk
• Barbara Marten (The Mill) as Janet Carpenter - Venetia's housekeeper
• Alex Hope (Outlander) as Young (Matthew) Ulrick - Desmond's son and Venetia's pupil
• Liz Crowther (Doctors) as Margaret Jackson - an acquaintance of Janet's who is interviewed by the police
• David Bamber (Flesh and Blood) as Edgar Froggart - a teacher who knew Venetia's father and has followed her career
• Michael Amaria as Father Presteign
• Marsha Millar (Top Boy) as Dorothy Scully - the neighbour who reported Garry Ashe to the police
• David Pearse (Trivia) as Miles Kynaston - the pathologist

Dalgliesh episodes 3 and 4 guest stars

• James Esler (Litvinenko) as Neville Dupayne - a doctor who has a fraught relationship with his siblings
• Michelle Duncan (Elizabeth Is Missing) as Caroline Dupayne - Neville's sister. She's the headmistress at Swathling Girls' Academy
• Nicholas Banks (Why Didn't They Ask Evans?) as Marcus Dupayne - the third Dupayne sibling. He runs a museum
• Sorcha Cusack (Father Brown) as Tally Clutton - the Dupayne family's housekeeper
• Sylvestra Le Touzel (Intelligence) as Muriel Godby - the Dupayne family's secretary/receptionist
• Nathaniel Christian (The Capture) as Ryan Archer - a handy man who works alongside Muriel
• Anastasia Hille (Baptiste) as Marie Strickland - she conducts tours and helps curate exhibits at the Dupayne museum
• Rose Galbraith (Auditon) as Victoria Mellock - a student at the academy
• Robin Soans (Victoria) as Major Arkwright - Ryan lodges with him
• Richard Goulding (The Windsors) as Lord Martlesham - he's interviewed by Dalgliesh after his name crops up
• Bailey Patrick (London Kills) as Douglas Anderson - a forensic scientist
• Robinah Kironde (The Widow) as Angela Fox - the receptionist at Neville's surgery
• Nick Dunning (The Tudors) as Roger Denholm - a mysterious figure from the UK's Secret Intelligence Service who meets with Dalgliesh

Dalgliesh airs on Channel 5 on Thursdays and Fridays at 9pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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