The Scold's Bridle

This powerful adaptation of the Minette Walters novel is about the investigation into the murder of an elderly woman who was found dead in her bath wearing the Scold's Bridle.

The Scold's Bridle is a medieval device of repression, used to silence nagging women.

When Detective Sgt. Cooper (Bob Peck) is called to the scene of the death of Mathilda Gillespie (Sian Phillips), although bizarre in a bath of blood wearing the Scold' Bridle, it seems like a simple, open and shut case of suicide.

However, after speaking with Mathilda's doctor, Dr. Sarah Blakeney (Miranda Richardson), Cooper realises that this due to her arthritis this must be a homocide.

As Cooper investigates further into the life and background of Mathilda he discovers that she was almost universally hated.

The only exceptions to this appear to be Dr. Blakeney and her husband Jack (Douglas Hodge) who painted a portrait of Mathilda wearing the Scold's Bridle.

The case takes many weird twists and many dark secrets, past and present, are exposed as Cooper tenaciously attempts to discover the murderer.