Lauchhammer - Tod in der Lausitz

This six part series is set in what was a coal mining area of East Germany; now the mining has stopped and there are plans to attract tourists by converting the huge pits into lakes. As the story opens the body of a teenage girl is found on the shore of one of these lakes. Maik Briegand, a local man who now works for the national police force leads to investigation with new partner Annalena Gottknecht. There are quite a few suspects; the homeless man who found the body, her boyfriend, a local policeman who is involved with her mother, a property developer and a group of environmental campaigners based in nearby woods.

I thought this was a solid murder mystery that is told effectively. Key characters are quickly introduced as the investigation gets underway. Good use is made of the fact that this used to be East Germany with older residents missing the certainty of a job in the mine while younger people want nothing to do with polluting coal. There are enough suspects to keep one guessing right till the final reveal. The cast does a solid job. Overall a decent murder mystery set in an interesting location, worth watching if you enjoy the genre.

These comments are based on watching the series in German with English subtitles.