Emilia Fox Returns in ‘Compulsive’ Detective Drama Fans Call ‘One of the Best UK Series in Years’

Fans who have been waiting for Emilia Fox to return to one of her most stylish crime roles finally have their wish. The Silent Witness star is back as former British spy Sylvia Fox, with murder, espionage and the stunning Italian countryside combining in a detective drama viewers have described as “compulsive,” “captivating” and “sensational.”

Signora Volpe returns for its third series on Acorn TV, picking up after Sylvia’s dangerous ordeal in the previous season.

She may have physically and mentally recovered from being abducted, but the consequences haven’t disappeared.

Sylvia is still waiting for answers from her former husband Adam Haines about his previous dealings with the person responsible for her kidnapping.

And she won’t have much time to enjoy a peaceful life in Umbria before another suspicious death demands her attention.

A Winery Murder Pulls Sylvia Back Into Action

The opening episode places Sylvia at the center of another investigation when the owner of a local winery is murdered.

But solving crimes in picturesque Italy doesn’t mean Sylvia has forgotten the skills she acquired during her former career.

A preview shows her putting her espionage experience to work as she secretly watches someone connected to her investigation.

The situation quickly becomes dangerous when Sylvia finds herself held at gunpoint.

She responds exactly as viewers familiar with the character might expect.

Sylvia swiftly disarms the person confronting her before making it clear that she wants answers.

It is an immediate reminder that beneath her seemingly relaxed Italian existence is a highly trained former operative.

More Mysteries Await

The winery investigation is only part of Sylvia’s third-season story.

Another case revolves around the mysterious death of a handsome young man discovered in the bed of a powerful couple.

There is one particularly awkward complication.

The couple insist they have never seen him before.

That leaves Sylvia facing the kind of mystery the series does particularly well: an apparently impossible situation hiding secrets beneath an elegant surface.

Meanwhile, her personal life is becoming increasingly complicated.

Sylvia’s Romance Could Threaten the Life She’s Built

Sylvia’s relationship with Giovanni Riva continues to deepen.

But Giovanni’s divorce is being finalized, and his desire to settle down in Umbria raises an unexpected problem for Sylvia.

After building an independent existence for herself, she must consider how much of that freedom she is prepared to surrender for a more settled relationship.

That conflict adds another dimension to a season already dealing with the lingering consequences of her kidnapping and unanswered questions surrounding Adam.

Emilia Fox Trained With an Espionage Expert

Fox previously revealed that considerable preparation went into making Sylvia’s former intelligence career convincing.

Before the series first aired, the actress said she worked with someone experienced in espionage.

Her preparation included firearms work and movement coaching, right down to learning where a trained operative might position themselves inside a room.

She was also taught how somebody with that background could use everyday surroundings to remain aware of who was following them.

Fox recalled being shown how reflections in car wing mirrors could help determine whether someone was behind her.

Those seemingly small details help give Sylvia a distinctive edge.

She may be investigating murders in beautiful Italian surroundings, but she never completely stops thinking like a spy.

Viewers Say They Were ‘Instantly Hooked’

The combination has already earned the series enthusiastic reactions from audiences.

One viewer praised the actors, mysteries and Italian scenery, saying the show provided a welcome alternative to darker and more depressing crime dramas.

Another described the series as “terrific” and singled out Fox’s performance, the plotting, pacing and memorable characters.

For some fans, Fox herself is enough reason to watch.

“Anything with Emilia Fox in is compulsive viewing as far as I’m concerned and this is just as compulsive,” one viewer wrote.

Another said they were “instantly hooked,” praising the “gripping plots, stunning Italian scenery and top-tier cast.”

Other reactions have called the drama “captivating,” “sensational” and even “the best new show in years.”

Murder, Espionage and an Italian Escape

That mixture is precisely what separates Signora Volpe from many conventional detective dramas.

Its mysteries can become dangerous, but they’re surrounded by the warmth and beauty of Italy rather than an endlessly bleak atmosphere.

At the center of everything is Sylvia: intelligent, fiercely independent and seemingly incapable of completely leaving her old life behind.

With a murdered winery owner, an unexplained body in the bed of two strangers, unfinished business from Sylvia’s kidnapping and a romance threatening the independence she fiercely protects, Emilia Fox’s glamorous former spy has plenty waiting for her as the fan-favourite mystery returns.