Detective Adam Dalgliesh is back in series 3 of the Channel 5 drama of the same name, based on the bestselling books by crime writer PD James.

Actor Bertie Carvel reprises his role as the poetic sleuth, alongside his sidekick DS Daniel Tarrant. They find themselves confronted with some very tricky cases to solve this time around.

Here's everything you need to know about Dalgliesh series 3, including plot, the books they are adapted from, start date, and cast.

Dalgliesh series 3: What's the plot?

Series 3 of detective drama Dalgliesh kicks off with Death in Holy Orders - Part 1 (based on the 11th book in the PD James Dalgliesh set).

Set in 1979, the third instalment of Dalgliesh sees Commander Adam Dalgliesh take on three "highly-charged and highly sensitive cases in different parts of the country".

The series kicked off in West Sussex, where the residents of St Anselm's Seminary are disgruntled by the arrival of their new trustee, Archdeacon Matthew Crampton. He is here on a crusade to modernise the seminary by selling of its valuable assets – including The Doom, a magnificent altarpiece.

However, the next morning, the archdeacon is found dead at the altar - following a bitter argument in church... Commander Dalgliesh and DS Tarrant arrive to investigate and find that nearly everyone has a personal grievance with the deceased archdeacon. And several have lied about their movements last night...

As accusations fly around St Anselm's, the residents are subsequently shocked by another death.

What PD James books are adapted in series 3 of Dalgliesh?

After Death in Holy Orders (episode 1 and 2), Dalgliesh series 3 will also adapt Cover Her Face (episodes 3 and 4) and Devices and Desires (episodes 5 and 6).

In Cover Her Face, the detective looks into a murder in the Essex manor house of a wealthy family with connections to the British government. He investigates when a young, ambitious maid is found dead.

In Devices and Desires, Dalgliesh is sent on an urgent mission to investigate a terrorist plot against a nuclear power station on the Kent coast – where he is soon drawn into a complex and highly-charged hunt for a serial killer.

Fans of PD James' books will have realised that the books are not being dramatised in order.

How many episodes is it?

Dalgliesh will return to Channel 5 and My5 with a two-parter at the beginning of December.

Each episode is one hour long, so consider it like a two-hour feature film aired over two consecutive nights.

More episodes are expected to follow towards the end of December or beginning of January 2025. As with series 1 and series 2 of Dalgliesh, the new season will consist of six episodes in total, with each double-header tackling a different novel in PD James' series of novels.

When is the start date?

The two episodes of Dalgliesh series 3 will air at 9pm on Thursday, December 5, and Friday, December 6, 2024 respectively.

The remaining episodes are expected to follow a similar pattern in subsequent weeks as Bertie Carvel returns to solve more cases as the titular detective.

Series 2 of the popular crime series finished in May 2023, so we've had quite the wait - more than 18 months!

Who is in the cast of Dalgliesh series 3?

Actor Bertie Carvel, 47, reprises his role as Adam Dalgliesh in series 3 of the detective drama. Of course, Bertie is known for playing cheating husband Simon Foster opposite Suranne Jones in Doctor Foster.

Alistair Brammer portrays Dalgliesh's sidekick DS Daniel Tarrant. Alistair is probably best known for playing Jack Diamond in Casualty from 2015 to 2016.

Actress Phoebe Nicholls is Agatha Betteron in the returning drama. Most recently, she starred as Anne in Netflix drama Eric.

Anton Lesser plays John Betteron in Dalgliesh series 3. He is simply brilliant in everything he does, most famously Wolf Hall, Endeavour, Game of Thrones, The Crown, and Andor. He also played a mean Fagin in Dickensian.

Claire Goose stars as Dr Emma Lavenham. She's best known for playing Tina Seabrook in Casualty, DC Amelia Silver in Waking the Dead, and Rachel Weston in The Bill.

Richard Lintern portrays Father Sebastian. Of course, Silent Witness fans will know him as the beloved Dr. Thomas Chamberlain.

Cleaning Up's Lloyd Owen plays George Gregory, Fool Me Once's Charlie Cain stars as Raphael Arbuthnot, and The Crown's Andrew Havill is ADN Matthew Crampton.

Meanwhile, Andor's Michael Jenn portrays Father Peregrine, Lloyd James plays Eric Surtees, Downton Abbey's Phoebe Sparrow stars as Karen Surtees, and Shetland actor Benjamin Cawley is Dr Mark Ayling.

Dalgliesh series 3 episodes 1 and 2 air at 9pm on Thursday, December 5, and Friday, December 6, 2024 respectively.