《探长薇拉》改编自著名罪案小说家Ann Cleeves的小说,由Paul Rutman改编成剧本。布兰达·布莱斯饰演探长薇拉(Vera),和《神探维兰德》中的Wallander一样,她也有各种属于自己的问题,死去父亲的阴影、孤独、体重影响的疾病……但案子总是排在第一位的。在年轻帅气的警探Joe Ashworth(大卫·莱昂饰演)的协助下,两人共同破了许多案件,帮助了许多受害者的家人伸张正义。Vera's former colleague Stuart Macken kills himself after his house is fire-bombed, leaving his daughter Stella in a coma. Vera learns that Stuart never recovered from his wife Marianne leaving him for Brian Gower and had to be made subject of a restraining order. Given the two men's mutual antipathy, Gower is Vera's prime suspect but then there are others, people he recently arrested. One is Stella's former school teacher and another may have been her older lover. Indeed Stella turns out to hold the key to everything. At the same time Vera's perceived bias toward Stuart leads to a run-in with constable Holly.