You do wonder if ITV were obliged to adapt all the Ruth Rendell stories they could get their hands on. Even if some were not good.

This one is a throwback to story from the 1950s or 60s. I just could not see this story working in the 1990s.

For a start you have to believe that a greedy stockbroker will stay chaste with his virginal girlfriend.

Lisa (Camilla Power) is an heiress with a superstitious mother. She is engaged to stockbroker Peter (Jason Flemyng.) Lisa is chaste and due to inherit on her 21st birthday.

It opens with Lisa and Peter at an art exhibition about doubles and twins. In folklore in some countries, when you see a double, it signifies impending death.

It just so happens Lisa is spooked when she sees Zoe. She looks just like Lisa but Zoe is confident and a vamp. She also works in the city.

Does this mean something bad is going to happen to Lisa. Maybe she should keep hold of all those good luck charms that her mother makes Lisa wear.

When Lisa is away, Peter gets it on with Zoe while Lisa gets some sort of bonding with Zoe even from a distance.

At all level this fails. The climax where Lisa takes a drive to the country to meet Peter is awful. She almost falls asleep while driving there just as some cyclists race by. Then climbs a tree thinking Peter as at the top. All the while, cross cutting with a seance that Lisa's mother is taking part in.

The crime genre features criminal activities, investigations, law enforcement, crimes, and the pursuit of justice. Crime stories often revolve around the planning, execution, and consequences of criminal acts, as well as the efforts to solve and prevent such acts. They explore various aspects of criminal behavior, motives, and the moral dilemmas faced by both perpetrators and those seeking to uphold the law.

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The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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The mystery genre features the investigation and solving of a puzzle, typically a crime or an enigmatic event. Mysteries are known for their suspenseful narratives, intricate plots, and the challenge they present to readers or viewers to piece together clues and solve the central mystery alongside the characters.

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Two identical women, one virginal and good and the other sexy and seductive, vie for the affections of a young stockbroker,

Michelle Newell in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1987)

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Where Peter and Lisa first see Zoe, the Double

Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK

George Baker, Keith Barron, John Castle, and Amanda Redman in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1987)

The Double

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