Lady Felicia's chauffeur Sid sees a man disposing of a body but the police claim that the dead man, Archie Waterson, drowned himself and warn Sid to say nothing. Archie was working as an art restorer for eccentric Lord Masters but when Father Brown and Lady Felicia visit it is apparent that the supposed restoration is a front for an MI5 operation, headed by Daniel Whittaker, whom Lady Felicia knew in the war. Whittaker tries to blackmail Felicia into finding out what Father Brown knows about the dead man since the priest has found a message from Archie which will lead to the identity of his killer and their motive.

To be honest, "The Man in the Shadows" is a preposterous tale of spying, espionage and mysterious doings on. A body is found dead in the local river; the local police inspector keeps his distance, but Lady Felicia's chauffeur Sid (Alex Price) discovers some uncomfortable truths about the case and is imprisoned for his pains. Father Brown (Mark Williams) investigates, and comes into conflict with shady spymaster Daniel Whittaker (Daniel Flynn) who seems to have a mysterious hold over Lady Felicia.

That such goings-on should happen in a sleepy English village seems rather hard to believe. Director Paul Gibson manages to recapture the atmosphere of paranoia existing during the Cold War when people's obsession with truth and loyalty led them to suspect anyone, even the most innocuous-looking of people. Nonetheless, the story, and particularly its denouement, seems somewhat far-fetched.

Duration: 3 Discs HD DVD-9 Plastic Bag Packing Ver. ( 15 Episodes Complete Series )