The series is created by Emmy Award-winning writer Mark Gatiss and is produced by Eagle Eye Drama, part of ITV Studios and, as international partner, Beta Film is handling the world sales, with PBS Distribution holding North American rights.

Joining the cast for series two are, Jason Watkins (The Game, McDonald & Dodds)as Harold Sneed and Miranda Richardson (The Last Anniversary) as Duchess Alberta, alongside Simon Callow (Étoile, The Boy That Never Was)as ‘E’, Rupert Graves (Surface, Washington Black) as Colonel Reggie Winters, Claire Skinner (Outnumbered, Coma) as Mrs Calthrop and Youssef Kerkour (Home, Stay Close) as Yusuf.

Guest stars will also include Ricky Champ (Eastenders, Piglets) as Kendall, Allan Corduner (Tár, Homeland) as Maxie Kleinmann, Liza Sadovy (A Real Pain, Patience) as Ruth Kleinmann, Oli Fyne (Call the Midwife, Stella) as Hannah Kleinman, Ingrid Oliver (The Thursday Murder Club, Sweetpea) as Liesl Pohl and John Hopkins (A Very Royal Scandal, Masters of the Air) as Guy Windjammer. This series will also see the return of Rosie Cavaliero (Funny Woman, Kaos) as Ada Dredge, Gerard Horan (Belgravia: The Next Chapter, Detectorists) as Mr Baseheart, Nadia Albina (A Thousand Blows, All of You) as Dr Calder and Jonas Nay (Messiah Superstar, The Tattoist of Auschwitz) as Felix.

Mark Gatiss stars as Gabriel Book, alongside Polly Walker as Trottie Book and Connor Finch as Jack Blunt. The series also stars Elliot Levey as Inspector Bliss, Blake Harrison as Sergeant Morris and Buket Kömür as Nora.

In the second series, Book investigates the world of spiritualism when he’s asked to help solve the mysterious case involving medium, Harold Sneed (Watkins). Off Savile Row, Bliss asks Book to help in a puzzling murder at a gentleman’s outfitters – the elderly tailor Maxie Kleinmann (Corduner) is keen to confess to the murder but the evidence doesn’t quite stack up and points to something much more complex and sinister. And Book and Jack are sent to the seemingly charming German village of Würl by the mysterious ‘E’ (Callow) to thwart a thieving Duchess (Richardson) at Christmas time. However, festivities take a deadly turn when Book and Jack uncover secrets of their own, past and present, in an ominous castle brimming with plausible murder suspects.

The U&Original series has been commissioned by Helen Perry, head of drama commissioning for UKTV, and ordered by Emma Tibbetts, director of programming – scripted, and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. Executive producers for Eagle Eye Drama are Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino. The series is co-written with Matthew Sweet and Ian Hallard. Carolina Giammetta returns once again to direct the second series, and the producer is Jake Harvey.

Bookish is produced in association with Happy Duck Films and is supported by the Belgian Tax Shelter.