It is a four-part serial[1] It later aired in 1981 when it was featured in the US PBS series, Mystery!, introduced by Vincent Price.
[3] There was a later adaptation of the novel by ITV Granada in 2005, starring Ben Miller and Megan Dodds.
The central character is a Devon physician, Dr. Bickleigh, who is in an unhappy marriage to a domineering wife, Julia.
Initially he has some hopes of divorcing Julia and marrying a younger woman, Madeleine, who he is flirting with.
However his hopes of divorce fade, and he uses his medical knowledge to murder Julia, to marry Madeleine.