Guy Davis recommends lovers of intriguing, unsettling mysteries check out the new Foxtel production The Kettering Incident I was expecting certain things from the new eight-episode Foxtel miniseries The Kettering Incident. 
I was expecting something chilly and confronting in terms of atmosphere and tone; I was expecting a high level of quality in the work on both sides of the camera.
After watching the first couple of episodes of this made-in-Tasmania production, I was satisfied on both counts. But even more pleasantly, I was surprised by the direction it was taking.
Following the progress of the production while it was filming, it was my understanding the miniseries would be a home-grown take on the compelling "Scandi-noir" murder mysteries that have enthralled so many viewers over the past few years - think of The Killing or The Bridge.
And it's true that The Kettering Incident does echo the pace and style of such programs in many respects, with the Tasmanian locations providing a backdrop rich in grim beauty.
But what I wasn't prepared for was an underlying strangeness to the story and the way it is told. Indeed, there are times when The Kettering Incident feels more akin to David Lynch's moody, mysterious and magnificent Twin Peaks than a traditional police procedural.
That may initially throw some viewers for a loop. But sometimes it's good to be knocked off-balance, especially when the people telling the tale appear to have such tremendous control over what they're doing and how they're doing it.
The story begins 15 years ago in the Tasmanian town of Kettering, with two teenage girls bicycling in the woods. As it turns out, they're not alone. But whatever is in there with them â€¦ well, that's a little harder to explain.
One of the girls, Gillian, vanishes without a trace. We encounter the other, Dr Anna Macy (Elizabeth Debicki, who combines elegant and haunted to unnerving effect), in the present day, living in London and prone to blackouts.
After one such incident, Anna returns to Kettering, where the reception to her homecoming is less than hospitable. The locals still remember Gillian's disappearance, and many believe Anna played a significant part in it.
And now that another girl has vanished, Anna finds herself drawn into a mystery that becomes more and more labyrinthine with each step she takes towards trying to understand it.
Who's behind all these weird goings- on? Is human nature playing a role? Mother Nature? Is there something extra-terrestrial lurking?
Whatever information is doled out by the makers of The Kettering Incident is given sparingly and sometimes cryptically.
But it's also delivered in a way that makes you hungry to know more, and the presence of Debicki, and a superb cast adds plenty of texture to the story.
It's not exactly warm and cuddly fare, this one. But sometimes something with a bit of an edge is just what you need for a cold winter evening. And The Kettering Incident's edge is finely honed.
* The Kettering Incident Premieres Monday,   July 4, 8.30pm, onShowcase (through Foxtel).