Zen Premieres on Masterpiece Mystery Sunday, July 17th

Tomorrow, Sunday July 17th, the first of three weekly episodes of Zen air on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery! (Check your local listings for times.)

Based on a character created by crime novelist Michael Dibdin, Zen stars Rufus Sewell as Italian police detective Aurelio Zen. All three of the episodes to be aired are adapted from novels in the series.

Zen, the sometimes cool, sometimes bumbling, but always impeccably stylish murder squad detective is saddled with an "unfortunate" reputation for integrity, and it hasn't exactly helped his career. Nor is his personal life thriving. In spite of advances from female suspects as and colleagues alike, he is pushing 40 and living with his doting mother after a failed marriage.

In the opening episode, titled "Vendetta" (and based on the second book in the series), Zen is handed a chance to play politics and salvage his career when a debauched billionaire construction magnate is murdered in his heavily fortified mountain retreat. Zen is driven to find something it seems only he wants — the truth. Well, the truth and the murder squad's new secretary, Tania Moretti.

Meanwhile, a vengeful killer is making his way to Rome, brutally executing those who sent him away to prison for murder. The final target of his vendetta: Aurelio Zen.

Watch a preview for the series below.