Michelle Keegan transformed into a ruthless copper drawn into a corruption conspiracy, in first look snaps from her police thriller The Blame.

The actress' role in the series was her first after giving birth to her daughter Palma last year, and she has since admitted it was 'daunting' returning to work after becoming a mother for the first time.

The series, which will air this autumn, sees Michelle and co-star Douglas Booth play detectives investigating the murder of a teen ice skater, with a shadow of secrets, suspicion, and systemic corruption quickly descending over a seemingly quiet town.

The snaps show Michelle and Douglas teaming up to investigate the murder, after she discovers far darker secrets lying beneath the surface. 

DI Emma Crane (played by Michelle), and DI Tom Radley (Douglas) identify their main suspect, but as the case progresses, an unexpected lead comes to light. 

As Emma and Tom dig deeper, they uncover a web of lies, institutional cover ups and moral compromise, which forces Emma to question the people closest to her.

Michelle previously shared that her co-workers were really 'supportive' of her as she returned to work for the first time after giving birth to her daughter Palma.

Speaking at the ITV Showcase in April, she said: 'Coming back to work after having a baby is quite daunting.

'But the production were so supportive and I was so looked after and it was like working with family.'

Michelle was joined by co-star Douglas Booth and added that they had good chemistry straight away as they bonded over quizzes.

The former soap star said: 'It was quite organic [our relationship] we got on straight away and we were doing quizzes in the makeup chair. That's how we bonded, quizzes and food.' 

Since wrapping work on The Blame, Michelle has begun filming her new collaboration with author Harlan Coben, this time an adaptation of his novel The Woods.

The Netflix show follows 2024's Fool Me Once, which starred Michelle alongside Adeel Akhtar, Richard Armitage and Joanna Lumley. 

Michelle won mass critical acclaim for the role and was tipped for Hollywood glory for her role as widow Maya Stern. 

Harlan created the series and acts as executive producer through his company, Final Twist Productions. On The Woods, he said: 'It's one of my most personal novels.... 

'Like the story's hero, Paul Copeland, I worked as a counselor at a sleepaway camp when I was too young for the job.'

Michelle meanwhile said: 'What's really exciting for me as an actor is that Lucy is dealing with these deep, personal secrets...

'So, I get to really explore her vulnerability and that emotional push and pull, which just makes the story feel so real and powerful.'

A synopsis for The Woods teases: 'Twenty years ago, Paul 'Cope' Copeland's sister Camille vanished from a summer camp in the woods, a loss that tore his family apart.

'Now a top barrister and devoted single father to ten-year-old daughter Cami, Cope appears to have rebuilt his life. 

'But when the body of a man turns up - twenty years after he was supposedly murdered alongside Camille - Cope becomes convinced his sister may have made it out of the woods alive too.

'Determined to uncover the truth, Cope reunites with his first love, Lucy Silverfield (Keegan), and together they begin a search for answers, unearthing years of lies, cover-ups, and family secrets that threaten to destroy everything he has built.'