Market for Murder

"Market for Murder" may not quite be classic 'Midsomer Murders', some of the show's best episodes being in the first three seasons alone. This said, it is still an excellent episode and sees Season 5 getting off to a strong start.

While the murderer's identity was surprising, their motive(s) were somewhat far-fetched and a little too hastily explained. To a lesser extent, count me in as another person who noticed the continuity error in the second murder and found it on the sloppy side.

However, as always, the production values are top notch, with to die for scenery, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. The music fits perfectly, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre.

Meanwhile, the script is smart, thought-provoking and suitably grim, the humour also being a breath of fresh air. Nothing felt inconsequential, everything had a point, everything intrigued and any loose ends were tied together nicely.

The story, over the top and elaborate but appropriately and wonderfully so and with a suitable grimness, is hugely compelling, and never simplistic and never losing any of the maturity of the previous episodes. There is a lot going on mostly without being cluttered or rushed (remarkable for an episode that as ever is heavy in exposition), and that nothing is what it seems, or very few people are who they seem adds to the complexity, while there are no out of kilter scenes. The twists, red herrings and turns keep coming, and rarely in an obvious or press-the-rewind button. The characters are colourful and eccentric, again one of the charms of the show and something that was missing for a lot of the previous season.

Acting is very good, superb in the case of John Nettles, and his chemistry with Daniel Casey (a great contrast as ever as Troy), Jane Wymark (love their loving chemistry) and Barry Jackson always convincing and more. The supporting cast are all fine, no weak links.

To conclude, excellent episode and an every bit as excellent start to the fifth season, a fond reminder of when 'Midsomer Murders' was good. 9/10 Bethany Cox

A group of housewives and a widow gather each week at a book club. At least they say it is a book club. It is actually an investment club. They are relatively well healed and are able to sneak some money into their accounts. As of late, the leader, a surly widow, tells them that they have done very well. But there is dissension in the ranks. Each has a private life that causes conflict. One night a rich cheapskate who has a young wife gets into his classic car and the thing catches fire and explodes. Soon, thereafter, the woman who runs the club is battered to death in her house. I won't get into all the female characters, but they are pretty much nice women (though some a bit snobbish). Suddenly, they begin to be murdered in various ways. There are some secrets and some spousal abuse and an eccentric character who acts like a child. Things become quite unglued as Barnaby and Troy wade through the usual red herrings and subterfuge.

This is a good episode, though I have to agree with one poster, that the solution came out of left field.

Barnaby and Troy are called in to investigate a car fire -- thankfully, there were no injuries. However, murders do occur: First, there's the murder of an elderly woman who is found bludgeoned in her home. The victim, Marjorie Empson, ran a reading club, which was really a front for five village women to invest in the stock market. It turns out that two members wanted to cash out but were voted down.

Then a second member of the club is killed.

Barnaby and Troy find adultery, unhappy marriages, a woman trying to handle her hypochondriacal husband, a pool man who seems too handy, and people receiving mysterious packages that indicate that someone knows their secrets.

Market for Murder is an enjoyable episode, with Troy indulging in his secret love for a childhood hero, The Hawk, buying the latest edition of his story. (Can he fly? asks Barnaby. Only when he's a hawk, Troy says.) And Barnaby is worrying about his pension which seems to be with a shaky company.

In order to make the end a little more satisfying, the script needed some shoring up. It's still pretty good.

It's one of those episodes where the most unlikely events are matched with even more unlikely outcomes. It starts off with a bang, and ends in dramatic style.

It's a well written and well crafted mystery, it's full of twists and turns, and on several occasions you're pushed into the wrong direction by the characters.

Some terrific performances, Anton Rodgers of course stands out, he is marvellous as the hypochondriac Lord Chetwood, Barbara Leigh Hunt and Angela Thorne are great also.

It's a little off the wall, a little crazy, but it's certainly enjoyable. Not the killer(s) I expected. 8/10

A prominent resident is robbed and battered to death with her walking stick, and suspicion soon falls on the members of her reading club - which turns out to be a front for a lucrative investment portfolio.

A standard MM with the usual murders and tangled motives and eccentric suspects, though it's humour is than others. Not a great episode, but not bad either.