This mystery opens in Midsomer Oak's church where a local magician, Gideon Latimer, is putting on a performance to raise funds for the building's upkeep. Not everybody approves though and the rector condemns it as evil before storming out with a small group of followers. Moments later a large prop swings loose and crushes the woman at the piano
it is soon proved to be murder. It is not clear who was the intended victim though. The obvious prime suspect is the rector but he soon becomes the next victim; his body is found in an area known as the 'pagan temple' in what appears to be a ritual murder. This leads to Barnaby and Nelson investigating a secretive group of local pagans who revere a man who lived in the village a couple of hundred years ago. They aren't the only suspects; the dead woman had been having an affair and there are some odd goings on in the Latimer household; including possible links to an event that took place when many of the protagonists were children.
As is so often the case much of the fun is the bizarre way the poor victims are bumped off; with apparent ritual sacrifice and two magic related deaths this episode provides some entertaining methods. There are plenty of suspects; inevitably those who are most suspicious aren't involved but when the killer is exposed it isn't somebody who appeared 'too good to be innocent' as is often the case. The cast did a fine job; it was fun to see two TV crime-solvers; Jack 'Wycliffe' Shepherd and Amanda 'Sam Ryan from "Silent Witness"' Burton amongst the guests along with Andrew Lee Potts (from 'Primeval') as Gideon Latimer. The case is of course delightfully ridiculous if it wasn't it wouldn't be 'Midsomer Murders' although much of what we see is a red herring and the true motivation is somewhat more mundane. Overall I really enjoyed this episode as it featured so many classic 'Midsomer Murders' elements.
As is so often the case much of the fun is the bizarre way the poor victims are bumped off; with apparent ritual sacrifice and two magic related deaths this episode provides some entertaining methods. There are plenty of suspects; inevitably those who are most suspicious aren't involved but when the killer is exposed it isn't somebody who appeared 'too good to be innocent' as is often the case. The cast did a fine job; it was fun to see two TV crime-solvers; Jack 'Wycliffe' Shepherd and Amanda 'Sam Ryan from "Silent Witness"' Burton amongst the guests along with Andrew Lee Potts (from 'Primeval') as Gideon Latimer. The case is of course delightfully ridiculous if it wasn't it wouldn't be 'Midsomer Murders' although much of what we see is a red herring and the true motivation is somewhat more mundane. Overall I really enjoyed this episode as it featured so many classic 'Midsomer Murders' elements.