Midsomer Murders - The Maid In Splendour [DVD]

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An old pagan festival is revived in Midsomer Parva, with the burning effigy of a straw woman as its centrepiece. To the horror of the onlookers, the local curate, Alex Deakin, is found trapped within the effigy and burns to death. As the police investigate, a series of further deaths from apparent spontaneous human combustion follow. Barnaby and Scott soon suspect that someone is using the illusion of witchcraft to hide their true motives. EPISODE 07 "Ghosts of Christmas Past" Renny Rye David Hoskins 25 December 2004 January–February 2004 6.90

EPISODE 03 "The Fisher King" Richard Holthouse Isabelle Grey 11 January 2004 July–August 2003 10.17

Henley on Thames - a Midsomer hotspot

Barnaby and Scott are drawn into an investigation concerning a barman at a Midsomer Worthy pub, Maid in Splendor. The young man was Jamie Cruikshank. The bar has changed hands amid some controversy: it's now owned by Stephen Bannerman, a property developer, who wants to make the local hangout more high end. The pub previously belonged to his father, Michael, who didn't approve of Stephen' plans. He also didn't approve of Stephen's affair with Bella Monday, the daughter of his lifelong friend Audrey. EPISODE 06 "The Straw Woman" Sarah Hellings Jeff Dodds 29 February 2004 November–December 2003 10.03 After a quarrel with her husband at the Midsomer Mallow residents association's Spanish Evening, Fiona Thompson walks home, but never arrives. She is found the next morning in Chaney's Field, having been stabbed to death. Barnaby investigates with his new Detective Sergeant, Dan Scott, in tow. An early suspect is the village odd job man, Jacob Stoat. Cully Barnaby meanwhile organizes a get-together with some old school friends, one of whom is the dead woman's neighbor. She finds that her friends have changed and that they now have little in common. A second murder during the village's open garden day leads the police to a secret shared by Cully's friends and the identity of the murderer.

EPISODE 05 "The Maid in Splendour" Richard Holthouse Andrew Payne 25 January 2004 September–October 2003 10.24 Of the seventh season up to this point, the best episode from personal opinion is "The Green Man", while "Bad Tidings" was very good, "The Fisher King" was decent if cluttered and over-complicated at times and "Sins of Commission" was mostly fine apart from the contrived last 15 minutes with a rather lazy motive for the murders.EPISODE 04 "Sins of Commission" Peter Smith Elizabeth-Anne Wheal 18 January 2004 August–September 2003 9.71 Bannerman ran a bar named "The Maid in Splendour", a community staple in Midsomer Worthy. His wife, Susan Bannerman died before the events of the namesake episode, leaving him with his son Stephen Bannerman. Bannerman had a long affair with Audrey Monday, a family friend who was also married and had a daughter, Bella Monday. Bannerman had lied he'd leave Susan for Audrey, but he never kept the promise, which broke Audrey's heart and stopped the affairs. She and Bella, however, remained close and even worked at the bar, which Stephen grew to possess ownership of with his wife Lorna Bannerman, as Michael's heart was in decline.

This one looks as nice as ever with plenty of rural English locations for those of you who like that sort of thing, The George Hotel in Dorchester in Oxfordshire was used for The Maid in Splendour pub if that sort of fact interests you. Both murders are the same as people are shot with twelve-bore shotguns, there's a bit of blood but nothing too graphic. The production values are high & the acting is very good as usual.

The Maid in Splendour

DS Dan Scott arrives in Midsomer as DS Troy's replacement. He is instantly involved in a case in the village of Midsomer Mallow, when a college secretary is found murdered. Soon after a retired doctor is also murdered during the village's annual garden open day. Barnaby and Scott investigate the connection between the two victims, and the murder of a homeless drunk give them the clue they need. Meanwhile, Cully organizes a reunion with a group of old school friends, with unexpected results. Cyclist Greg Eddon is killed after winning the local leg of a national race, beating team mate Mitch McCordell at the last minute. Mitch's father Des, who owns the DJM racing stable tells Barnaby the race is make or break for them but there are clearly factions as Mitch's brother Aiden had sent threatening texts to Greg after he was seen kissing Aiden's girlfriend Amber. Local environmentalist Gerry Bleacher opposes the races, claiming that people die because of them and organizer and pub landlady Mary Appleton receives messages accusing her of murder. Des admits that DJM's sponsorship depends on Mitch's continuing success as the company is cash strapped whilst Reece Dexter, who runs rival team Ravondale, accuses Des of corruption and persuades Aiden to cycle for his stable. Another murder follows before Barnaby is able to save a further victim and identify who, in the cycling world, was guilty of literally breaking the chain. Bannerman developed an unhealthy attraction to Bella, who reminded him of a young Audrey and seemed to attract him more than Audrey herself, by his own account. To his horror, Bella was more in love with Stephen, having an affair with him and ready to break up his marriage to leave the village with him. Stephen was willing to the point of arranging their trysts in the same cottage in the wood where Michael and Audrey would meet for their affair, where their initials were carved in the rafters. Stephen was planning to sell the bar to developer Lawrence Haggard, using the money to flee with Bella to America.