"Midsomer Murders" Strangler's Wood (1999)

Director:

Jeremy Silberston

Writers:

Anthony Horowitz (screenplay)
Caroline Graham (characters)

TV Series:

"Midsomer Murders" (1997)

Original Air Date:

3 February 1999 (Season 2, Episode 2)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

The nude body of a Brazilian woman is found strangled in the woods, which suggests that a serial killer from nine years before has begun killing again.

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Brazilian | Murder | Retired Policeman | Au Pair

Cast

John Nettles	...	D.C.I. Tom Barnaby
Daniel Casey	...	Sergeant Troy
Jane Wymark	...	Joyce Barnaby
Laura Howard	...	Cully Barnaby
Peter Eyre	...	Leonard Pike
Kathleen Byron	...	Dorothea Pike
Frank Windsor	...	George Meakham
Anne Stallybrass	...	Emily Meakham
Trudie Styler	...	Liz Frances
Jeremy Clyde	...	Bill Mitchell
Phyllis Logan	...	Kate Merrill
Nicholas Farrell	...	John Merrill (as Nick Farrell)
Tom Eilenberg	...	David Merrill
Debbie Chazen	...	Anna Santarosa
Betty Romani	...	Carla Constanza (as Betti Romani)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:12 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Corn Exchange, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Bentley Productions

Goofs:

Factual errors: A body lying, uncovered, in the woods for a week would show signs of decomposition. The body shown was in remarkably good condition.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Milkman: Morning, Mr. Pike.

Movie Connections:

References Psycho (1960)

"We weren't arguing, we were talking... loudly." Another fine Midsomer Murders.

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Midsomer Murders: Strangler's Wood starts as a group of young boys on their way to school take a short cut through Raven's Wood, there they make the shocking discovery of a nude woman who has been strangled with a neck tie. DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) & Sgt. Troy (Daniel Casey) on are the case, Barnaby remembers that Raven's Wood was the area where three women's bodies who died in similar circumstances were found 9 years ago & has since become known as Strangler's Wood. At first Barnaby ask's the question whether the two cases are connected, then ponders why the killer has suddenly started to kill again & just as importantly why he stopped all those years ago. The woman turns out to be an actress & model from Brazil named Carla Constanza (Betti Romani) who has ties to a local cigarette manufacturer & some of it's employees including John Merrill (Nicholas Farrell) whose expensive Rolex watch was found near the body, but is the case really that simple...

Episode 2 from season 2 this Midsomer Murders mystery was directed by Jeremy Silberston & is another great mystery for all armchair sleuth's everywhere. The script by Anthony Horowitz weaves yet another intriguing tangled web of deception, lies, blackmail, murder & dark secrets in Midsomer county for Barnaby to sort out. This one opens up with the discovery of a body & then goes into a lull for about an hour & I admit my patience was being stretched as Barnaby & Troy investigate the murder but get nowhere fast until it bursts into life again with a couple more murders in quick succession & a great ending where it all comes together & everything is revealed as Barnaby solves not one case but two. I really like how all the little pieces of the puzzle come together here, from seemingly insignificant conversation's to observation's made by Barnaby I liked the way the complex multi layered mystery all comes together like the pieces of a jigsaw. I personally think Strangler's Wood could have used 5 or 10 minutes cut out of it's middle third to quicken the pace & keep my interest more but it picks up again at just the right time, as usual the plot is engaging, far from predictable & is what we expect from the series a well thought out gripping murder mystery that'll keep most of you guessing right to the very end which is just the way I like 'em.

As seems to be the norm for this show there are a few subplots revolving around Barnaby & the fact he's left home alone with his daughter by his wife who has to go away because her mother is ill, this one also sees the potential beginnings of a romantic relationship between Troy & Barnaby's daughter. There is a neat little reference to Death of a Hollow Man in this as well if you look out for things like that. This episode looks really nice with the usual assortment of uniquely English country locations, the gorgeous Dorney Court in Berkshire was used for the Fox & Goose hotel & stands out. The murders aren't graphic here but there are several corpses on show including a body in a bath with a fair amount of blood splatter. The acting is top notch from all involved.

Strangler's Wood almost lost me there for a bit it redeemed itself with flying colours & is yet another classic Midsomer Murders, this is episode 2 from season 2 & there hasn't been a bad episode yet, I wonder if the next story Dead Man's 11 will change that?