As this, the final episode of the current series opens a man has a drink and almost immediately collapses; he is then dragged into a horse's room in a stable where he is trampled after the horse is deliberately startled. It isn't long before half the village are suspects as well as members of a visiting fair. The dead man had been planning to evict several tenants, including the estranged mother of his child; his plans would have also stopped the fair using the village green. Most of the suspicion falls of the fairground works as one of them was seen arguing with the dead man, paint from the fair was found on his clothes and the gun used to startle the horse is found under one of their caravans. Further murders ensue including the vet who was the mother of the first victim's ex-wife and one of the fair owner's sons. Away from the case Barnaby is planning a holiday to France with his wife; the problem is Sikes doesn't want to stay in a kennel while they are away; Nelson and Kam both decide to offer their services as a dog-sitter.
This was an entertaining conclusion to the current run of episodes although those trying to solve the case may be disappointed that once again the motive doesn't emerge till very late in the story and prior to the killer's exposure the character doesn't take a particularly large part in the story. There are plenty of other secrets to come out and the murders are the entertaining sort that usually occur in Midsomer although we don't get to see a killing on the fair's 'wall of death' presumably because it would be too dangerous to film! The cast do a solid job and the fact that there aren't too many well-known actors in this week, and one of those is a victim, means that the killer can't be guessed by the 'familiar face' theory that so often works in this series. The side plot involving finding a kennel to look after Sikes provided some laughs and didn't detract from the case.
This was an entertaining conclusion to the current run of episodes although those trying to solve the case may be disappointed that once again the motive doesn't emerge till very late in the story and prior to the killer's exposure the character doesn't take a particularly large part in the story. There are plenty of other secrets to come out and the murders are the entertaining sort that usually occur in Midsomer although we don't get to see a killing on the fair's 'wall of death' presumably because it would be too dangerous to film! The cast do a solid job and the fact that there aren't too many well-known actors in this week, and one of those is a victim, means that the killer can't be guessed by the 'familiar face' theory that so often works in this series. The side plot involving finding a kennel to look after Sikes provided some laughs and didn't detract from the case.