Faithful unto Death 

When the wife of a wealthy local businessman disappears, Barnaby finds that Fawcett Green harbors a complex web of financial and romantic entanglements.

Director:

Baz Taylor

Writers:

Douglas Watkinson (screenplay), Caroline Graham (novel)

Stars:

John Nettles, Daniel Casey, Jane Wymark

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
John Nettles	...	DCI Tom Barnaby
Daniel Casey	...	Sgt. Gavin Troy
Jane Wymark	...	Joyce Barnaby
Laura Howard	...	Cully Barnaby
Barry Jackson	...	Dr. Bullard
Paul Brooke	...	Nigel Anderson
Rosalind Ayres	...	Doreen Anderson
Eleanor Summerfield	...	Elfrida Molfrey
Peter Jones	...	Bunny Dawlish
Tessa Peake-Jones	...	Sarah Lawton
Lesley Vickerage	...	Simone Hollingsworth
Roger Allam	...	Alan Hollingsworth
Michele Dotrice	...	Felicity Buckley
Paul Chapman	...	Reg Buckley
Sophie Stanton	...	Brenda Buckley

Storyline

When the residents of Morton Fendle learn that the local mill is to be shut, many also realize that they will lose their investments in the place. Alan Hollingsworth had encouraged the locals to invest but he is now bankrupt and refuses to explain what has happened to the money. Feelings are running high and Gray Patterson in particular, Hollingsworth's one time partner, seems ready to do something about it. When Hollingsworth's wife disappears, Barnaby concludes that she has been kidnapped and that may account for the missing money. But who exactly are the kidnappers and why have they targeted Mrs. Hollingsworth in particular? A hidden romance and eventual betrayal allows Barnaby to bring the culprits to justice.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tessa Peake-Jones plays Sarah Lawton in this episode. She returns in episode 18.3, Midsomer Murders: Breaking the Chain (2016), in the role of Mary Appleton.

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Goofs

Barnaby, then later Troy identify the Black Saab as a 900, it was a 9000.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Joyce Barnaby: I think every one of them is mad.

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Soundtracks

Midsomer Murders
(Theme Song)
Written by Jim Parker
Performed by Celia Sheen

User Reviews

Barnaby vs The Bunny cakes, fabulous episode.

I've always loved Midsomer when you get a taste of old England, and with this one you get it in bad fulls. Glorious countryside, tea, bell ringing, medieval banquets, the Ford Mondeo, the Village fate and of course Murder. The apparent miscreant of the fraud Alan Hollingsworth is found inebriated, and his beautiful wife Simone has disappeared. He's witnessed digging a hole in his garden late at night, but has he done her in?

Lots of people have invested in a project, which has gone pair shaped, angers arise in the tea rooms.

In the first episode the comic duo were the Rainbirds, in this one it's Freda and Bunny, they bring some great humour, beautifully portrayed. The bunny cakes are hilarious, and naturally Barnaby's reaction.

It looks fabulous, the countryside is glorious, and would continue to be a feature for many years to come.

I never really paid a huge deal of notice to Roger Allam until Endeavour, but he truly is a great actor, I enjoyed him very much in this.

It's not the most bloodthirsty episode, and not to give the game away, all I will say is the car scene is brilliant. Barnaby later please for witnesses to a Saab 900, but it was a 9000. They'd never have found it.

This is a brilliant episode, Nettles is a joy throughout, it's one of my favourite performances from him. It's better then the previous 'Death of a hollow man,' it's better written, and makes more sense. It has a very satisfying outcome, great episode. 9/10

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 1998 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Oak Cottage, Flaunden, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bentley Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min (DVD)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1