Midsomer Murders (TV Series) Murder on St. Malley's Day (2002) User Reviews

very good

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 18 January 2013]

An important race at a boys' school is a background for murder in "Murder on St. Malley's Day," from season 5 of Midsomer Murders, starring John Nettles and Daniel Casey as Barnaby and Troy. The boy who is murdered, Daniel Talbot, has recently lost his grandfather, who ran the school and was succeeded by Daniel's father (Jeremy Child), a cold, demanding man. After the boy collapses and dies near the finish line of a race, it becomes apparent that there are lots of secrets. Chief of them is the Pudding Club, of which Daniel was a member, and which seems to have a life all of its own.

Two more murders follow as Barnaby and Troy dig to find out what all these people are hiding, who met Daniel and killed him while he was racing, why did he wander off his route during the race, and why is everyone in the Pudding Club so uptight? Very good mystery with an unexpected ending, one of the better ones in the series. These stories tend to be complicated and require one to focus - it's not easy, mindless entertainment, and I like that about them. For some reason, I've always been partial to Barnaby's first partner, Troy, and it's easy to see why in this episode. He's delightful and very attractive.

John Nettles manages to bring warmth to Barnaby despite the severity of his questioning and the seriousness of the case.

Very good - recommended.

A good solid Midsomer Murders mystery.

[poolandrews · 7/10 · 18 September 2007]

Midsomer Murders: Murder on St. Malley's Day is set in the Midsomer village of Midsomer Parva & the nearby prestigious Devington school, it's the day of the annual St. Malley's Day race & DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) & his wife Joyce (Jane Wymark) have been invited to the ceremonies as guests by a prospective pupil's parents. The rule of the race is simple, be the first one back out of a large group of teenage boys holding a rugby ball that is thrown to them at the start, basically get the ball & be first back by any means necessary. It turns out that a boy named Daniel Talbot (Sam Crane) gets the ball & runs off into the distance, the rest of the lads fall behind & while out of sight Daniel is attacked & stabbed. He stumbles back to Devington where he collapses & dies, Barnaby & Sgt. Gavin Troy (Daniel Casey) have a murder on their hands & as usual there are plenty of suspects to choose from & a lot more going on than it first appears...

Episode 4 from season 5 this Midsomer Murders mystery was directed by Peter Smith & was the final story from a short fifth season of the police drama, I have to say I liked this one quite a lot. The script by Andrew Payne is an intriguing multi layered murder mystery where lots of plot points come together at the end to reveal a silly & far fetched but entertaining motive for murder & I most definitely didn't work out who the killer was. There's a fair amount to this one & since it's an exposition heavy murder mystery you really need to watch it from the beginning & concentrate otherwise I doubt it'll make any sense, there are some really good red herrings in this one & some subtle clues that implicate character's but not too heavily & it certainly keeps you guessing. I seriously doubt anyone will be able to work this one out but the clues are there cleverly spread out, this is one of those episodes where everything falls into place effortlessly & while it is a little silly I never questioned it & everything was answered in satisfying fashion. My only real problems are why the killer who had no problem murdering anyone left a potential witness alive when that person could have easily exposed them & the convenient glove Barnaby & Troy find laying on the floor which breaks the case wipe open, the glove on the floor just seems so lucky & like an amazing only in TV land type co-incidence that rarely happen in real life. There are three murders in this one & some eccentric character's which give it a bit of life. This has to one of the few episodes where Barnaby is never seen at home & doesn't feature his daughter Cully.

This looks super as usual & the school & it's ground look particularly impressive, Holloway College in Egham in Surrey was the location used for Devington while Turville in Buckinghamshire was used for the Midsomer Parva village scenes. This is very well made with high production values & really good acting from a good cast. There are three murders in this one, none are particularly violent although there's some blood.

Murder on St. Malley's Day is another great detective drama, it's an absorbing murder mystery that's well worth a watch for all armchair sleuth's & fans of the series everywhere.

The Snobs Have It

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 24 February 2016]

I really enjoyed this. It had a band of suspects whose wealth and status was based on a history that defies honor. They set themselves up with a false superiority. They believed they were the chosen ones. I also enjoyed the setting, a posh school where centuries of rich people have gone. They use the expression, "Wasn't up to it," to mean that if one doesn't do virtually anything for the school, they can be denied favor. David, a young man and son of the most influential force in the school (an actor who is the spit and image of Prince Charles) is murdered during a traditional race. Barnaby and Troy must root through a web of self-importance to get at the truth. There is a society called the Pudding Club which is supposedly the Creme de la Creme of the college. They are a ruthless group, seeing themselves above the societal laws they supposedly hold up: honor, patriotism, strength. There are some great peripheral characters, including Mr. Carew, a confirmed conspiracy theorist, who isn't as nutty as he would seem.

Shrewd, thrilling, disturbing

[martin-intercultural · 10/10 · 4 May 2019]

What a great change of pace from Midsomer's usual parade of village fêtes and the butcher, baker, candlestick-maker brigade. It is also a clever exposé of how the British elite structures reproduce themselves. Multigenerational trauma, spooky private (called public) schools, secret societies ("you can't leave the Pudding Club once you're in"), links to Oxbridge and ultimately to diplomacy and intelligence -- all this is sensitively laid out and just as promptly ridiculed (how lifelike). Superb acting which steers clear of teen melodrama. The result is a gripping, deeply-felt and utterly believable tale which puts many big-budget movies to shame.

Another winner from Season 5

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 12 January 2017]

Season 5 has been a strong one, with "Ring Out Your Dead" especially being classic 'Midsomer Murders' and even the weakest "A Worm in the Bud" is still very good. None of the episodes from the fifth season reached bad level, like the previous season's "The Electric Vendetta".

"Murder on St Malley's Day" is another winner. The murderer's motive is on the far fetched side and it is agreed that the finding of the glove was coincidental luck and an all-too easy way to find a clue. Can also understand what has been said regarding the potential witness.

As always, the production values are top notch, with to die for scenery, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. The music fits perfectly, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre.

Meanwhile, the script is smart and thought-provoking with some nice humour and colourful characters, the role of The Pudding Club is incredibly intriguing here. Nothing felt inconsequential, everything had a point, everything intrigued and any loose ends were tied together nicely.

The story, with the odd spot of suitable grimness and creepiness (like with the second murder that had an eerie build-up), is hugely compelling, and never simplistic and never losing any of the maturity of most of the previous episodes. There is a lot going on mostly without being cluttered or rushed (remarkable for an episode that as ever is heavy in exposition), and that nothing is what it seems, or very few people are who they seem adds to the complexity, while there are no out of kilter scenes. The twists, red herrings and turns keep coming, and rarely in an obvious or press-the-rewind button. The characters are colourful, eccentric and not what they seem.

John Nettles as always is a joy as Barnaby, with Daniel Casey contrasting him with ease. The supporting turns are all strong, particularly Desmond Barrit, Jeremy Child and Patrick Godfrey.

Overall, another Season 5 winner. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Barnaby Vs Public school pomp

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 4 March 2019]

Barnaby and Troy are on good form as they try to solve a very bizarre murder.

It's a solidly written, well acted episode, with a decent amount of intrigue. If I had one gripe with this one, I'd have to say I find it a it a little childish, The Pudding Club itself, a sort of Masons for spoilt teenagers is a bit silly, as are some of the characters. The Middle Classes aren't shown in a particularly good light.

Troy gets some very funny lines, and the solution is pretty good. Not a huge fan, but it's a good watch. 7/10

Very good if some times on the silly side.

[harrykivi · 8/10 · 3 March 2020]

"Midsomer murders" has been one of my most beloved shows for few years now, but the series was definitely at its strongest in the Tom Barnaby era. The 5th season belongs to one of the better ones of the show with "Market for murder for me being solid if not great, "A worm in the bud" very entertaining and "Ring out your dead" quite impressive. "Murder on St. Malley's day" ends that season in a pretty high note.

Positives first:

. The production values are usually wonderful here. Beautiful music, clever direction by Peter Smith helps the scenery a lot.

. The story of this episode is very compelling, filled with many twists and turns. Agree that "Murder on St. Malley's day"'s a exposition heavy murder mystery, so lots of patience- focus is needed when watching, but it doesn't hurt the narrative a bit.

. The acting is also strong. Have always liked Desmond Barrit, who's excellent here. Patrick Godfrey and Jeremy Child are just as good. John Nettles is a brilliant casting for Tom Barnaby, so is Daniel Casey as Gavin Troy.

. Murders are very brutal. Dudley Carews death being the standout in its gory nature.

. The solution is intense. The identity of the killer was surprising.

But...

. The motive for the killings are agreed on the far-fetched side. Wished they would have been a lot stronger for a good case like this.

. There are times as well when the story gets too naive or childish with the very convenient glove/clue at the door and with leaving a potential witness to a murder alive...

Overall, it's a pretty good, not amazing outing for "Midsomer murders"

8/10 HK

Not front rank Midsomer, but engaging and good fun nonetheless.

[jamesraeburn2003 · 7/10 · 1 February 2022]

At the exclusive, private Devington School, the pupils are preparing for the annual St Malley's Day race. On the big day, tragedy strikes when the school's captain, Daniel Talbot (played by Sam Crane), is attacked and stabbed in the woods. He staggers back to the school, but subsequently dies from his injuries and DCI Barnaby (played by John Nettles) and Sgt Troy (played by Daniel Casey) investigate his murder. There has been a long standing feud between the villagers of Midsomer Parva and the school. Was that the motive for murder? Did local tearaway Paul Starkey (played by Luke De Woolfson) kill Daniel? Meanwhile, Barnaby and Troy find themselves investigating the school's secret society, 'The Pudding Club', whose membership is open only to the most promising students. They discover that Daniel had been regularly visiting local writer and conspiracy theorist Dudley Carew (played by Patrick Godfrey) who claims there is a more sinister agenda at work behind the apparently innocent facade of the secretive club. Is there any truth in his theories and, if so, are they why Daniel was killed? Two more deaths follow before Barnaby and Troy finally close in on the guilty party...

Not front rank Midsomer Murders but engaging and good fun nonetheless. It has an appealing plot set within the traditions, eccentricities and snobbery within an exclusive private school and unravels the hypocrisy within. It's devoted headmaster, Jonathan Eckersley-Hyde (superbly played by Desmond Barrit), claims his school upholds "honour, service, patriotism and old fashioned values", but this is all exposed as a lie by the detectives who uncover a complex network of organised crime for personal gain amongst the upper crust, the chosen few and old school tie brigade running the place. The plot intrigue holds one's attention and it plays fair with the audience leading to a satisfactory denouement. It is somewhat tongue in cheek, which shows in some of the performances but the actors are careful not to go into caricature or stereotypes in the roles of the old public school boys and the eccentric conspiracy theorists so as not to weaken our enjoyment of the story. It is solidly directed by Peter Smith, acted well by all concerned and the settings, lighting and all other technical aspects are up to par.