Midsomer Murders - The House In The Woods [DVD]

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Notable also for a genuinely unexpected and frankly ingenious ending and for one of the show's best ever guest star performance in George Baker. John Nettles is a joy, and Jason Hughes is appealing enough in his debut episode. All the acting is great, with the top plaudits going to Baker. In the village of Monks Barton, two couples seemingly disappear from their cottages. When Barnaby and Jones arrive, they learn about the legendary and mysterious haunted woods. Shortly afterwards, a body is found in a shallow grave, giving Barnaby and Jones an accurate description of one of the "missing" persons. The detectives have to delve much deeper into the woods and beyond, to find the answer.

Peter and Caroline Cave are house-hunting in Midsomer Newton and view a tumbledown cottage in secluded woodland. The following morning they are both found dead in their car near the house. DCI Barnaby and Acting DC Ben Jones enter a world where crooked estate agents, property developers, and eccentric villagers all seem to be withholding information. It is not long before another villager is murdered. The detectives find out that a years-old armed robbery holds the key to the case.Tara Cavendish ( Felicity Dean) is found beaten to death near a disused quarry belonging to her husband Robert Cavendish ( Robert Hardy). Tara was seen leaving the house early in the morning, but when she failed to return from a walk with their dog, Robert starts to get worry, and reports her missing. Barnaby and Troy start to investigate. Nine years ago, only weeks before Robert Cavendish decided to shut down his own quarry, an explosion occurred. Matthew Draper, an employee who works for Robert Cavendish, was killed in the accident. And as further inquiries ensue, Barnaby and Troy are drawn to investigate the death eighteen months previously of Robert's former housekeeper, Emily Beavis. Emily’s sister, Doreen Beavis, and witnesses Colin and Christine Cooper ( Imelda Staunton), may hold the key to the case. Toby Jones also appears. Midsomer Pastures is on the map due to its famous connection with producing the Midsomer Blue cheese. When Debbie Moffett is lured to the caves and is subsequently bludgeoned by a wheel of cheese, it leads the detectives to investigate both the secret, controversial plans to modernize the dairy and the private lives of the parents of children at the local preparatory school in the same village. During the family dinner, Poppy Ordish, daughter of Beatrix Ordish and Oliver Ordish, refuses to eat beef. When more people are killed, long-held secrets about the dairy, school, and villagers are revealed and play a key role in catching the killer. In the end, John, Sarah, Sykes the dog, Ben, and Kate celebrate the Barnabys' 15th anniversary. A new sculpture park opens in the village of Angel's Rise. On its opening night, Brandon Monkford is found murdered beside one of the centrepiece sculptures. It transpires that after Brandon’s wife Alexandra had started a relationship with Daniel Fargo, Brandon had cut Alexandra and their two children from his will, leaving the sculpture park instead to Tony Pitt. There is fury in the village when Tony reveals all of his plans for the sculpture park. Tony is the next murder victim and is discovered near the sculpture park. Further mystery ensues when it emerges that Lance Orden, the famous artist believed to have created the sculptures, had plagiarised his ideas. The plot revolves around two identical twin brothers. One of them is, natch, the murderer, and gets nabbed by Barnaby and Jones at the end. The problem is, it is pretty clear that this twin had no motive, and the other (innocent) twin did. In fact, the supposed bad twin was acting against his own interests throughout most of the episode.

When Susan Bartlett is found murdered in Setwale Wood in Midsomer Worthy, DCI Barnaby and DS Troy discover the wood is the centre of a court case over a proposed redevelopment involving neighbouring farmers Simon Bartlett and James Harrington. Barnaby and Troy now suspect murder when two children tell them they found the body the previous afternoon. But as they investigate this case, they soon uncover a web full of witchcraft, potions, and hidden secrets. When James Harrington is also found murdered, Barnaby and Troy realise, that they need to work fast to avoid further deaths.

Leonard Pike shows up and asks what is going on. Gloria tells him about the woman who's been strangled- "the South American lady in Room 15." Leonard asks if Gloria has taken the papers up yet. He doesn't want his mother upset. Barnaby and Troy interview Leonard. He says that one of the girls who was killed had worked there, Joan Chaplin. She was close to his mother. That's why he doesn't want his mother to know anything about any of this. He says his mother is ill- dying of cancer. Leonard says Carla made two telephone calls that Wednesday. Barnaby recognizes one of the numbers as Kate Merrill's. This is the 7th time a murderer dies before they can be arrested. Previous episodes where the murderer dies before being arrested are The Killings at Badger's Drift, Written in Blood& Death's Shadow. When the body of Charlie Finleyson is found in woodland in Midsomer Sonning, Barnaby and Jones begin to scrutinize the employees at the offices of Midsomer Life magazine. It is discovered that Mr. Finleyson was married to Christine Sandys, ex-wife of Guy Sandys, the wealthy owner of the magazine. The detectives also become aware of a dispute between Guy and the owner of the Morecroft Hotel, where Christine's brother works, with tensions starting to rise between the locals and visitors from London. Shortly after being questioned, Guy is murdered in his office. Barnaby and Jones find out what led to the murder when Morecroft's alcoholic receptionist is killed in the laundry room and uncover the village's secrets from the past to catch the killer. Contractor had motive for kill couple to stop them from buying the house , so he could proceed with scam with realtor. He had already completed a building plan, so he was already in house and had access to piano wire. He then killed realtor who knew he killed the couple as she mentioned the police were coming for the both of them, she being an accomplice by means of the real estate sale scheme. Contractor then killed realtor to silence her. At the Fox and Goose, Leonard Pike goes to take a bath. Someone comes up to the door with a knife. Leonard gets in the bath, humming to himself. ...He is surprised by the knife...