Garden of Death

Love this one, it's great they're still showing them even now in 2021. Brilliantly written and acted, with a standout performance from the late Margaret Tyzack. This episode has a very nice summery feel to it with the usual stunning houses and gardens. They definitely don't make them like this anymore

Great episode. And was that the new DCI Barnaby, Cousin of original DCI Barnaby, as the ladies man gardener?

From the one of the early seasons in this long-running show, "Garden of Death" (2000) stars John Nettles as IDCI Barnaby and his original partner, Sgt. Troy, played by Daniel Casey.

For a small, quaint English village, this place is crawling with murder and secrets. This time, the community is fighting over a garden that is to be turned into a tea room by its wealthy owners, the Inkpen family.

The family has two daughters, Fliss (Sarah Alexander) and Hillary (Victoria Hamtilton), half-sisters, one of whom was taken in by her mother Elspeth Inkpen-Thomas (Belinda Lang) as an adult. The night after a town meeting that erupts in anger, Fliss is found dead.

Barnaby is perplexed - if this murder concerns the garden, why was Fliss killed and not Elspeth. Well, soon enough, Elspeth is killed, too. And there is no shortage of suspects: the man who designed the garden, his daughter, who is opposing the tearoom, the gardener, who has a history with the women of the family; and Hilary, whom Fliss hated.

Elspeth's murder isn't the last as Barnaby and Troy attempt to figure out the motive and the murderer.

Very neat mystery, not as it seems. Good entry into the series.

"Garden of death" is just a great, terrific episode, albeit a very heavy one . But that doesn't make me like him any less. The killer causes me the strongest sympathy, the ending is one of the most vivid and intense, brilliantly played, the plot is exciting, the detective line is smart and thoughtful, confusing and clever, and Neil Dudgeon as Daniel Bolt adds humor to the series. 10/10, a diamond, although not in the top ten favorite.

Such a quality episode, Garden of Death is an echo back to when Midsomer Murders was compulsive, quality viewing.

It's a fantastic script, a clever mystery, but best of all the murders are committed through the good old fashioned motive of hatred. The motive of the killer is clear, defined and well crafted.

Fantastic acting, Belinda Laing, Neil Dudgeon, Victoria Hamilton are great, but the episode is dominated by the powerhouse performances of the veterans, Anthony Bate and Margaret Tyzack are fantastic.

It's clever, at times it's funny, but it's the element of malice that makes this so enjoyable. Neil Dudgeon is humourous, very different in character to the lead role he would soon have. 9/10