Murder by Magic is the second episode of the seventeenth series of the popular ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders and was originally shown on 4th February 2015.
Synopsis[]
Pub landlady Hannah Altman is crushed to death whilst assisting illusionist Gideon Latimer at a charity magic show to raise funds for Midsomer Oaks church. The trick was sabotaged, suggesting that Gideon was the intended victim. He had received hate mail linking his act to Satanism and a particularly vocal critic is zealous curate Andrew Maplin. Certain robed figures conduct midnight rituals in the grounds of Gideon's mansion, once owned by an eighteenth century pagan and one of them kills Andrew, leaving his corpse on a stone altar. Hannah was having an affair as is Gideon's wife, widening the list of suspects, whilst the vicar's wife Lorna Soane is revealed as a descendant of the eighteenth century pagan. There is another slaying before DCI Barnaby works out who committed murder by magic.
Plot[]
Obfuscation. Smoke and mirrors. Nothing is as it seems.
Cast[]
- Neil Dudgeon as DCI John Barnaby
- Gwilym Lee as DS Charlie Nelson
- Fiona Dolman as Sarah Barnaby
- Tamzin Malleson as Kate Wilding
- Amanda Burton as Carole Latimer
- Jack Shepherd as Magnus Soane
- Joe Absolom as Luke Altman
- Fraser Ayres as Theo Bainbridge
- Noma Dumezweni as Ailsa Probert
- Deborah Findlay as Lorna Soane
- Andrew Lee Potts as Gideon Latimer (as Andrew-Lee Potts)
- Stephanie Leonidas as Annabel Latimer
- Alan McKenna as Rhodri Probert
- Justin Salinger as Andrew Maplin
- Merelina Kendall as Dr. Dorthea Grenville
- Raj Awasti as Pub Customer (uncredited)
- Hannah Blamires as CID Officer (uncredited)
- Pamela Betsy Cooper as Caterer (uncredited)
- Chris Cowlin as CID Officer (uncredited)
- Ashley Darkwood as Pagan Priest / Curtain Twitcher (uncredited)
- Anthony Farrelly as C.I.D Officer (uncredited)
- David Golt as Choir Singer (uncredited)
- John Neville as Fund Raiser and Choir Singer (uncredited)
- Shaun Newnham as Charity Ball Guest (uncredited)
- Ricky Rajpal as Pub Customer (uncredited)
- Anick Wiget as Choir Singer (uncredited)
- Chris Wilson as Police Officer (uncredited)
Galleries[]
Body Count[]
Prior to the Episode
Killed in pagan rituals and sacrifices in the 18th century.
Trapped and thrown into a fire on the 23rd of June 1802.
Burned alive after the outbuilding where he was sleeping accidentally caught on fire from a firework.
In the Episode
Crushed by a suspended metal cage during a magic illusion after the cables that were holding it were blown up remotely.
Phoned to be lured to a pagan ceremonial site and killed with a knife that was thrown into his chest. The knife was then brought out, his body was wrapped up like a mummy with a leaf mask on his head, put on top of the stone altar and finally stabbed in the chest again.
Shot in the chest with a pistol.
Supporting Cast[]
Episode Images[]
Videos[]
Notes[]
The following actors and actresses who appeared in this episode have also appeared in the following episodes
- Deborah Findlay - Blue Herrings
- Merelina Kendall - The Electric Vendetta
- Pamela Betsy Cooper - Schooled in Murder, The Christmas Haunting, The Killings of Copenhagen, The Dagger Club and Breaking the Chain
- John Neville - Let Us Prey, The Flying Club and The Dagger Club
- Shaun Newnham - The Dagger Club, The Incident at Cooper Hill and A Dying Art
- Ricky Rajpal - The Dagger Club, The Ballad of Midsomer County and A Vintage Murder
- Ashley Darkwood - Death of the Small Coppers