Sarah Barnaby is a leading character in Midsomer Murders, the wife of Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby. She is portrayed by English actress Fiona Dolman.
Sarah was first mentioned in the episode Death in the Slow Lane and appears officially in Dark Secrets, the second episode of series fourteen. Upon her arrival in Midsomer County, she takes the post of headmistress at Causton Comprehensive School, Gavin Troy's former school, first shown in Written in Blood.
She does not figure much in her husband's cases; and initially, they do not have any children. They have a loving marriage and celebrated their fifteen year anniversary in Schooled in Murder.
Throughout the sixteenth series Sarah is pregnant and in the last episode of the series she gives birth to their first child, a daughter, Betty.
Biography[]
Work/Volunteer History[]
- In John Barnaby's first episode, Sarah does not appear because she is still working in Brighton.
- She is the new headmistress of Causton Comprehensive. In Dark Secrets, Sarah joins her husband in their new home. Their belongings are still in boxes. So Sarah invites her team from the school to help unpack things and do some bonding. Her deputy teacher, Josie Parker, was not happy to see someone from outside the school chosen as headmistress.
- In the Dark Rider, Sarah is the new secretary of the Historical Society. She is going to be the announcer at the Reenactment at DeQuetteville Hall. She hopes that this will help her gain the respect of her staff.
- Barnaby doesn't want her there since he is dealing with deaths. Sarah tells him they are bound to cross paths sometimes and to live with it.
- In setting up the Reenactment, Ben Jones asks her if "the Boss" knows what she is doing. Sarah responds, "I am an autonomous unit, Ben. I don't have to check in with my spouse every time I take a breath."
- Later John tries to get her to leave, but Sarah asks what does he expect her to do? Get on the mike and say, "Sorry, there's a baddie about so I'm off home."
- Later Sarah tries to introduce the event and explain what is happening, however the participants don't listen to her. Sarah leaves eventually.
- At home, Sarah is furious about the reenactment fiasco. Barnaby tells her to to get out her version of what happened first.
- In Murder of Innocence, Sarah persuades a reluctant John Barnaby to come to workouts with her. Later, Gareth, the instructor, tries "it on with her." Barnaby is NOT happy about that.
- Sarah takes John to the Stella Harris Film Festival in Death and the Divas. Sarah receives a box of veggies from Warden Organics. Ben Jones, who is following the delivery man, is dismayed to see him drop off at Sarah's house.
- In The Christmas Haunting, Sarah is pregnant. Sarah and John invite Kate and Charlie over for Christmas Eve.
- Sarah goes into labor in The Killings of Copenhagen when John is in Copenhagen.
- Sarah takes Betty to the Bellville Hall Small Pet Show.
- Sarah is writing a historical romance. She attends the dance at Whitcombe Grange where John and Jamie are undercover. After the events at the Grange, Sarah decides to turn her romance into a murder mystery. (Death by Persuasion)
- In The Ghost of Causton Abbey, Sarah meets the new pathologist, Fleur Perkins. She is taken aback when Fleur tells her to have her dog castrated.
- Sarah is an invigilator at the local IQ society exams. She helps Brigitte Poulsen, a visiting cop from Copenhagen, to get information from Grady Palmerston's house.
- Sarah attends the wedding of an old friend's son. Things get pretty sticky when the friend attacks her.
- In With Baited Breath, Sarah is a participant in the Psycho Mud Run, along with Jamie Winter.
- In For Death Prepare, Sarah is a member of the Midsomer Mummers Amateur Opera Society who are putting on a performance of ‘The Pirates of Penzance’. There is a lot of singing and Sarah actually encounters the murderer.
- Sarah has a booth at the Psychic Fayre. (The Witches of Angel's Rise) As head of the historical society she plans to share her knowledge of the area."
- In The Blacktrees Prophecy, Sarah is worried about her mum coming to visit. She has Barnaby cleaning out under the sink and then tells him that her mother isn't coming.
- Sarah is handling the County Fair (The Debt of Lies) and needs a "criminal" to stand in the stocks. Eventually she has Jamie to be the criminal.
- Sarah and her friend take a class in bread making (A Grain of Truth).
- Sarah and Fleur attend the drag show in Elverton-Cum-Latterley together wearing boas (Dressed to Kill).
- In The Devil's Work:
- Sarah is measuring Betty in order to make a dress for her, even though she can't sew.
- Sarah and Betty visit Stourwick Estate since Sarah received an alert from the History Society about an open afternoon. Stourwick is the perfect example of an Elizabethan house, so she thought Betty should see it. Betty gets lost when looking for a priest's hole, scaring Sarah and Barnaby.
- Sarah and Betty make whelk and periwinkle stew since it was Queen Elizabeth's favorite. They offer it to Barnaby to try, laugh at his expression of disgust and then tell him it's awful and Sarah has ordered fish and chips.
- Sarah sends Barnaby a drawing that Betty did showing a second priest's hole, which helps Barnaby find the killer.
- Betty models her Elizabeth costume, which Sarah admits that she bought. Paddy has a "ruff" to wear too.
- Book of the Dead: Sarah is a participant in the Pub Quiz in order to earn money for the school and tries to get John to quiz her, but he is busy with bodies. At the pub, Barnaby's phone goes off in the middle of Sarah's quiz. She is furious with him. She wins the quiz in the end.
- Claws Out: Sarah and Betty are trying to teach Paddy tricks as they want to enter the "Dog Agility Competition." Sarah spends much of the time chasing Paddy.
- In Climate of Death, Sarah has Barnaby on a diet involving green juice. Barnaby pours it in the bushes when Sarah isn't looking.
Relationships[]
John Barnaby[]
Her husband of 15 years at her first appearance. Like Tom and Joyce's, John and Sarah's marriage is a very happy one. They had a dog, Sykes, and in the last episode of series sixteen they have their first child, a daughter named Betty Barnaby. After Sykes' death, Paddy is introduced to the family and becomes their second dog in series nineteen.
Dr. George Bullard[]
Although they apparently met when Bullard's sister took over as dog-sitter for Sykes, no real relationship was formed.
Dr. Kate Wilding[]
They are friendly in an acquaintance way. Sarah does talk to Kate and found out what happened to her ring from Kate.
DS Ben Jones[]
She is casually friendly and invites Ben to come over any time. He is the godfather of her and John's daughter Betty.
DS Charlie Nelson[]
Friendly in an acquaintance way.
Jamie Winter[]
Sarah is friendly with Jamie and tells her husband to be kind to him when his grandfather dies.
Hazel Webster[]
Revealed in Till Death Do Us Part, Sarah and Hazel grew up together as childhood friends and as a result, got to know her husband and son as Sarah and John attended Gavin's wedding. Hours into the reception party, the bride goes missing as Sarah is the one to discover her dead body. She spends most of the episode counseling Hazel and Gavin for support, though she later finds out that the former was the one who killed Laurel, along with rest of the episode's victims, due to her investigating the death of another son of hers that died from a drug overdose. Hazel nearly strangles Sarah to death as her final victim, though is rescued by Barnaby and Winter as Hazel is arrested for her crimes; effectively severing the friendship between her and Mrs. Barnaby.
Marcia Jackson[]
Also revealed in Till Death Do Us Part, Sarah was good friends with elder resident Marcia and often took Betty and Paddy to visit her. Though when its discovered that she killed her husband, Eddie, to "relieve" him from a terminal disease he suffered with years ago, Sarah comes with John to confront Marcia over the matter as she is arrested.
Fleur Perkins[]
When they first met, Fleur told Sarah her dog, Paddy, needed to be castrated. Sarah was NOT happy. Since then, they seem to get along ok, although Fleur is not shy about giving advice and opinions.