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TIT

'Midsomer Murders: Set 13'
(John Nettles, Jason Hughes, et al / 4-Disc DVD / NR / 2009 / Acorn Media)

Overview: The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, modern master of the English village mystery, the series stars John Nettles (Bergerac) as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby, with Jason Hughes (This Life) as his earnest, efficient protégé, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones. Guest stars include Phil Davis, John Castle, Richard Johnson, Lisa Eichhorn, David Horovitch, Harriet Thorpe, and Flora Montgomery.

DVD Verdict: OK, before I get into the 4 reviews, and yes, whilst I think these are some of the strongest MM episodes that have been brought to us over here in the States thus far, these very same 4 episodes were released on DVD in the UK in late 2008! Indeed, the entire 10 episode season was released as 'Midsomer Murders - The Sixth Collection'! So, why we keep only getting 4 miserly episodes each time is beyond me!

Anyway, onwards and upwards, as they say ... and the first episode here is 'Dance with the Dead' - where a young man asphyxiates in a vintage automobile, setting off a search for his mysterious girlfriend. The episode opens very nicely, very back-to-the-futurish to the song, 'I'll Be Missing You.' Doesn't last long before the mysterious murder scene is revealed, but the music does give a sense of scene to what comes.

Stoic from the start, the episode finally gets going around the 30 minute mark - a point where a thought I'd guessed the culprit and why, and yet come the end was proven to be shamefully inept! That said, my first guess' acting abilities must have been rough from the start then, as he was horribly faking knowledge and turning his head this way and that whilst being questioned!

Anyhoo, a wonderful 1940's war dancehall scene come three-quarters of the way through - one in which everyone drinks and drives, of course! The conclusion is a weak, underplayed one though, where the subplot was always to be inconsequential from the very off, I'm afraid to say!

Episode 2, 'The Animal Within,' tells the tale of a mischievous old coot who goes missing just before a visit from his niece — a woman supposedly dead for three years! This has a superb start to it, off and running in wickedly fun style. Mind you, then nothing detective worthy happens for the next 50 minutes so we kinda get lost by the wayside for a period of time thereafter!

But, luckily, like a good Poirot mystery, the plot thickens along the way regardless and soon my own personal choice of the killer was revealed at episodes end to be correct (hurrah!). But, don't turn away too fast at its end as a subtle, great twist is unveiled!

In episode 3, 'King’s Crystal,' at an artisan glassworks, Barnaby delves into possibly murderous family rivalries - and from the start, yet again it is a wonderful tale being unfolded. That said it became very soap operaish for the first hour or so, before evening out a little into a Midsomer mystery ... and they have so many of them, don't they!

I didn't see the death of a principle character coming though halfway through - that definitely caught me by surprise! One great quote from Barnaby in the episode is: "Trust is hard to win, easy to lose, and never to be taken lightly." How true, oh wise one.

In the final episode, the brilliant 'The Axeman Cometh,' the Midsomer music festival brings out the bluesman in Barnaby. Unfortunately, it also brings out someone murdering rock stars! From the very start this episode rocks (excuse the pun) the house as it is ladden with not only great live music, but some of the UK's classic actors - and, an American surprise too!

Circulating around the reforming of an old British blues/rock band known as Hired Gun, it finally gets mysterious around the 23 minute mark when their female lead singer gets murdered live on stage ... and it turns out it was legendary American rocker Suzi Quatro in the role!! I had no idea in the opening salvos until she started singing! Old UK favs are in the band - Phil Davis ('Quadrophenia') is the guitarist, Mike Reed (Radio 1 DJ) introduces them, etc. - and there is some great live festival music from both Geno Washington and Roger Chapman of The Family!

And trust me, the ending was so tightly wound together, so well exposed that the reveal of whodunnit blew my mind! I didn't guess that, didn't come close to guessing that, and I dare you to either! These are all Full Screen Presentations (1.33:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and come with the Special Feature of:

Caroline Graham Biography
Cast Filmographies

www.AcornMedia.com





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