Midsomer Murders - The House In The Woods [DVD]

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On a business trip to China, Alan King suddenly dies. The family firm, King's Crystal, is in financial uncertainty, with plans to close its factory in Midsomer Magna. Six months later Alan's widow Hilary and his brother Charles are married, much to the chagrin of Alan's son Ian. With family feuds and factory workers angered by the loss of their jobs, motives abound when Peter Baxter, the firm's accountant, is found dead, stabbed with a Masonic poniard, and Ian is fatally poisoned. Barnaby and Jones suspect a disgruntled employee is guilty. With so many things to investigate, they will need to explore both the Freemasons and the family, and find that the play of Hamlet may hold the key to the case. Martin Wroath is found dead in his home in Midsomer Worthy. He had been shot with a shotgun using an elaborately rigged wire leading from his foot to the trigger. First appearances suggest suicide, but the autopsy reveals that he had been drugged. The police conclude he was murdered. The investigations lead to Dr. Jane Moore ( Isla Blair), an old friend of Tom's and a psychologist at a local mental health clinic who knew the victim. More deaths follow when one of Jane's colleagues is found hanging in the clinic grounds and the local marching band leader is strangled. Meanwhile a series of mysterious rope thefts occur around the village, and an attempt is made on Tom's life. Retired music teacher Arthur Leggott is murdered after disturbing an intruder at his home in Badger's Drift. It is discovered that a musical manuscript by the late composer Joan Alder has since gone missing before being sent to auction. When the manuscript shows signs that it has been written by another hand, a handwritten letter by Joan Alder turns up indicating the manuscript is a forgery. Where the manuscript goes more murders follow.

Note: This episode was delayed until 2010: it finally aired on ITV one week before the episode, "The Made-to-Measure Murders" (Series 13, Episode 1).

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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... Anna, the au pair, comes downstairs. She denies a message on the answering machine. Kate goes up to say goodnight to David. She tells him not to eavesdrop. He says he heard Kate and John arguing. Coroner slams 'insensitive' comments made by Ofsted chiefs ahead of inquest into headteacher Ruth Perry who took her own life after 'tearful' inspection It is the end of the tourist season for the Little Worthy model village, owned by the elderly Compton sisters. Model maker Bob Moss is carrying out his daily early morning rounds of the village when he discovers the body of Richard Tanner, stabbed and tied down in a scene reminiscent of Gulliver's Travels. As Barnaby and Jones start questioning the villagers, more deaths follow before they finally identify the family connections that lead them to a very disturbed killer.

Joyce joins the local watercolour society for an open-air art class on the village green in Midsomer Florey. Shortly before taking a break, she stumbles across the body of elderly Ruth Fairfax, a fellow artist. It turns out there was more to Ruth than met the eye. Barnaby is taken off the case by the National Intelligence Squad and it is left to Troy to 'apprehensively' keep Barnaby informed on the investigation. Barnaby and Troy soon uncover that the proceeds from an armed robbery are missing. They find out all information about former criminals alongside all the secret liaisons, before they bring all the culprits to justice. Note: the blood-red drips behind the letters of the title, present since the beginning of the series, have been changed to multi-color. No.Golddigger, 15, pretended to fall in love with man, 35, she met online before stabbing him in the head when he didn't buy her the gifts she wanted When Bernard King, the owner of Finchmere airfield, is dropped to his death from a plane, Barnaby and Nelson enter a world of stunt pilots and military heroes. Upon investigating, they discover many hidden secrets. Possible suspects include anti-aircraft campaigners and employees who might lose their jobs after an imminent restructuring of the flying club. A tragic mission in World War II seems to hold a clue. Kate and David are at Bill's house. She tells Bill she only stayed with John because of David. But David's more troubled than ever. Kate asks if Bill is OK with David staying the weekend. Bill says it's fine and they are planning to go out on the boat. A great episode to start the season. This episode is, to me, is up there with the classics, A Killing in Badger's Drift, Written in Blood, Death's Shadow, Dead Man's Eleven, Destroying Angel, The Green Man.... Barnaby arrives home. "Joyce?" he calls. Cully says, "Hi, Dad. We've just carried her luggage upstairs. She's probably catching her breath." Barnaby says, "What did you say just now?" He runs off.

As the preparations are underway for Cully Barnaby's wedding, Ned Fitzroy and Beth Porteous are married in Bledlow village. At the reception at Bledlow Hall, the maid of honour, Marina Fellowes, is found murdered. With the honeymoon postponed, the newlyweds and their guests find themselves under investigation by the police. Evidence soon points to a connection with archery when a fletching is found at the crime scene. Barnaby and Jones uncover a long family history with many secrets, lies, deception, and an illegitimate son. These things become even more complicated when the estate manager and former cook are also found murdered. Upon his death, Karl Wainwright, owner of the Easterly Grange Hotel, leaves an estate with a number of beneficiaries, including hotel manager Gregory Chambers, his wife Suzanna ( Samantha Bond), and hotel chef Tristan Goodfellow. One by one, they meet grisly deaths. Gregory is found dismembered in woodland where he had been foraging for mushrooms, Suzanna is killed with a shotgun and Tristan eats a meal of mushrooms that includes the deadly Destroying angel. Kenneth Gooders ( Jonathan Coy), the solicitor handling the estate, is also killed when his large drinks cabinet topples over and crushes him. A cryptic new script for Gregory's former Punch and Judy show may provide Barnaby and Troy with some answers. Art historian Philip Hamilton is restoring a medieval fresco is unearthed in the church crypt of Midsomer St Claire. When his partner Nancy Dewar is found dead in a river, a series of murders commences that appear to be inspired by macabre illustrations in the fresco. As the village prepares for storms and flooding, Barnaby and Nelson realise that the motive for the murders is not religious but is connected to a hidden secret.

Apley Court, in the village of Granville Norton, is home to historic beehives that produce a well top-of-the-range ‘Apley Gold’ honey. Master beekeeper Ambrose Deddington attributes his survival from a life-threatening cancer to a combination of Apley Gold and bee venom. When he is injured trying to prevent the theft of his beloved bees, Barnaby and Winter investigate. Later the local doctor, Serena Lowe, is found murdered, and stung to death. Barnaby and Winter discover that a previous event is the key to the case. And Just Like That... it's dinner time! Cynthia Nixon's hunger strike to try and end Israel-Palestine conflict will only last two or three DAYS, source claims When George Meakham visits Barnaby in his office he states "there's a full moon tonight." But, when we see Anna walking on the road, a 1/2 moon is clearly shown. Barnaby goes to speak to George Meakum. He isn't home so Barnaby tells his wife, "I was going to tell him that we've found the man who killed those girls in Strangler's Wood. I'll be glad if you kept it confidential for 24 hours? It was a hotel manager, name of Leonard Pike. He was a local man. Lived in the area. Leonard Pike is dead." Emily Meakum asks, "Chief Inspector, can I show you something? ( they go upstairs) After he retired, George became completely obsessed with the killings. That's why we moved here. He couldn't bear to be away." There are photographs of the girls who were killed that he stole from the police files. Emily shows Barnaby the drawer filled with ties. She says, "He used to put them on and go into the wood. Sometimes he spent the whole night there. He said he was trying to become the killer. To get into his mind. I started following him, you know. Because after that other girl was found, I even began to wonder if George..." George walks upstairs. Emily says, "It's over, George. We're selling this house and we're leaving this horrible, horrible place. It's over. We can finally go." Meanwhile, the script is smart and thought-provoking with some nice quirky humour, a grimness and with characters that are colourful and eccentric. The story is very absorbing, never simplistic, often creepy in atmosphere, never confusing and the maturity that 'Midsomer Murders' has when on form is more than evident here.

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.

At the Barnaby house, Joyce Barnaby is preparing to leave to go take care of her mother. Cully is home to take care of her dad, Tom Barnaby. When popular GP Dr. Alan Delaney borrows fellow Dr. James Kirkwood's new car for an evening call-out, he is mysteriously killed in a hit-and-run accident. Barnaby and Jones start investigating in Midsomer Market and discover that James may have been the intended victim. The case leads them to North Wales — the former home of Delyth Mostyn, James's fiancée, to delve further. The possible suspects for the attempted murder on Kirkwood include Delyth's children, who oppose the engagement, Delyth's husband, and other acquaintances of Doctor Kirkwood. They need to find the truth before another attempt on James' life during a walk at Mount Snowdon. The 'Creeper' is a daring cat burglar responsible for a series of daring thefts across Midsomer. After the Creeper strikes twice in one night, a writer, David Roper, is found smothered to death in his bed on the Chettham family estate. The police soon learn that Mr. Roper had been planning to write a book that could have exposed many Chettham family secrets of years past. The mystery deepens when a second victim who knew the family is shot in woodland. The detectives have to search the family's history to solve the crimes and finally uncover the Creeper's identity. The production values as always are top notch, with to die for scenery (with the house in the woods being like a foreboding character of its own), the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. The music fits perfectly, with some lush jauntiness and sometimes an ominous quality, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre.