The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries
featuring gorgeous settings and sly British humor.
Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, modern
master of the English village mystery, the series stars Neil Dudgeon as
the capable Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby, with Jason Hughes
as his earnest, efficient protégé, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones. Guest stars include
James Callis (Battlestar Galactica), Kerry Fox (Shallow Grave), Paul Ritter
(Quantum of Solace), Sinéad Cusack (V, for Vendetta) and
Harriet Walter (Babel).
The Mysteries:
The Dark Rider—Sightings of a headless horseman doom members of the aristocratic DeQuetteville
family as they plan a Civil War battle reenactment.
Murder of Innocence—The return of a convicted murderer to Midsomer sparks a series of revenge
killings, but the top suspect soon becomes a target.
Death and the Divas—Tensions between a Hollywood superstar and her actress sister come to a head
amid murders modeled on the sisters’ horror films.
Midsomer Murders
premiered
in the U.K. in March 1997. Since then, more than 100 feature-length
episodes have aired with new episodes still in production. In the U.S.,
the series has been seen on
A&E, The Biography Channel and public television; however the episodes in
Set 23 are the first part of Series 15 (2012-13), which streamed first exclusively on Acorn TV.
Street: February 4, 2014 –
Three mysteries, approx. 278 min., plus bonus - SDH subtitles
Blu-ray 2-Disc Set
(SRP: $49.99) - UPC 0-54961-2140-9-9 - ISBN 978-1-62172-140-6
DVD 3-Disc Boxed Set:
(SRP: $39.99) - UPC: 0-54961-2133-9-9 - ISBN 978-1-62172-133-8
Bonus: Audio commentary for
The Dark Rider with star Neil Dudgeon and director Alex Pillai and behind-the-scenes featurette for
Death and the Divas (15 min.)
Acorn Media previously released
Sets 1-22
with three to five mysteries per set ($39.99 to $59.99) as well as four collector’s sets (The Early Cases Collection,
Barnaby’s Casebook, Village Case Files, and Mayhem & Mystery Files).
My Thoughts
If you are a fan of "Law & Order", you're going to love its British rural counterpart, "Midsomer Murders". In the county of Midsomer, things aren't always what they seem, and there is murder lurking behind many of the well trimmed hedges. The series, which was inspired by the novels by Caroline Graham, offers a selection of murder mysteries filled with intrigue and drama. I received the Midsomer Murder Set 23 to review, and although I have only seen the series in bits and pieces, I was able to follow along with no trouble. Each episode stands on its own and offers its own unique and suspenseful storyline.
The season reunites a great cast with lots of British humor and three wonderfully written mysteries including:
The Dark Rider : This is a twist on the classic tale of the Headless Horseman. In the mist of civil war reenactments, a phantom rider appears, harkening death to all who see him. Barnaby and Jones must look beyond superstition and family rivalries to unmask the flesh and blood person behind this apparition.
Murder of Innocence : Years ago a man named Grady killed a little boy and was convicted for the crime. Now he is being released and it brings back a lot of old memories for Jones because this was his very first murder case. As soon as Grady returns to town, people responsible for this former conviction start turning up dead. Jones could be the next on the killer's hit list. But is it really Grady or did the true killer get away with murder all those years ago?
Death and the Divas : A journalist was working on a biography of a pair of cult horror movie actresses. While watching one of their films, he's brutally murdered. When the film festival kicks off, more murders take place and it seems like someone is trying to turn the town into a real life horror movie. Now Jones and Barnaby must figure out who the real life killer is before the curtain falls on the final scene.
In addition to the full season of episodes, the DVD set also includes audio commentary and behind the scenes features. If you want to get the advantage of a full set of amazing stories that will leave you on the edge of your seat, than this is the box set for you. You can order Midsomer Murders Set 23 for only $49.99 at Acorn Media.
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