The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (TV Series) Missing Joseph (2002) User Reviews

accidental food poisoning? or murder?

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 8 June 2012]

Inspector Lynley (Nathaniel Parker) and Detective Havers (Sharon Small) investigate the death of a minister in "Missing Joseph," a 2002 entry into the Inspector Lynley canon.

In this story, Rev. Sage dies on his way home from dinner with Juliet Spence (Pippa Haywood). The coroner declares that it's hemlock poisoning, that hemlock was mistaken for parsley and put into the food Ms. Spence made. Juliet also became ill but vomited, which is not a symptom of hemlock poisoning. In fact, she administered an emetic to herself.

Lynley and Havers find several suspects while they try to deal with their personal problems: Havers has moved her mother into a nursing home and is supposed to get her house ready to sell, except she is procrastinating; and Lynley is pursuing a romance with the nervous Helen Clyde (Lesley Vickerage).

One suspect is, of course, Juliet herself, another is her daughter Maggie (Charlotte Salt), another is Polly Yarken (Joanna Dunn), who is in love with Juliet's boyfriend, Steve Shepherd (Jason Merrells), and he just happens to be on the force.

Lynley and Havers uncover the truth in an excellent story. While the solution might not come as a shock, the reasons behind it definitely will.

I haven't read the books; supposedly the character of Lynley is a knock-off of Inspector Wimsey. Obviously the people who put this series together had something different in mind. As Lynley, Nathaniel Parker is wonderful - handsome, with a beautiful smile, elegant, sexy, and warm. I really don't know how Helen can resist him. Frankly he could do better. Sharon Small is excellent as his working class partner, a woman beset by anger and loneliness, but a lot of respect and affection for Lynley. They make a great team.

Haven't seen all of these, but I'm guessing this episode is one of the best in the series.

A strong end to the first series.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 27 March 2021]

Inspector Lynley is working in Lancashire, he's on the case of The Reverend Robert Sage, who dies after eating hemlock.

A very good episode, an interesting mystery, set against the most gorgeous backdrop imaginable. The production team made good use of the location, which adds to the story.

It seems obvious who the killer is, but there's a lot more happening than you first think. Best scene I thought was where Havers tells the Mortician exactly what she thinks of him.

Helen is perhaps the only character I find a little little irritating, what does he see in her?

Very good, 8/10.

Ferrying Us

[tedg · 10 August 2006]

I wonder if I have this wrong. I recall that in the books, our male detective is quite a bit different than what we have here. I recall he was an Earl, drove the Bentley to work. Shades of Peter Wimsey. Also that he was alarmingly depressed, a boozer, a poet, someone who would lose himself in loud classical music. Unlike Holmes, he didn't play it, merely listened, a difference worth noting to this victim of noir forces.

The producers decided to focus on his sidekick, who has depressions of her own that are more readily dramatized. Oh well.

The story? I'll tell you that it is remarkably well done, quite good compared to others in this series and in the larger collection of the branded "Mystery" offerings.

Why? The folks behind this one had some competence with cinematic storytelling. In the very first scene, we know that a woman is a particularly skilled cook and is nervous about what she is preparing, that her daughter has some special gloomy burden, in addition to and beyond loneliness. Also that there is a prettier, younger woman involved and some of our characters will be watching others. All this is conveyed visually without anyone having to tell us in words.

So in the first two minutes (after Diana Rigg reads some irrelevant tripe), you know you will get something better than usual.

The business between the male detective and his two women, and between them and the force — the main thing in the books, is here gladly made secondary to the mystery. Its quite interesting. You cannot possibly guess what's behind the murder, but it is clever, so clever and cinematically so.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.