Midsomer Murders (TV Series) Market for Murder (2002) User Reviews

Beware hidden passions.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 17 March 2019]

It's one of those episodes where the most unlikely events are matched with even more unlikely outcomes. It starts off with a bang, and ends in dramatic style.

It's a well written and well crafted mystery, it's full of twists and turns, and on several occasions you're pushed into the wrong direction by the characters.

Some terrific performances, Anton Rodgers of course stands out, he is marvellous as the hypochondriac Lord Chetwood, Barbara Leigh Hunt and Angela Thorne are great also.

It's a little off the wall, a little crazy, but it's certainly enjoyable. Not the killer(s) I expected. 8/10

good episode

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 20 February 2014]

This is a good episode, though I have to agree with one poster, that the solution came out of left field.

Barnaby and Troy are called in to investigate a car fire -- thankfully, there were no injuries. However, murders do occur: First, there's the murder of an elderly woman who is found bludgeoned in her home. The victim, Marjorie Empson, ran a reading club, which was really a front for five village women to invest in the stock market. It turns out that two members wanted to cash out but were voted down.

Then a second member of the club is killed.

Barnaby and Troy find adultery, unhappy marriages, a woman trying to handle her hypochondriacal husband, a pool man who seems too handy, and people receiving mysterious packages that indicate that someone knows their secrets.

Market for Murder is an enjoyable episode, with Troy indulging in his secret love for a childhood hero, The Hawk, buying the latest edition of his story. (Can he fly? asks Barnaby. Only when he's a hawk, Troy says.) And Barnaby is worrying about his pension which seems to be with a shaky company.

In order to make the end a little more satisfying, the script needed some shoring up. It's still pretty good.

Fine start to the fifth season.

[poolandrews · 7/10 · 12 October 2008]

Midsomer Murders: Market for Murder is set in the small village of Midsomer Market & starts late one night as an arson attack on the classic 1960's car of local millionaire stock broker Selwyn Proctor (Rupert Vansittart) leaves it a burnt out wreck & DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) & Sgt. Gavin Troy (Daniel Casey) on the case. Then the apparently minor arson attack becomes the least of Barnaby's problems when Marjorie Empsom (Barbara Leigh-Hunt) is found brutally bludgeoned to death with her own walking stick, Barnaby discovers that Marjorie was the organiser of the Midsomer Market Reading Club who were in fact several local ladies who used the club as cover to buy, sell & trade in stock's & shares. They club had amassed a small fortune & Barnaby senses that the motive for Marjorie's murder may be money & when another Reading Club member Ginny Sharp (Serena Gordon) also turns up murdered he becomes sure of it...

Episode 1 from season 5 this Midsomer Murders mystery was directed by Sarah Hellings & in the current global financial situation in which banks are going bust, stock markets & shares are plummeting through the floor & the world goes into financial meltdown Market for Murder is an appropriate watch as even the dealings in stock's & shares of the city can be felt in the most unlikely places & even be a motive for murder although as usual it's not quite as straight forward as that. Yes, forget about the village market where locals erect stalls & sell vegetable's & other such goods as the market in the title of this episode does indeed refer to the financial markets which are in such a bad way at the moment & maybe this episode foresees that as Barnaby's pension plummets which is tied up in shares while Troy's liquid asset comic book collection is worth a mint! Having said that Market for Murder uses stock's & shares as a backdrop rather than focus on it too heavily & when the killer is revealed at the end you really do need to suspend your disbelief as they have some of the most odd-ball motives for murder ever & that's saying something! In fact it almost seemed like the killer didn't really set out to murder anyone & the killings were done because of circumstance rather than any calculated plan. The whole thing is preposterous but it works, all the loose ends & little clues come together really well & I would sooner have these sorts of frankly nutty as a fruit cake killers than the bland forgettable ones of later seasons. The distinctive character's are good & eccentrically English without ever being too silly, again better than the bland ones served up recently in the series. As usual there's lots of exposition during it's near 100 minute running time & you need the patience to stick with it & concentrate for it to make sense & come together.

There's three murders in this one, none are particularly graphic although there's some blood splatter. Unusually for such an excellently produced series there is an annoying continuity error with the murder of Ginny Sharp, when she is murdered at night she is seen to be hit with an ashtray & fall back into her swimming pool & as the camera pans out there's blood contaminating the water from her head wound yet the very next morning when Barnaby & Troy discover the body the swimming pool water is totally clean without any blood in it at all. The photography is nice as always, the location used for the 'Feathers Hotel' had actually been used in the previous story Tainted Fruit (2001) from the end of season four as the Townsend's stately home. The acting is good from a decent cast including the late British TV veteran actor Anton Rodgers while there's some nice banter between Barnaby & Troy the likes of which is sorely missed with his newer partners.

Market for Murder is another great Midsomer Murders episode before it started to go downhill, sure the killers motives & reasoning are as silly & loopy as they come but that all adds to the entertainment value in my opinion. A well paced mystery with plenty of intrigue, red herrings, suspects & surprises to keep any armchair detective glued to their seat for a couple of hours.

Playing the Stock Market Game

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 27 February 2016]

A group of housewives and a widow gather each week at a book club. At least they say it is a book club. It is actually an investment club. They are relatively well healed and are able to sneak some money into their accounts. As of late, the leader, a surly widow, tells them that they have done very well. But there is dissension in the ranks. Each has a private life that causes conflict. One night a rich cheapskate who has a young wife gets into his classic car and the thing catches fire and explodes. Soon, thereafter, the woman who runs the club is battered to death in her house. I won't get into all the female characters, but they are pretty much nice women (though some a bit snobbish). Suddenly, they begin to be murdered in various ways. There are some secrets and some spousal abuse and an eccentric character who acts like a child. Things become quite unglued as Barnaby and Troy wade through the usual red herrings and subterfuge.

Classic

[Schweizer85 · 9/10 · 18 December 2020]

Loved this episode, it encompasses all the Midsomer Murders values that we just don't see anymore in the later series. The script is brilliantly written with a small cast which enables real character development with brilliant acting. My favourite part of this episode is the production values, particularly the houses which are just stunning. Have to admit the murderer/conclusion came out of nowhere, but that's all part of the enjoyment. Definitely not one to miss

Excellent start to Season 5

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 10 January 2017]

"Market for Murder" may not quite be classic 'Midsomer Murders', some of the show's best episodes being in the first three seasons alone. This said, it is still an excellent episode and sees Season 5 getting off to a strong start.

While the murderer's identity was surprising, their motive(s) were somewhat far-fetched and a little too hastily explained. To a lesser extent, count me in as another person who noticed the continuity error in the second murder and found it on the sloppy side.

However, as always, the production values are top notch, with to die for scenery, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. The music fits perfectly, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre.

Meanwhile, the script is smart, thought-provoking and suitably grim, the humour also being a breath of fresh air. Nothing felt inconsequential, everything had a point, everything intrigued and any loose ends were tied together nicely.

The story, over the top and elaborate but appropriately and wonderfully so and with a suitable grimness, is hugely compelling, and never simplistic and never losing any of the maturity of the previous episodes. There is a lot going on mostly without being cluttered or rushed (remarkable for an episode that as ever is heavy in exposition), and that nothing is what it seems, or very few people are who they seem adds to the complexity, while there are no out of kilter scenes. The twists, red herrings and turns keep coming, and rarely in an obvious or press-the-rewind button. The characters are colourful and eccentric, again one of the charms of the show and something that was missing for a lot of the previous season.

Acting is very good, superb in the case of John Nettles, and his chemistry with Daniel Casey (a great contrast as ever as Troy), Jane Wymark (love their loving chemistry) and Barry Jackson always convincing and more. The supporting cast are all fine, no weak links.

To conclude, excellent episode and an every bit as excellent start to the fifth season, a fond reminder of when 'Midsomer Murders' was good. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Very good start for Season 5

[sherondalewis-20531 · 9/10 · 21 April 2022]

Really enjoyed this episode. Market for Murder is a great episode where in Midsomer Market, a "book club" get together is just a front for playing the market. And there are ladies in this group who are very different from each other: the timid, yelled upon wife of a tightwad Tamzin/Maureen, the meek Dr's receptionist/bookkeeper Sandra, the flirt Jennie, the Lady of Manor with a leaky roof Lavinia, and the women who runs this Marjorie.

Now, the other characters are the pool man Harry, the flirting, cheating, yelling tightwad Selwyn Proctor, the village doctor, the Lord of the Manor, James (who's a hypochondriac). The woman who ran this "book club" , Marjorie, was clubbed to death and that is where we get Troy and Barnaby to investigate who killed her...and why.

Loved the cast in here, loved the banter between Troy and Barnaby, Troy's love for the character called The Hawk, which, btw (in the J. Barnaby/Winter years) will make another "appearance" and the worrying of Tom's pension. The deaths are not as brutal as in Death's Shadow or Destroying Angel but still, not bad. Even the simple scene with Tom and Joyce was cute (when he was trying to see if the letters W A U R E N) were anagrams but Joyce turned the W to an M and made it MAUREN and said, "Well, it's clearly missing an E but it's definitely MAUREEN" and the look on Tom's face made me chuckle! She is beautiful...and smart! She's a keeper (but please get her better cookbooks for the love that is all holy so she can try better recipes).

I liked how Troy figured out the murderer (A Talent for Life was another one where Troy figured it out from jump) and the "Why" started out as one thing (no invite to a garden party) and ended up another (wanting the elderly Lord of the Manor and killing off the flirt, his wife and rid of the timid wife, just for good measure). This is what happens when you call the timid receptionist with an obsession for an elderly Lord of the Manor a "bookkeeper's daughter". This episode has obsession (Troy with his Hawk collection and Sandra with Lord James), affairs, false identity, adoption, hypochondria, delusions, fear of heights, playing the stock market, investments.

Yea...I really liked this episode.

Solid good episode

[barbrickey17 · 7/10 · 8 August 2020]

What a great episode, I really enjoyed it. Fantastic start to Season 5! When I heard Market for Murder I thought it would be an episode based in a market place or something but I was given something way better than that. I loved the events of the episode, and the ending was unexpected but still very exciting and enjoyable. Great supporting cast, Anton Rodgers is amazing and so is everyone else, the characters are all so different and so they make all unique suspects. I love Troy, and I found in this episode there were a couple of funny moments with him and other characters, that sort of added to the fun ness of the episode. Spectacular episode, I liked it a lot, very creative and very well written. Market for Murder is a solid good episode of Midsomer Murders.

Shame about the ending

[boxyfella · 8/10 · 18 May 2022]

I loved this one - until the last fifteen minutes, that is. The killer's motivations are ludicrous, and what could have been a story about rational murders to get their hands on the shares turns out to be a story about an obsessional, deluded nutjob. The first murder was almost accidental, but really, Mrs Empson only had herself to blame for her death. When you're lying at the foot of the stairs at someone's mercy, the last thing you do is say something to antagonise them. Had she kept her mouth shut Sandra would have most likely just walked away.

It's a shame as the whole premise of the fake reading club, and the person who knows everybody's secrets is very good.

There are some great comic moments mainly to do with Lord Chetwood, but there is also fun concerning Barnaby's decreasing pension pot, Troy being terrified of heights and his love of The Hawk comic, with his collection being worth a pretty penny, much to Barnaby's annoyance.

There were some great turns by the guest actors, Serena Gordon, Anton Rodgers, Rupert Vansittard and particularly Jesse Birdsall, whose interactions with Barnaby were great.

It's a shame Joyce has only a small part, would like to have seen more of her.

I agree about the continuity error concerning the second murder, but there seems to be an even more glaring one. When we see the murder for the first time, Ginny surfaces, and is struck almost immediately. In the flashback, she surfaces and Sandra says something to her, causing her to start laughing. This lasts for a little while, and it is this which enrages Sandra and causes her to hit Ginny with the ashtray.

Solid start to this season!

[harrykivi · 7/10 · 24 February 2020]

"Midsomer Murders" has always been one of my most beloved shows, but the high time of this show definitely lies in Tom Barnaby era. It doesn't mean that I hate Neil Dudgeon or direction they went after John Nettles left- I still enjoy "Midsomer"- but I'm not so fond of the show as I used to be.

That being said, the 5th season is a pretty strong season overall. "A worm in the bud" is in my opinion very good if not great ("Ring out your dead" is the series best without a doubt), though "Market for murder" I think is only solid.

Let's look at the positives first.

. The production values are always wonderful and music, direction compelling enough. Sarah Hellings being (in my mind) one of the better directors of the show after Jeremy Silberston left.

. The story of "Market for murder" is complex, full of twists, turns and has a bunch of interesting characters to follow. Murder mystery's also a compelling watch.

. The acting is strong throughout with no weak points.

. There's lovely humor here as well. It was nice to have some character building for Gavin Troy. His comics obsession and fear of heights were charming.

But...

. The solution of this one does come out a bit of nowhere. Yes, it all makes sense. Clues come together and so on. The identity of the killer is a surprise too, but motives for murders feel under explained in their weirdness.

. Agree that the murder of Ginny Sharp has an error in it, because when we see her get killed, the blood splatters all over the pool, but in the morning, when she's found, the swimming pool seems to be clean, which is quite interesting..

. Also wasn´t a huge fan of how Tom Barnaby was written in this episode. He was bit too arrogant for his own good.

"Market for murder" is a solid watch, but not great.

7/10 HK

Another must see for fans and those who simply want to enjoy a good whodunit.

[jamesraeburn2003 · 9/10 · 31 January 2022]

DCI Barnaby and Sgt Troy (played by John Nettles and Daniel Casey) investigate the brutal murder of Marjorie Empson (played by Barbara Leigh Hunt), an elderly widow who chaired a local 'Reading Club', which in reality is a cover for a group of ladies who invest in stocks and shares. They include Tamsin (played by Caroline Harker), the bored wife of wealthy stockbroker Selwyn Proctor (played by Rupert Vansittart) whose conflict of interest could land her husband in trouble; attractive widow Ginny Sharp (played by Serena Gordon) with whom Selwyn is having an affair. Lady Lavinia Chetwood (played by Angela Thorne), the wife of the hapless, hypochondriac aristocrat Lord James Chetwood (played by Anton Rodgers) whose historic manor house requires millions of pounds spent on it in renovation. Selwyn wants to buy it and she is keen on the idea while her husband is not. And Sandra (played by Gerda Stevenson), the wife of the local GP, Rupert Bradshaw (played by Christopher Ravenscroft). The detectives discover that some of the club's investments had done very well leading them to ask whether financial gain was the motive for Marjorie's murder. As their investigation progresses, they uncover secrets about the club members' private lives and two more murders follow before they can bring the culprit to book...

Another must see for fans of Midsomer Murders, those checking it out for the first time and for those who are simply looking for a good whodunit to enjoy. Andrew Payne's script has a great plot that plays as a fair as can be with the audience delivering the requisite red herrings and twists and turns that lead to a satisfying and logical denouement. The characterisations are interesting and brought to life by a first rate cast of familiar British TV faces like Christopher Ravenscroft (Inspector Wexford), Caroline Harker (A Touch Of Frost) and Rupert Vansittart (Heartbeat). John Nettles and Daniel Casey are as good as ever as the investigating CID men while Anton Rodgers is also standout as the hapless Lord Chetwood. Director Sarah Hellings, a stalwart of British television drama, demonstrates that she has a strong feel for this show by deftly maximising the attractive rural Home Counties locations for their sense of the mysteriousness, which adds to our enjoyment of the plot: the idea of sinister goings on emerging from beneath the surface of the seemingly tranquil and soothing setting of the English countryside. The production values and technical aspects are all of the high standard one expects of this show.

Not that bad but

[lbowdls · 7/10 · 13 December 2019]

This is one of two that I worked out the murderer. This one slightly less earlier and immediate as the other which is the episode of The runaway Bride and chess theme, but still obvious to me. So for that reason it makes it less enjoyable because there's no surprise. Others might not get it. Apart from that it has some interesting plot points and characters.

For fans only

[jonfrum2000 · 5/10 · 12 August 2009]

This is another one of the Midsomer episodes in which the solution seems to come out of no where at the end. If you enjoy the typical Midsomer shows, you'll like this one - just don't expect it to make much sense. As with some other Midsomer scripts, this one needed more time and polish. At least we don't have to deal with Troy's bad driving, which makes no sense - why would a young detective be unable to pay attention to the road? Many of the Midsomer episodes remind me of Hollywood B movies, in which shooting was rushed, and plot branches left hanging.

At least none of the suspects called Barnaby or Troy "impertinent." Do people still talk to police investigators in England like that, or is it done with a wink? Every time it happens - "damned impertinent!" - I want the police to get out the truncheons and give them something to complain about.

Ok MM entry

[coltras35 · 5/10 · 14 May 2022]

A prominent resident is robbed and battered to death with her walking stick, and suspicion soon falls on the members of her reading club - which turns out to be a front for a lucrative investment portfolio.

A standard MM with the usual murders and tangled motives and eccentric suspects, though it's humour is than others. Not a great episode, but not bad either.