- Release year: 2022
- Director: Peter Cattaneo.
- Producer: Suzanne McAuley.
- Screenplay by: Anthony Horowitz.
- Cinematography by: Anna Valdez Hanks.
- Music by: Murray Gold.
Synopsis: a literary editor must find the killer of her star writer to find the missing chapter of his latest and greatest novel.
Shotgun Commentary: chaotic, cosy, oddly fun.
Review
Magpie Murders is the streaming series adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s homonymous book, the first of his Susan Ryeland series. The book has been transformed into one season you can stream on Amazon Prime. A chill watch for mystery fans with the intention of becoming couch potatoes for a couple of afternoons.
The story follows Susan Ryeland (Lesley Manville). She is a literary editor who works for a small publishing company. Her main client is famous murder mystery writer Alan Conway (Conleth Hill). Conway is declared dead at the same time as Ryeland finds out that the manuscript he sent with his latest work is missing the last chapter. Since it is impossible to publish a murder mystery without the solution of the case, she finds herself investigating the writer’s final moments in order to figure out whether he actually wrote it or not.
Reality vs fiction
Her adventures, which eventually lead her to investigate whodunit, are laid out across the episodes along with Conway’s murder mystery. Ryeland suspects that both must be related if the killer was the one that did away with the final chapter. The juxtaposition of both storylines does get a bit confusing. Especially at the beginning, when you are still getting familiarised with the characters. If you struggle to figure out who’s who in a series, get ready for a whole new world of pain trying to figure out who’s who AND which version of themselves they are, the book version or the real-life version.
Logic dictates that the wardrobe should be more than enough to be able to tell apart a modern timeline from a mid-1950s tale. However, we need to consider that this is England. Town fashion hasn’t changed all that much since the end of the Second World War. As a result, any spectator with goldfish memory would do better holding onto the characters’ hairstyles over their clothes. Take it from this goldfish.
As for the mysteries themselves, both of them are quite engaging. Granted, one is painfully obvious if one pays attention to the cast, but both have their fair share of twists and turns. Enough to keep you second-guessing yourself despite the nagging feeling that the killer will be who it always is. Had the choice of actor for the role of the killer been different, audiences would probably have had a much harder time solving that mystery as well as the other.
The highlights
Another interesting side effect of having two different mysteries intertwined is the fact that your mind won’t be able to help but compare both. The clear winner, by the way, is Conway’s story. There are moments when you will ask yourself whether certain cuts to the fictional story are actually relevant or just a way to fill in the episodes with no actual substance, but the resolution proves that every single moment is key to reaching the wonderful ending that it has. In fact, had the series’ focus been on Ryeland’s investigation instead of dividing both stories equally, the overall watching experience would have become significantly more tedious.
Last but not least, it would be negligent to ignore one of the main reasons why you should watch this show: the case. Particularly Lesley Manville. If you have watched The Crown (2016-2023), or anything she is in, really, you will already be familiar with her presence and power on screen. She is an absolute force, which comes through even in a light whodunit series such as this one.
All in all, Magpie Murders is the type of show you want to run into when you can’t decide what to watch, but you desperately need to fill your time with murder. It is of no surprise that the show was continued with other miniseries that adapt the next books: Moonflower Murders (2024) and Marble Hall Murders (currently in production), so far.
Advice to take from this movie:
- Not all family is worth keeping in touch with.
- Never go to a roof with a potentially murderous person.
- Try not to be a d*ck to everyone you know. It will make your murder easier to solve.
What’s your take? Have you watched Magpie Murders? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message on my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀