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MAGPIE MURDERS. SAT 9.15 BBC 1 - tv pace. NO SPOILERS

176 replies

Blondeshavemorefun · 27/03/2023 13:37

An unmarried, middle-aged editor named Susan Ryeland receives from her superior the handwritten manuscript of the latest projected novel of the best-selling writer Alan Conway, but notices that the final chapter is missing.

Shortly afterwards, she learns that Alan Conway has died in an apparent suicide by falling off the tower of his mansion.

A suicide note in Conway's own handwriting is delivered to her office.

However, she has nagging doubts about the reality of the events, and decides to investigate Conway's death in order to know the truth, and to find where the last chapter of the manuscript went.

new drama for Saturday night - 6 parts

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Doingtheboxerbeat · 03/04/2023 16:50

Her wardrobe 😍!!! And her car, her home and just her lovely demeanor with taking any shit .

3littlebeans · 03/04/2023 18:58

Ooh starting the episode here!

3littlebeans · 03/04/2023 19:01

I SO want her house.

3littlebeans · 03/04/2023 19:31

I'm confused already!

I dont recognise people well at best of times!

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Blondeshavemorefun · 03/04/2023 21:52

Def need to watch again. Kinda makes more sense second time round

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Blondeshavemorefun · 08/04/2023 22:20

E2 tonight

I'm not watching till Tom as tired and last week I had to rewatch it as missed bits

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duc748 · 08/04/2023 23:05

I watched the first ep of this the other day, and quite liked it. Big fan of Lesley Manville, who was great in Mum and lots else. Dipping into ep #2 now.

duc748 · 08/04/2023 23:50

I also like how Daniel Mays seems to take each new TV appearance as an opportunity to totally take the piss with another ridiculous accent!

daffodilandtulip · 09/04/2023 09:47

I still don't get it, but I like it 🤣

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Blondeshavemorefun · 09/04/2023 10:19

@daffodilandtulip me neither

Def confusing

So when oldly wordly it's the book being acted out

Then our time with the editor Lesley m trying to work out who killed the author

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jay55 · 09/04/2023 11:30

I did get a bit confused with the switching back and forth, probably needs more attention than I can give at that hour.

I did feel episode two didn't move things along much really.

Piggywaspushed · 09/04/2023 15:23

Abra1t · 03/04/2023 12:11

I may be misremembering but in the book I think the switches between detective novel and RL were less frequent? One chunk of novel in the middle?

I like it. The subverting of the golden age detective novel is good. Love Lesley M too. I want the zigzag jumper from episode 2.

Yes, it's a book within a book.

I am finding the adaptation rather slow, to be honest. I enjoyed the book.

DH happily watches Poirot and Christies but didn't like this at all. He doesn't concentrate and so couldn't be bothered with two time frames to worry about.

Piggywaspushed · 09/04/2023 20:39

Also, I do like Lesley Manville, and she looks great. But she's 67. It's nice I suppose for a woman to play beneath her age for a change but the actor who plays Andreas is 15 years her junior and her sister is a lot younger too...

AFlockOfTigers · 09/04/2023 20:57

Piggywaspushed · 09/04/2023 20:39

Also, I do like Lesley Manville, and she looks great. But she's 67. It's nice I suppose for a woman to play beneath her age for a change but the actor who plays Andreas is 15 years her junior and her sister is a lot younger too...

I didn't realise she was in her sixties. I think it does look a bit implausible, and it's also a potential problem if they want to carry on adapting later books. Mind you, there's only one sequel so far, (also using the Atticus Pund novel within a novel format) and I think it would be extremely difficult to stretch the format much further.

Violetparis · 10/04/2023 14:17

Loved this, quirky is how I'd describe it.

rookiemere · 12/04/2023 20:39

Piggywaspushed · 09/04/2023 20:39

Also, I do like Lesley Manville, and she looks great. But she's 67. It's nice I suppose for a woman to play beneath her age for a change but the actor who plays Andreas is 15 years her junior and her sister is a lot younger too...

I came on the thread to say this.
Lesley Manville is an amazing actress and doesn't look her age, but I'm sure in the book the lead character was younger and middle aged. Some of it makes no sense with her being about the same age as the chap who is retiring.

CampervanKween · 15/04/2023 18:39

I did quite enjoy this, thought it was nicely done. Loved the clothes. She's looking fabulous for 67 and nice to see a reverse age relationship.

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Blondeshavemorefun · 16/04/2023 15:49

So the author stole a story from the waiter and in his book the wife did it

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butterpuffed · 16/04/2023 16:20

Yes , but in his version of the story . Probably a red herring .....or maybe not 🤔

diddl · 16/04/2023 16:22

Mangoesontherun · 03/04/2023 07:54

But I'm not sure about the double casting of Daniel Mays as the two cops - I think they're just doing that for the hell of it.

This didn't make sense to me because Alan Conway didn't know Detective Locke did he? So why would he base the Detective Chubb character on him in his book?

His sister knew the "real" cop & Alan based him on what ahe said about him.

martinisforeveryone · 16/04/2023 17:43

I've got the feeling that when the series ends I'll re-watch it to orientate myself properly. I am following the basics, but suspect I'm missing nuances. Mostly I just like watching Lesley Manville. She's terrific.

HairyKitty · 16/04/2023 17:50

What a fabulous fun and easy watch. I hope some of the cliches were authored tongue in cheek rather than lazy writing?

martinisforeveryone · 23/04/2023 12:12

Did anyone watch last night? I'm still watching the episodes more than once and have finally got into it properly. I've read lots of books which swap between timeframes, but not this one and I wasn't at all sure I was properly getting a handle on it.

My biggest criticism I guess, is the Saturday 9pm timeslot. It doesn't work for this programme for me. What I would really like to do is watch episode five and then go right back to the beginning and watch the whole thing through in one hit. It's been one series where I feel I lose the thread a bit with the week long wait rather than the wait raising my anticipation levels.

Socialdistancechampion · 23/04/2023 12:49

I'm absolutely loving this. It's nice to see Suffolk in all its beautiful glory, and the Suffolk twang being attempted. I would love if there were more programmes like this on TV.

rookiemere · 23/04/2023 12:51

@martinisforeveryone I'd recommend reading the books. It's very intricately plotted and the answers are all there if you know where to look - I didn't.
I'm not sure that has come across very well in the series, but I think it would be very hard to do it justice without making it a bit impenetrable.