If you’re looking for a fantastic whodunnit to finish the long weekend with (or see you through the week!), then you’ve come to the right place. Magpie Murders, which first landed on our screens in 2022, sees Lesley Manville bring the iconic Susan Ryeland to life in a way only she knows how - and it's a true masterclass in murder mysteries. So, we thought it was only right to share that the series is available to watch on the BBC tonight.
An adaptation of the first book in Anthony Horowitz’s hit Susan Ryeland series, there are six mind-bending episodes to enjoy as we follow editor-turned-sleuth Susan Ryeland (Lesley Manville) on her search for the missing final chapter of author Alan Conway’s (Conleth Hill) novel. It's tricky, to say the least, given the author is no longer alive, but the chapter also just happens to hold the key to solving a real-life murder.
With the series available to stream now, here’s everything you need to know about Magpie Murders before you tune in, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Magpie Murders about?
As we mentioned, the series is based on Anthony Horowitz’s 2016 novel of the same name and is a mystery within a mystery. Over the course of six episodes, we follow editor Susan Ryeland (Lesley Manville), who's given an unfinished manuscript of author Alan Conway’s latest Atticus Pünd novel, with no idea how much it's about to change her life.
Alan is found dead shortly after delivering the manuscript and, in her search for the missing chapter, Susan begins to believe it holds the clue to the cause of his death - or indeed, the identity of the person who killed him. She soon learns that many of the characters in Alan's book are based on real people – and all of them have reasons to want him dead. Can Susan and the novel’s detective, Atticus Pünd, uncover the truth?
Speaking to Digital Spy about how the series was adapted, Lesley Manville said: “He [Anthony Horowitz] has taken his book, and he’s really jumbled it around without losing the essence of the book. He’s very cleverly interwoven these two timespans, and the director [Peter Cattaneo] has done a really good job in terms of how we marry those two worlds together."
Who’s in the cast of Magpie Murders?
The main cast of Magpie Murders includes:
- Lesley Manville (Another Year, The Crown) as Susan Ryeland
- Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones) as Alan Conway
- Tim McMullan (Foyle’s War) as Atticus Pünd
- Michael Maloney (The Five, Paranoid) as Charles Clover
- Alexandros Logothetis (The Island) as Andreas Patakis
- Claire Rushbrook (My Mad Fat Diary, Whitechapel) as Katie Williams
- Matthew Beard (Funny Woman, Monsieur Spade) as James Taylor/James Fraser
- Daniel Mays (Code 404, Des) as Locke/Chubb
- Harry Lawtey (Joker: Folie à Deux, Industry) as Robert Blakiston
Is there a trailer for Magpie Murders?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for the six-part series here:
Is Magpie Murders any good?
Yes - Lesley Manville is, as always, sensational in it, but the story itself is both genuinely clever and incredibly charming. While a mystery within a mystery might sound complicated, the series never feels confusing - or forced - and the result is a drama you want to keep going back to.
How can I watch Magpie Murders?
All six episodes of Magpie Murders are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
What other murder mysteries can I watch now?
You can find more murder mystery brilliance in Recipes for Love and Murder, which follows crime-solving cook and newspaper agony aunt Tannie Maria (Maria Doyle Kennedy) who finds herself solving a reader's very own murder mystery. The series is available to watch now on U. Another great murder mystery is Dead Still, which takes us back to 1880s Dublin. Post-mortem photographer Brock Blennerhasset finds himself dragged into an investigation when a string of murders are connected to his work. Dead Still is available to watch on Prime Video.
