Description
“The Maid in Splendour” is the fifth episode of the seventh series of the popular ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders. It originally aired on January 25, 200412. In this intriguing episode, DCI Tom Barnaby and DS Dan Scott investigate a shotgun murder that occurs at The Maid in Splendour, a pub in the village of Midsomer Worthy.
The pub plays a central role in a case involving unrequited love, secret business deals, and passionate affairs. The victim, Jamie Cruikshank, was a barman at the pub. The current owner, Stephen Bannerman, is a much-disliked local property developer with his own plans for the establishment. Stephen’s father, Michael Bannerman, the original owner, disagreed with his son’s intentions to transform the pub into a high-end restaurant. Additionally, Stephen was having an affair with Bella Monday, the daughter of his lifelong friend, Audrey. When Stephen himself is killed by shotgun, DCI Barnaby begins to wonder if Jamie’s murder might have been a case of mistaken identity1.
The episode weaves together elements of adultery, family dynamics, and mystery, making it a captivating installment in the Midsomer Murders series.