With recent showings of new seasons of Endeavour, Grantchester, Guilt returning on August 28, 2022, for a second four-part series full of twists, turns and deception, and season 2 of Miss Scarlet and the Duke coming this fall, Masterpiece on PBS has become a force to be reckoned with. When it comes to quality dramas and mysteries, Masterpiece demands to be overlooked no more.

The upcoming series Magpie Murders is based on the 2016 novel by British author Anthony Horowitz which received praise for its plot-within-a-lot structure. Horowitz is known for his work in the mystery genre and has written a number of young adult books as well as several Sherlock Holmes novels.

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Magpie Murders follows the story of Susan Ryeland, the editor for mystery author Alan Conway. Conway is a beloved author whose character, Arthur Pünd, is a persnickety detective whose many investigations are the basis for his book series. As his eager fans await his latest novel, Susan takes on the task of proofreading his latest book’s draft to prepare it for publication. There’s only one problem: the final chapter is missing. This complication might be enough to raise a few questions for Susan, but when she finds that Conway has died mysteriously, she decides to take up the task of solving both the mystery behind his death and the missing chapter. The new trailer for the series gives audiences a first-hand look at this mystery within a mystery. In it, Susan is haunted by the image of Atticus, the fictional detective who haunts the very real mystery behind his creator’s death. There is also revelation of a pivotal aspect of the novel wherein the author made the residents of the surrounding town into actual characters in his book. And that alarming detail might just be the key to solving Conway’s murder, along with the case of the missing chapter.

Magpie Murders Beckons Lovers of Cozy Mysteries to Cuddle Up This Fall for Some Amateur Sleuthing

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Magpie Murders stars Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread, World on Fire) as Susan, the editor turned detective, Tim McMullan (Patrick Melrose) as detective Atticus Pund, Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones) as writer Alan Conway, Claire Rushbrook (White Chapel), and Daniel Mays (Line of Duty). Manville told Variety:

Magpie Murders will premiere on Masterpiece on PBS on October 12, 2022, at 9:00 p.m. EST.

“Fans of Anthony Horowitz’s highly acclaimed, thrilling novel will be utterly delighted. I could not be happier to be playing Susan Ryeland. What a fabulous character for me to grapple with.”