Watching an adaptation rather than reading the book always feels like cheating, but sometimes I can't resist. There are just too many great stories out there and so many different ways to tell them well. Besides, when the screenwriter is Anthony Horowitz and he's adapting his own novel, 'Magpie Murders', you know you're in safe hands. Or as safe as they can be when there's a villain on the loose...
Far from Black and White
The last chapter of 'Magpie Murders' is missing and its author, the spiteful and curmudgeonly Alan Conway (Conleth Hill), is dead. When editor Susan Ryeland (Lesley Manville) is given the unenviable task of tracking down the AWOL pages by his publisher, Charles Clover (Michael Maloney), she uncovers a complex, real-life mystery worthy of Conway's fictional detective Atticus Pund (Tim McMullan). As she investigates, Susan begins to realise the lengths Conway went to in order to take his bitterness out on those around him and how 'Magpie Murders' is much more than an intriguing tale of cosy crime set in 1950s Britain...
A Mischief of Magpies
Part of the appeal of stories like these is that they're a puzzle that readers can potentially solve, but with it's double-layer plot 'Magpie Murders' takes this covenant to a whole new level. Fortunately, it's very well executed; complex enough to get the little grey cells going but not so confusing that you feel you need a notebook and an incident room whiteboard to keep up. I enjoyed the word play throughout and the 'ah ha!' moments that came towards the end when I realised how much I'd half-registered then immediately forgotten about - as intended, I'd seen but not observed! It's a difficult balance to strike and a credit to the production and Horowitz's storytelling.
Character Study
Alan Conway must've been an absolute blast to play. It's not often that you come across a character that has so few redeemable features that you're quite glad when they're bumped off, even though this leaves a whole flock of suspects to sift through. Conversely, his alter-ego, the detective Atticus Pund, is so adorable you can easily believe he has legions of fans desperate to join him in his latest adventure. As a reader, I also enjoyed the publishing house setting - and it's good to see an editor as a hero! Lesley Manville is great as the hard-edged Susan trying to make big personal decisions while solving professional mysteries. Her toughness could've been unlikeable, but Manville makes her relatable; someone stuck trying to sort out a problem of someone else's making. We've all been there!
Overall
For me, 'Magpie Murders' was the TV equivalent of a page turner. It's unusual for me to get impatient and watch a series before it's broadcast, but with this I just couldn't wait. I've read that the second book, 'Moonflower Murders', is also going to be adapted for TV. I'm already looking forward to it and, in the meantime, am sure that 'Magpie Murders' will stand up to repeated viewings, offering (appropriately enough for the season) new Easter Eggs each time.
Now, what next..?
'The Magpie Murders' is an Eleventh Hour Films production. It is currently available via the BBC iPlayer. For more about the book, please visit the author's website.
