© Bentley Productions/Mark Bourdillon
MIDSOMER MURDERS
A
DYING ART
DETAILED
SYNOPSIS
© Bentley Productions/Mark Bourdillon
Brandon
Monkford proudly introduces artist Lance Auden at the launch of his
new Sculpture Park. The guests head into the floodlit woods. Clemmy
Staples is spooked by her boyfriend Brin Dunne before discovering
Brandon's body arranged on Lance's centrepiece sculpture.
Barnaby assures Sarah he hasn't forgotten the career talk he promised to give at her school. At the murder scene Kam hands them a broken locket found near the body. Barnaby speaks with the family. Brandon's wife Alexandra is shocked, but son Fabian explains the villagers were opposed to the Park and local, Brin Dunne, had formed VASP (Villagers Against the Sculpture Park). The family deny recognising the locket. Lance claims he got on well with Brandon but fellow artist Simeon Rowling suggests Brandon upset some artists and critic Daniel Fargo reveals Brandon received hate mail. Estate workers Tony and Summer Pitt admit their daughter Helena left the launch early, and Helena is unable to offer Nelson an alibi when he finds her at the climbing centre. In the village, Brin tells Barnaby that VASP is non-violent and claimed not to have gone near the park. Cracks show in the Monkford family as Fabian suggests they close the park. Alexandra and Daniel meet for a tryst - it's clear they're having a secret affair.
Lance and Clemmy's affair is almost discovered when Brin arrives looking for her. Brandon's daughter Rachel and her boyfriend Killion's claim that they had a good relationship with Brandon is proved false when Nelson discovers that Brandon was trying to close the climbing centre. Kam identifies fibres from Brin's jacket, placing him at the murder scene. Brin is caught in a lie but claims he was protecting Clemmy from Lance. Daniel's forced to admit his affair with Alexandra when Nelson proves he bought the locket, and Barnaby and Nelson make a breakthrough when they discover Brandon left everything to Tony. The suspicion on Tony mounts when he tries to lie about not knowing and the family are rocked by Tony's betrayal. Lance's own story looks flimsy when footage emerges of him and Brandon fighting and Lance explains Brandon owed him money. At the village hall meeting, Tony causes uproar when he announces he'll continue Brandon's plans, and Summer is angered by Lance speaking to Helena. In the Park, Tony is knocked unconscious and crushed by a giant stone ball in another sculpture murder.
Brin is confronted over a threatening message he left Tony. Kam identifies a winch as Tony's murder weapon, and Rachel drops Killion in it when she debunks his alibi. Killion admits to trying to speak to Tony but denies murder. Lance dumps Clemmy, but Brin spots her with him, and his worst fears are confirmed. Lance's centrepiece sculpture is destroyed. Simeon is identified as the person behind the hate mail, and he explains that Brandon humiliated him. Summer returns the estate to the Monkfords as Lance offers to tutor Helena. When a search of Lance's room reveals a portfolio depicting all the death scenes Barnaby and Nelson pursue Lance to the Park&ldots;only to find his body arranged in a sculpture.
Clemmy confirms Brin knew about her affair and that he owns some gold-spattered clothing. Brin admits to smashing the sculpture but denies murder. Nelson realises that Daniel's profiting from Lance's death and Barnaby figures Lance didn't create the portfolio. Alexandra admits that Daniel is storing Lance's artwork in an old barn. Daniel is unloading artwork when he's attacked and tied up. Barnaby and Nelson race to the scene before the killer can set fire to the barn and burn Daniel and the artworks along with it.