There’s no such thing as too many crime dramas – or at least that’s what we believe at Good Housekeeping – and the latest one on the scene is here to prove our point. The cast of Happy Valley and New Tricks are joining forces for an adaptation of the Reverend Richard Cole’s 10/10 novel Murder Before Evensong – and it’s the sort of cosy crime drama that dreams are made of.
The six-part Channel 5 drama will introduce us to Canon Daniel Clement (played by Happy Valley’s Matthew Lewis), who is Rector of Champton. Living at the Rectory alongside his widowed mother Audrey (New Tricks’ Amanda Redman) –and two dachshunds, life is somewhat predictable. Until, that is, he announces a plan to install a lavatory in church, the parish suddenly becomes divided and a body is found at the back of the church. Oh, how we love a whodunnit.
With the Reverend (whose novel became an instant Sunday Times bestseller) serving as an executive producer on the series and Midsomer Murders writer Nick Hicks-Beach attached to it, we’ve got very high hopes indeed. And, if it goes down well, we might be seeing some of the Reverend’s other novels - A Death in the Parish and Murder at the Monastery, which also centre on Canon Daniel Clement, arriving on our screens next. In the meantime, here’s everything else we know about the upcoming series…
What is Murder Before Evensong about?
Based on the first novel in the Sunday Times bestselling series by the Reverend Richard Coles, the six-part drama is centred around Canon Daniel Clement (Matthew Lewis) who shares Champton rectory with his opinionated and rather annoying widowed mother, Audrey (Amanda Redman) – and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda. When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in the church, the parish is suddenly - and unexpectedly - divided.
But that's only the beginning of the drama, because then, a body – that of Anthony Bowness, cousin to Champton’s patron Bernard de Floures - is found dead at the back of the church. He's been stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs. As the bodies start piling up, Daniel finds himself on a mission to keep his fractured community together - and ultimately, catch a killer.
Mathew Lewis, who plays the lead, has said he's "beyond thrilled to be throwing on the old dog collar and diving into the world of Champton created by Rev. Richard Coles. I've been an admirer of his work for some time and love the characters and stories he’s written. It’s an honour to work with this creative team and have the opportunity to bring the character of Canon Clement to life for fans of the book and new viewers alike."
Who's starring in Murder Before Evensong?
The cast of Murder Before Evensong includes:
- Amanda Redman as Audrey
- Matthew Lewis as Canon Daniel Clement
- Amit Shah as DS Neil Vanloo
- Adam James as Bernard De Floures
- Meghan Treadway as Honor De Floures
- Alexander Delamain as Alex De Floures
- Marion Bailey as Kath
- Amanda Hadingue as Dora
- Tamzin Outhwaite as Stella Harper
- Francis Magee as Edgy
- Nina Toussaint-White as Jane Thwaite
How can I watch Murder Before Evensong?
Channel 5 haven't confirmed a release date yet, but we do know that filming is currently underway and is expected to last for a few months. That said, we're likely to see Murder Before Evensong on our screens before the end of the year. We'll update you as soon as we know more.
