The Village Murder CasebookAn unofficial Midsomer Murders guide

Complete released-series file · 2016

Series 18

6 feature-length cases from the John Barnaby era, led by DCI John Barnaby with DS Charlie Nelson across the run.

Two empty leather chairs and contrasting case notebooks on a rural detective desk at dusk
Original Village Murder Casebook artwork—not a programme still.
Cases6

Episodes 1–6

First shown2016

Year-level chronology

Settings6

Principal fictional places

Archive depth6/6

Expanded case files

Before you open the folder

What defines Series 18?

This run sits in the John Barnaby period and contains 6 cases. Its archive labels lean eccentric, with 3 cases carrying that tone.

Best entry point
Habeas Corpus
Opening case
Habeas Corpus
Final case
Harvest of Souls
Recurring settings
Each principal setting appears once

Archive highlights

Three ways into Series 18

Editorial signposts drawn from the Casebook catalogue—not a claim that every murder needs a podium.

Opening file

Habeas Corpus

A wealthy man's corpse disappears from his deathbed, turning an inheritance dispute into a search for the missing body.

Episode 1 →Casebook focus · Eccentric

Habeas Corpus

The absence of the expected corpse gives a familiar country-estate mystery a playful engine.

Open the case →Filming trail

Breaking the Chain

2 broader filming areas are already connected to this file.

Follow the places →

Who works these cases

Core cast in Series 18

Every lead detective, investigating partner and credited on-screen pathologist represented in this series.

No freely reusable portrait located. A rights-cleared photograph can be added later.
Lead detective

Neil Dudgeon

John Barnaby · 6 cases

An English actor whose television work before Causton included Piece of Cake, The Mrs Bradley Mysteries, Messiah and the sitcom Life of Riley. He also appeared in Midsomer Murders years earlier as a different character in Garden of Death.

Open actor profile →
Actor Gwilym Lee during an MTV Movies interview in 2018
Photo: MTV International · CC BY 3.0 · displayed with a layout crop
Investigating partner

Gwilym Lee

Charlie Nelson · 6 cases

A British actor whose screen career includes Jamestown, The Great and Top End Wedding. International audiences may know him best as Queen guitarist Brian May in the film Bohemian Rhapsody.

Open actor profile →
Actor and director Manjinder Virk in a frame from Out of Darkness
Photo: Mango Films / Manjinder Virk · CC BY 3.0 · displayed with a layout crop
Forensic support

Manjinder Virk

Dr Kam Karimore · 6 cases

A British actor, writer and director known for The Arbor, Britz and Trigger Point. Her filmmaking work includes the award-winning short Out of Darkness, which she wrote and directed.

Open actor profile →

Complete episode ledger

Every Series 18 case

6 expanded dossiers and 0 concise catalogue records, all linked in broadcast order.

  1. Episode01

    2016 · Little Malton

    Habeas Corpus

    A wealthy man's corpse disappears from his deathbed, turning an inheritance dispute into a search for the missing body.

    EccentricWritten by Rachel Cuperman & Sally GriffithsExpanded dossier1 mapped areasOpen case →
  2. Episode02

    2016 · Cooper Hill

    The Incident at Cooper Hill

    A ranger vanishes after encountering strange lights at a UFO hotspot, leading the investigation towards a nearby RAF base.

    EccentricWritten by Paul LogueExpanded dossierLocation research openOpen case →
  3. Episode03

    2016 · Burwood Mantle

    Breaking the Chain

    An international cycle race turns fatal after its leader ignores team orders and takes the victory for himself.

    ClassicWritten by Chris MurrayExpanded dossier2 mapped areasOpen case →
  4. Episode04

    2016 · Angel's Rise

    A Dying Art

    The opening of a sculpture park is followed by murder, an explosive inheritance announcement and questions about who created its art.

    EccentricWritten by Jeff PoveyExpanded dossier1 mapped areasOpen case →
  5. Episode05

    2016 · Midsomer Cicely

    Saints and Sinners

    An archaeological dig apparently discovers the village's namesake saint before its director is murdered in the trench.

    ClassicWritten by Lisa HoldsworthExpanded dossier1 mapped areasOpen case →
  6. Episode06

    2016 · Whitcombe Mallet

    Harvest of Souls

    A harvest fair and equestrian centre become the stage for a death that reopens an old village grievance.

    DarkWritten by Caleb RansonExpanded dossier2 mapped areasOpen case →