It won’t surprise Acorn TV viewers to learn that Murder Before Evensong is written by Midsomer Murders alum Nick Hicks-Beach. The new mystery series starring Matthew Lewis has a lot of the same DNA, with a dash of Grantchester thrown in for measure. It all adds up to a cozy mystery starring plenty of familiar faces from the world of British TV.

Murder Before Evensong is another book to screen adaptation, based on the Canon Clement series written by Reverend Richard Coles. The unlikely crime-solver here is Canon Daniel Clement, played by Harry Potter alum Lewis. Clement would just like to live a quiet existence with minimal headaches caused by the quirky and often squabbling members of his community (an early scene involves them debating if the church needs a restroom). But when he finds the dead body of a parishoner, that idea goes out the window.

Audiences will recognize Lewis from playing Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter film series, but it’s worth noting that he recurred in two seasons of Ripper Street and a season of Happy Valley, so he’s not entirely new to the mystery genre. His portrayal of Clement has the same calm, always politely frustrated demeanor as Neil Dudgeon’s John Barnaby in Midsomer Murders—and like Barnaby, Clement has an adorable dog (two actually). He’s someone the audience can root for not just to solve the crime, but as a person. The best part of the show is the banter that Clement has with his mother Sandra, who unsurprisingly is much more outspoken than her son.

That’s because Audrey is portrayed with cheeky gusto by British TV icon Amanda Redman—whom audiences know and love particularly from starring as Sandra Pullman in the long-running procedural New Tricks. There’s a New Tricks connection in Murder Before Evensong, because Redman’s successor Tamzin Outhwaite also stars as Stella, another member of Clement’s congregration. Happy Valley is also represented through Lewis and Amit Shah, who portrays investigator DS Neil Vanloo. If nothing else, Murder Before Evensong reminds viewers how rich the British mystery genre is.

But it’s also six episodes of light escapism with just enough death, darkness and deceit. Who is sending Clement creepy letters in the mail? How many secrets will spill out of this seemingly quaint community? (It’s no spoiler to say a lot. As in Midsomer Murders, this seems like a nice place but viewers wouldn’t want to live there.) Hicks-Beach smartly makes Audrey part of the crime-solving and not just Clement’s comic foil; with Redman’s wealth of experience, it would have been a huge mistake not to. Shah is solid as Vanloo; he and Lewis need a little bit of time to develop their rapport, but by the end the two characters work well together. Viewers will enjoy following the various mysteries just like chapters in a well-worn mystery novel.

Murder Before Evensong is a fine addition to Acorn TV’s library of cozy mysteries. It’s exceedingly well cast, and all of the recognizable names will no doubt draw an audience. It brings together elements of the mystery genre that everyone will love, and ties them together in a charming package.

Murder Before Evensong premieres Sept. 29, 2025 on Acorn TV. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Acorn TV.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.