A perfect “baffling” detective mystery: Daniel Mays’ top-rated BBC drama to binge-watch tonight

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If you’re a fan of Daniel Mays, having watched him in the BBC’s detective drama Lynley or, more recently, ITV’s Believe Me, then allow us to point you in the direction of his highest-rated TV drama, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

Sitting with a perfect 100% score on the review-based platform, Moonflower Murders – a continuation of the Magpie Murders series – is currently sitting in that top spot when it comes to the Line of Duty star’s on-screen CV.

The twisty drama is based on the novel of the same name by British author Anthony Horowitz, which is part of a literary series centred on the character of Susan Ryeland, portrayed by none other than Lesley Manville in the BBC adaptation.

With Moonflower Murders playing out over just six episodes, it could just be the perfect one-night binge-watch for those armchair detectives and cosy crime fans among you. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is the plot for Moonflower Murders?

Well we won’t give too much away here!

But there is, naturally, a central mystery running through this drama, with the plot description revealing that Susan’s idyllic life is “disturbed by a baffling unsolved murder”, and so she’s set off on a course to uncover a secret “hidden in plain sight”.

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Who is in the cast of Moonflower Murders?

In addition to Lesley Manville’s amateur sleuth Susan, Timothy McMullan takes on the role of fictional detective Atticus Pünd, straight from the pages of the novel.

Given the nature of the storytelling, a lot of the actors take on dual roles.

Daniel Mays plays Locke and Chubb, an inspector that’s tasked with investigating the disappearance at the centre of the story. He’s far from happy to find that Susan is once again on the case.

Elsewhere, the Moonflower Murders cast includes:

• Conleth Hill as Alan Conway
• Pippa Bennett as Madeline Cain
• Will Tudor as Aiden MacNeil/Algernon Marsh
• Rosalie Craig as Lisa Treherne/Melissa James
• Mark Gatiss as Frank Parris/Oscar Berlin

What are people saying about Moonflower Murders?

The show has got an impressive 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, so the mystery series was well received by critics.

“This fabulously multi-layered story takes all the conventions of the genre and twists them in ways that makes every cliché feel fresh again,” wrote Evening Standard in its four-star review.

“One of the huge pleasures of these series lies in the fact that, save for McMullan and Manville, the cast each play two roles, one in the real world and the other in Conway’s story. In this sense, it’s like watching high-class theatre,” said New Statesman.

It was also branded “pure comfort food for the mystery lover” (via San Jose Mercury News), and “clever, cozy, and full of unique characters” (via Common Sense Media).

Where can I watch Moonflower Murders?

The mystery series first aired on BBC One in the UK in 2024, and also went out in the US on PBS.

Moonflower Murders is now available on BBC iPlayer to catch up with, along with Magpie Murders that came before.

Another story in the series is now in the works for another TV series. Marble Hall Murders is being adapted from the third and final chapter in Anthony Horowitz’s best-selling book series, with Lesley Manville returning as book editor super amateur sleuth Susan Ryeland.

Moonflower Murders is available now on BBC iPlayer.

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2026-05-22 11:31