Magpie Murders
PBS | BBC | BBC One | BritBox | Release Date: October 16, 2022
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
79
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
89
Paste MagazineAlexis GundersonOct 14, 2022
Season 1 Review: It is extremely good. Stars Lesley Manville, Conleth Hill, and Tim McMullan are compelling in their respective roles as crime editor-turned-chance sleuth Susan Ryeland, her nightmare star author-turned-murder victim Alan Conway, and the coolly meticulous post-war detective Atticus Pünd at the heart of Conway’s award-winning whodunnit series. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert LloydOct 17, 2022
Season 1 Review: It’s a tightly plotted, handsomely presented, smartly acted, entirely enjoyable and structurally unusual piece. Read full review
80
VarietyAmber DowlingOct 14, 2022
Season 1 Review: It sounds like a lot to keep track of, but that’s where Horowitz and Cattaneo shine. Clever transitions bridge the two worlds while linking Susan and Pünd, and period costumes help to clarify which world the story is following in each scene. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonOct 13, 2022
Season 1 Review: Mr. Horowitz and director Peter Cattaneo have constructed both an engaging mystery and a clever sendup of the literary universe they're invading. Read full review
80
Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertOct 13, 2022
Season 1 Review: It’s easy to watch, not least of all thanks to the always engaging Manville and a game cast, some of whom appear in both time frames. It’s good, twisty fun. Read full review
80
Radio TimesChristopher ConnorSep 20, 2022
Season 1 Review: Magpie Murders does a fine job exploring the novel's dual storylines and incorporating the various twists and turns in the deaths of Magnus and Alan. The story within a story structure could have become far too convoluted for viewers to follow, but it's well-managed, with the two narratives existing harmoniously. Read full review
80
The TelegraphChris BennionSep 20, 2022
Season 1 Review: Occasionally it is maddening, but there is true satisfaction in watching the pieces of Horowitz’s puzzle click into place. ... Submit yourself to all of the tongue-in-cheek genre tomfoolery, however, and it’s a terrific series with enough in-jokes to keep any armchair detective happy. Read full review
75
ColliderEmily BernardOct 17, 2022
Season 1 Review: While at times the show-within-a-show can grow a bit tired, Magpie Murders is a very enjoyable murder mystery with enough revelations and twists to keep you guessing until the end. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushOct 7, 2022
Season 1 Review: If The Masterpiece Mystery! TV version lacks some of the book's formal brilliance and literary showmanship, it's still a superior brainteaser. [10 - 23 Oct 2022, p.4] Read full review
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