In Murder Before Evensong, Solving Crime Is a Vocation

Faith can often be a difficult topic for our pop culture to tackle. Religion is a deeply personal issue, but it’s also an important communal activity, offering comfort to many in difficult times, support during good ones, and a ready-made set of social connections for those who might otherwise lack them. One of the few places in entertainment where themes of faith pop up fairly regularly is the world of cozy crime dramas. Maybe that’s not so surprising, given that these shows almost always deal with death or loss in some form or other, and who better to help guide a community during such disruptive times than a literal man of God? Shows like Father Brown, Grantchester, and Sister Boniface Mysteries are all popular dramas that explore questions of faith alongside their stories of murder, intentionally delving into the complex character issues that both raise. It’s a tradition that Acorn TV’s Murder Before Evensong gamely steps into. Led by former Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis—ably keeping TV’s Hot Vicar trend alive! —the show puts its own spin on the traditional elements of this particular subgenre, opting for a slightly darker overall vibe, a sprawling ensemble of supporting characters who actually get arcs of their own, and a central relationship that’s more about the unbreakable bonds of family than solving crime. 

Set in 1980s England, the story takes place in the fictional village of Champton, a picturesque location that’s so fully realized it’s practically a character in its own right. Here, everyone knows everyone, from the aristocratic local lord (Adam James) and his rebellious son (Alexander Delamain), to combative shop owner Stella (Tamzin Outhwaite), elderly gal pals Kath (Marion Bailey) and Dora (Amanda Hadingue), and weirdo local gamekeeper Patrick (Francis Magee). It’s a postcard-perfect sort of location, and when the series opens, the most pressing problem facing the town is whether or not it’s finally time to install a lavatory on the ancient church premises. (Yes, really.)  But things get complicated quickly when the likeable Canon Daniel Clement (Lewis) begins receiving a series of threatening letters over his ministry to a local AIDS patient and discovers a dead body in the church’s sanctuary. Everyone suddenly seems to be a suspect—and it’s unclear whether Daniel himself was the murderer’s original target. 

Like many of its Acorn TV brethren, the mystery at the heart of Murder Before Evensong is pretty much the least interesting part of the story it’s telling. To its credit, the show ably presents various suspects and red herrings throughout its six episodes (all of which were available for review). Still, the show is a character drama first and foremost, one that is as concerned about the lives of the residents of Champton as it is with any specifics of the crime. And while the identity of the killer is revealed by the end, the investigation is predominantly used to explore larger issues of history, prejudice, family, and community within the world of the village that, despite its period setting, will still resonate with viewers today. 

This may be obvious from the series’ title, but Murder Before Evensong is also a show about faith. Not perhaps in the way that many expect, given that its lead character is a reverend. Yes, Daniel’s role in the church is often a key element of the larger murder plot: he knows all the suspects, and his status as a man of the church means that people are already used to telling him their darkest secrets. But it’s also a story about what people of faith are truly asked to do in the world, how we are all challenged to mirror God’s love by reaching out to the suffering, the lonely, and the lost. In a genre that can often struggle with making its leads feel like three-dimensional people, Daniel’s deliberate kindness and compassion are refreshing, and the show takes pains to illustrate that his vocation is just that—a calling he must regularly choose to answer over and over again.