S01.E01: Episode 1

[AnimeMania]

Former book editor Susan Ryeland is in Crete, running a struggling hotel with her partner Andreas when a couple arrive and ask Susan for help finding their missing daughter. They believe her disappearance is connected to a murder which happened at their own hotel in England as well as the Alan Conway novel that was inspired by the case. In the Conway novel “Atticus Pünd Takes The Case”, we meet the characters surrounding Melissa James, an ex-actress, many of whom she has altercations with before she is found strangled in her bedroom.

Premiere Date: September 15, 2024     PBS     9 pm    

[sugarbaker design]

I read the novel and loved it, yet I was so curious how AH would adapt it to the small screen.  He did a great job with episode 1.  Two plots, actors doing double time, yet it never seems overwhelming. With the benefit of knowing the ending of both mysteries, it was fun to watch out for subtly placed clues in the Atticus Pund Takes The Case portion.

[zoey1996]

Yikes! I'd be escaping that Greek hotel to solve a missing persons/murder? case too. Although it is so beautiful.

Love how the two story/plot lines twist and turn.

[cardigirl]

All is not paradise in Greece.

I was rooting for Susan to take the job! Crete is beautiful, but running a hotel is not my idea of a good time.

Nice to return to this universe, looking forward to the rest of the story.

 

 

[12catcrazy]

Loved the episode and glad to see Susan and Atticus back!

A question though, as I'm a bit confused - the missing daughter was the bride?  The other woman who we saw during the wedding was the missing person's sister?   And is it the (older?) sister who is the murdered actress in the Atticus story?  And if so, has the missing daughter been shown in the Atticus mystery yet, and who is the actress' husband and where does he come in during the present day case?  

[sugarbaker design]

Just now, 12catcrazy said:

A question though, as I'm a bit confused - the missing daughter was the bride? 

Yup.

Just now, 12catcrazy said:

The other woman who we saw during the wedding was the missing person's sister?

Yup.

Just now, 12catcrazy said:

 And is it the (older?) sister who is the murdered actress in the Atticus story?

Yup.

1 minute ago, 12catcrazy said:

And if so, has the missing daughter been shown in the Atticus mystery yet

Not that I've noticed.

1 minute ago, 12catcrazy said:

who is the actress' husband and where does he come in during the present day case?  

I don't know, maybe he'll appear in episode 2?

[12catcrazy]

Thanks for the above clarification!

[Snazzy Daisy]

So many characters in 3 timelines! This is my struggle with this series. 😅

 

8 Years Ago

• Frank Parris (an Aussie) was murdered on Friday night at Branlow Hotel, bludgeoned by a hammer in his bed. His body was found by a Russian maid — Natasha the next day.
• A hotel maintenance worker — Stefan had been arrested for the murder and later confessed to it.
• Prior to the murder, Lisa fired Stefan for petty theft. She didn’t hesitate to point finger at Stefan when interviewed by the detective. Stefan said he’s innocent.
• Derek (the Night Manager) was working Front Desk on the night of the murder and had access to the master key. He claimed to have seen Stefan at the Moonflower Wing just before midnight.
• Who killed Frank Parris? Was he the intended target? He wasn’t supposed to stay in Room 12 in the Moonflower Wing.
• Why did Stefan confess?

 

Fictional 1954

• Alan Conway began to write his third mystery novel (Atticus Pünd Takes The Case) based on Frank Parris’ murder.
• An actress/hotel owner — Melissa James was murdered at her home. Who strangled her?
• Melissa retired from acting after an accident on set that left a scar on her cheek. She purchased the Moonflower Hotel using her insurance money from this injury.
• Melissa told her financial advisor (Algernon Marsh) that she wanted to cash in her stocks as her house/hotel/marriage bleeding her dry.
• Algernon’s sister — Samantha had inherited £980K from their aunt. Samantha was married to Dr. Leonard Collins who urged her not to tell Algernon about the inheritance.

 

Present Day

• Cecily (the daughter of Branlow Hotel’s owner) has read Alan’s book and convinced that Stefan is innocent. The real killer is named in the book. She tells Lawrence about it then she goes missing.
• Why didn’t Cecily become a character in Alan’s book? Her parents, her sister and her husband did.
• The Trehernes offer Susan £10K to help them finding Cecily.

 

Double-Duty Actors

• Lawrence & Pauline Trehernes (Cecily’s parents) 🔄 Lance & Maureen Gardner (Moonflower Hotel caretakers).
• Aiden MacNeil (Cecily’s husband) 🔄 Algernon Marsh (financial advisor & swindler).
• Lisa Treherne (Cecily’s sister) 🔄 Melissa James (the actress).
• Frank Parris (murder victim) 🔄 Oscar Berlin (film producer).
• Derek (Night Manager) 🔄 Eric (handyman).

 

On a shallow note, vacationing in Crete —Yes. Running a struggling hotel there — NOPE! 😆

 

Edited September 18 by Snazzy Daisy

[AnimeMania]

I guess I am not paying enough attention, all I got was Algernon Marsh's license plate kind of spelled "Lions" and he ran over someone and left them for dead.

[surfgirl]

I'm a bit behind on this series but to me, E01 is not nearly as good as the Magpie Mysteries was. I can't quite put my finger ger on it but the actress is such a pull, Algernon is such a pill, there are a lot of unlikable characters so far and it's just not drawing me in the way Magpie did. Hopefully my opinion will change. 

[Snazzy Daisy]

All the LION sightings in this episode.