The Dogleg Murders is the first episode of the twelfth series of Midsomer Murders and originally aired on 19th March 2009.
Bullying snob Alistair Kingslake is killed with a golf iron at the Whiteoaks golf club. After another member, Miles Tully, tells Barnaby about illegal gambling among players, another member, who has had an 'odd phone call' is also slain. A figure in a blue tracksuit is seen at both murders. In fact, there have been unreported assaults on members over the months. Barnaby discovers that the gambling is rife and the social-climbing steward, Mrs. Fountain, and her two warring sons are lending money to the gamblers and assaulting them if they fail to pay. Indeed Mrs. Fountain's scheming has driven the killer to commit The Dogleg Murders.
Tropes:
- Artistic License – Geography: At one point, Jones offers his card which insinuates that Causton police station is in the 01508 STD area (full number 01508 312244) which, in reality, is the STD code for the Brooke area of Norfolk.
- Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: Mentioned when Tom reminisces on an unpleasant country club:"Apart from the snobbery and the extortionate fees, there was the matter of me arresting the treasurer for murdering his mistress!"
- Golf Clubbing: Bullying snob Alistair Kingslake is killed with a golf iron at the Whiteoaks golf club.
- Loan Shark: Whiteoaks Golf Club steward Eileen Fountain has loaned huge sums of money at exorbitant interest rates to many of the club's members to cover illegal gambling debts; if they fall behind on their payments, she sends her son Colin after them to beat them up.
- The Unfavorite: Eileen Fountain has two sons; her older son Colin is a groundskeeper, while her younger son Darren is a golf instructor. Eileen dreams of Darren being accepted as a full member of the golf club and dating the owner's daughter (to whom he is giving golf lessons) and has blackmailed most of the membership committee into approving his membership while she drills him in which cutlery he will be expected to use at the ceremonial dinner. Colin, however, is the Dumb Muscle in her loan organisation, and he is treated with utter contempt and fed beans on toast while Darren eats the sort of food he will have at the golf club.
