Strangler's Wood is the second episode of the second series of Midsomer Murders and was originally aired 3rd February 1999.
Carla Constanza, a very attractive Brazilian actress and model for the advertising face of Monarch Tobacco, is found strangled with a necktie in Ravens Wood. The case is reminiscent of three similar murders that occurred nine years before. A German backpacker, an au pair and a hotel maid were raped and strangled in the wood, which was subsequently referred to by the locals as Strangler's Wood. The only difference with this case is that Carla was not raped. The evidence points to John Merrill, the Marketing Director for Monarch Tobacco. His expensive watch is found at the scene and there is physical evidence his car was there as well. For Barnaby however, it all seems all too easy, particularly since the original murders were never solved and the now retired policeman in that case, George Meakham, still seems obsessed at finding a result, but does not encourage Tom. When a second person is murdered, Barnaby finally starts to make sense of it all.
Tropes:
- Blackmail Backfire: The second Victim of the Week put together who the murderer was and thought she'd try a bit of blackmail, not realising that the murderer was playing for stakes so high they wouldn't hesitate to bump her off too.
- I Never Said It Was Poison: The murderer refers to the mysterious Draycott as a man when Barnaby never specified him as such.
- Orgy of Evidence: John Merrill's watch is found at the murder scene, his car has white clay on its tires of a sort present at the scene, and his wife finds a stained shirt hidden at the back of his wardrobe. When she brings all of this up to Barnaby, he notes that all the evidence is circumstantial when explaining why he hasn't arrested John yet. It turns out that John's son had discovered his father was having an affair and upon discovering the body he planted evidence specifically to try and draw the police to him.
- The Problem with Pen Island: The way a name written in a diary is spaced causes Barnaby to initially read it as "Draycott" rather than the correct "Dr Aycott".
- Shout-Out: One of the suspects, Leonard Pike, is a creepy hotel owner, who is looking after his ill mother in the attic. In an homage to, and a twist on, the shower scene, he is later stabbed to death by an old woman while taking a bath.
- That One Case: George Meakham is obsessed with the original Strangler's Wood murders.
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: When Barnaby realises who the murderer is, it turns out that he's out on a boat with his nephew. Barnaby fears the worst, but when the boat returns to shore the murderer admits that he couldn't bring himself to kill the boy.
