Market for Murder is the second episode of the fifth series of Midsomer Murders. It was first shown on 16th June 2002.
Called to the village of Midsomer Market to investigate someone's car being set on fire, Barnaby and Troy soon find themselves investigating the murder of Marjorie Empson who is found in her home bludgeoned to death. The focus of their attention is the Reading Club, a group of five women who meet regularly not to discuss books in fact, but to manage an investment fund they have established. Two of the members were hoping to cash out their investments, but were prevented from doing so by the others. There are several other suspects, all in one way or another connected to the financial and investment world, but when a second member of the book club is killed, the police realize they may need to look for an altogether different motive.
Tropes:
- Blood Is Squicker in Water: Ginny Sharp receives a blow to the head in her pool. The police find her with clouds of red in the pool.
- Mistaken for Servant: Troy meets the local lord while he is up a ladder tending to some peeling wallpaper and assumes he is the handyman.
- The Password Is Always "Swordfish": The password on the Reading Group's secret share market account is 'Gerald,' the name of Marjorie's late husband (whom she could not go five minutes without mentioning in conversation). Somewhat more acceptable than normal, given that she was borderline obsessed with his memory and probably could not help herself in using his name as her password.
