The Straw Woman is the sixth episode of the seventh series of Midsomer Murders and originally aired on 29 February 2004.
When the curate of the local church in Midsomer Parva is burned alive in the effigy of The Straw Woman, DCI Tom Barnaby and DS Dan Scott find themselves investigating what must be murder. Many of the villagers lay the blame on Alan Clifford who has made his fortune in the sex industry and has moved into the local manor house. Barnaby realizes that the solution is to be found in old parish records.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Artistic License – Chemistry: Reverend Hale dies when his cape mysteriously catches fire. It turns out that the killer had drenched it in a solution of phosphorous in toluene, which started to burn when the toluene had evaporated. However, toluene has a strong gasoline-like smell which the reverend would have noticed, and furthermore the evaporation would take heat from the surroundings, making the cape icy cold and near-impossible to wear.
- Attack of the Town Festival: The village decides to go ahead with a festival despite the curate being burnt to death. The vicar is then also murdered.
- A Fête Worse than Death: The Vicar is burned alive inside a straw effigy during a village festival.
- Man on Fire: The curate of the local church in Midsomer Parva is burned alive in the effigy of The Straw Woman. Later Reverend Hale dies when his cape mysteriously catches fire.
- Witch Hunt: Once the two priests are killed and clues seem to suggest witchcraft the village literally starts to call for the heads of a witch historian and a woman who practises herbal medicine.
