'Moonflower Murders' Will Bloom in September

It's been about a week since the RadioTimes first dropped an exclusive look at Moonflower Murders (sadly unembeddable for the rest of us, but you can watch it here). Those of us who keep an eye on such things knew when it arrived over the weekend that there was a good chance PBS would have to announce a premiere date soon, along with the same — or better — footage. (Not that Susan Ryeland hallucinating Atticus Pund in the middle of a Grecian landscape isn't a rather awesome way to start a series, but it really doesn't give fans a lot to work with.) Anyway, it took until Thursday, May 30, for anyone to do anything, but finally, the release date is here, as well as a much more in-depth trailer.

Moreover, the trailer was worth the wait, as it starts with the part we've all been waiting for since the end of Magpie Murders: Susan Ryeland telling Andreas it's not working out. (God BLESS! It only took her an entire series and a break between seasons for her to solve that mystery.) Luckily, what prompts this far-too-long-in-the-making break-up is another mystery, and this time, she's the one being hired to solve it. Because when you need a crime solved, who better than an editor who will make you murder all your darlings before she's done?

Like Magpie Murders, Moonflower Murders is an adaptation of Anthony Horowitz's novels in his Susan Ryeland series. While these are the only two novels currently in the series, Horowitz has said he plans it to be a trilogy, with the third as yet untitled novel hopefully arriving in the next year or so.

The official synopsis for Moonflower Murders is as follows:

Moonflower Murders picks up where Magpie Murders left off. Susan has left the world of publishing and is living in Crete, but her peace is disturbed "by the shadow of a murder" that took place eight years prior. Alan Conway visited the hotel and wrote a novel based on what happened there. Cecily Treherne, the young woman who helps run the hotel, read the book and believed the wrong man had been arrested. Now she has disappeared. Can Susan uncover the secret hidden in the book and find Cecily before it is too late?

Lesley Manville returns as Susan Ryeland, along with Timothy McMullan as literary detective Atticus Pünd. Also returning from the original Magpie Murders cast: Alexandros Logothetis (The Island) as Susan's needs-to-be-ex-boyfriend-asap, Andreas, Daniel Mays (The Long Shadow) as real-life and fictional inspectors Locke/Chubb, Claire Rushbrook (Sherwood) as Susan's sister Kate, Conleth Hill (Holding) as the deceased Alan Conway, Matthew Beard (Vienna Blood) as Alan's ex, James, and Sanjeev Kohli (Dog Squad) as the real life and fictional doctors, Dr. Kamal/Sajid Khan.

The Magpie Murders follow-up also introduces several new cast members in dual roles, including Mark Gatiss (Nolly) as Parris/Berlin, Rosalie Craig (Anatomy of a Scandal) as Lisa/Melissa, Pippa Bennett-Warner (Gangs of London) as Madeline, and Adrian Rawlins (Slow Horses) as Lawrence/Lance.

The six-part series was written by Horowitz, who once again adapted it from his own novel. All episodes were directed by Rebecca Gatward (Bad Sisters). The series was produced by Suzanne McAuley and executive produced by Jill Green for Eleventh Hour Films. 

Moonflower Murders will debut on most PBS stations, the PBS app, and the PBS Masterpiece Channel on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET and air/stream weekly through mid-October. All episodes will be available as a binge for PBS Passport members on premiere day. As always, check your local listings.