Magnifying the Differences: Magpie Murder
Magpie Murders the 2016 novel and Magpie Murders the 2022 PBS Masterpiece mystery TV series are both incredibly compelling mysteries and successfully utilize what is special to each format.
Perhaps the adaptation is so successful because they were both written by the extremely talented Anthony Horowitz, who has written a plethora of mysteries, including creating Foyle’s War.
Spoiler alert!
When comparing the two versions of a mystery, we will never reveal whodunit. Except to comment on if it’s the same between adaptations. [Here - basically, yes.] However, there will be some discussion of the plot and suspects. Both versions of Magpie Murders have the same setup and major plot points, but the approaches to the story are different, capitalizing on the unique elements within the form.
The Book
Apart from a brief ominous foreword by editor Susan Ryeland, Magpie Murders the novel by Anthony Horowitz, begins by jumping into the manuscript of a new book called Magpie Murders that is written by Alan Conway (who will become a character we will know a lot about later.) This is a mystery that follows the investigator Atticus Pund in post-WWII England. It’s a mystery in the vein of an Agatha Christie classic, expertly crafted and paying homage to stories from the Golden Age of Mysteries.
While dealing with a terminal illness, Pund decides to take on one more case, looking into the death of a housekeeper who appears to have fallen down the stairs while vacuuming and the subsequent murder of the lord who employed her and was beheaded by a sword.
The story jumps from character to character, playing with point of view and allowing the reader a glimpse into what everyone in town is thinking and some of the secrets they are hiding. It’s an effective use of the form to get into the characters’ heads, and Alan Conway doles out clues and red herrings to keep you guessing throughout.
And just as Pund admits that he knows what must have happened and has the final answer to the mystery, we are jolted back to the present day and to Susan Ryeland.
What a genius technique! Horowitz gets us hooked on one story and then denies us the answer so we can feel the same frustration that Susan Ryeland feels.
We then move from the third-person narrative of different suspects in the literary past of the story Magpie Murders to what is the “real world” modern-day London, where Susan works as Alan Conway’s editor. We hear the rest of the story from the first-person perspective of Susan, who admits she reads a lot of mysteries but never can figure out whodunit.
She and Alan have a tumultuous relationship, as do most people who come in contact with him. He’s a complex person, but isn’t very nice. He likes to play games with people.
When Alan appears to have committed suicide, Susan starts to think that there is something wrong with this picture. At first, she is focused on trying to find the missing last chapter of the book because it is integral to the survival of the publishing company, but she slowly lets the potential murder mystery become her focus.
What’s great about this is that Susan’s approach is a little messier and a little more happenstance than Pund’s investigation – which makes it feel more real. And it provides a great juxtaposition between the two sleuth’s journeys within the book. There are still clues that need to come together, and Susan is able to piece together the answers – but it’s not without consequences.
The Show
The Show Magpie Murders begins a little differently, and this makes sense because this is a visual medium. Here we begin by following Susan Ryeland on a work trip in Germany, and we get to know a little more about her right from the start – seeing her banter about her books and spending time with her boyfriend. She returns from her trip and is given the manuscript Magpie Murders, and we do get a taste of the book by seeing Pund’s case on screen – but we learn very early on that the last chapter is missing (not over 250 pages into our reading) and that Susan will go on a quest to find it.
On screen, we see Susan’s investigation and scenes from Pund’s story. However, the TV series goes even further with blending these worlds.
There’s a magical realism that takes place where, as Susan gets more frustrated with her inability to solve neither the literary mystery nor real-life crimes, she begins to see Pund in her world and hold conversations with him. It is hinted in the book that she sees his figure, but in the series, she has debates with him about suspects, seeks his advice, and kicks him out of her car when he upsets her.
The flow back and forth between stories is very effective on screen and shows the parallels between Alan Conway’s life and what he pilfered for inspiration. Actors in the show are seen in both mysteries, as it becomes evident that Alan used people in his life in his book – usually maliciously.
This plot point is important in the book, but it shines on screen when you literally see the two versions of characters.
Susan and Pund’s investigations both lead to satisfying conclusions based on lining up the clues they encounter and making sense of the cause-and-effect of events. As they remark, “Murder is like a jigsaw puzzle. You must solve it piece by piece until the whole picture is revealed.”
Both
Both meta-mysteries blend worlds and intersect the investigations in ways that best utilize their respective mediums and are exciting for the audience, whether as a reader or viewer.
Susan might be a little worse for wear at the end of the book than the show and there is more overt suspicion of her romantic partner in the show. Because of timing, there are fewer characters on the TV show, but both versions keep you guessing until the end.
Both versions hit the same major plot points, both in the investigations and with main character arcs.
Both also allow room for a sequel! Moonflower Murders exists as a sequel in both book and TV series form.
Are you going to watch or read the sequel too? What’s your favorite way to experience a mystery? And were you as impressed as we were with Magpie Murders?
Are there any other differences you think should be magnified?