Two timelines, two secrets, and a whole lot of characters to keep track of… but luckily we now have one handy guide to help you keep track! Get the complete overview of Who’s Who in Moonflower Murdersboth in Susan’s world and in that of Atticus Pünd, who is a familiar face from Magpie murders and who is new, as well as the talented actors who play them. (Warning: Contains spoilers for Magpie Murders.)
Back again: Susan Ryeland and Atticus Pünd
Played by: Lesley Manville as Susan Ryeland and Tim McMullan as Atticus Pünd
Where you have seen Lesley Manville before: The Crown as Princess Margaret; The Phantom Thread; World in Flames as Robin Chase
Where you have seen Tim McMullan before: Shakespeare in Love as a free person; The Queen; The Crown as Robin Woods; King Charles III; Foyle’s War
Case files: Former book editor and amateur detective Susan Ryeland has reunited with Atticus Pünd, the fictional detective at the heart of the book series that shaped her publishing career, when Cecily’s parents bring her a new real-life mystery – the disappearance of a young woman named Cecily Treherne. This suggests that the answers to Cecily’s disappearance may be found in the pages of Conway’s novel. Atticus Pünd takes over the case.
The fictional case at the heart of Pünd’s story revolves around former movie star Melissa James, who, after her film career, runs a struggling hotel called The Moonflower in the village of Tawleigh. When James is murdered, it’s up to Pünd and his team to find out who the perpetrator was… and that answer could be the key to solving the mystery of what happened to Cecily Treherne.
Back: Alan Conway
Played by: Conleth Hill
Where you’ve seen it before: Mendel Lieberman on PBS Wiener blood; Lord Varys in game of thrones; Attorney Edward Darby in Suits
Case file: Technically, author Alan Conway was murdered in Magpie murdersand it fell to Susan (with the help of Alan’s own hero, the detective Atticus Pünd) to solve his murder by analyzing the clues he left in his last novel. Although Conway is actually still dead, he lives on through his novels and his own legacy, which we see when Susan reunites with Atticus Pünd takes over the case to uncover the truth behind the secrets surrounding the Treherne family. Shortly before her disappearance, Cecily had read the famous Conway novel. Had Conway once again used his old tricks and placed clues between the lines?
Return: Locke/Chubb
Played by: Daniel Mays
Where you’ve seen it before: The Bank Robbery; Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Tivik; A good omen as Arthur Young; 1917 as Sergeant Sanders
Case file: Mays reprises his roles as Locke and Chubb in Moonflower murders. During the investigation into Cecily’s disappearance, Inspector Locke is anything but pleased when amateur detective Susan Ryeland is once again entrusted with his case.
In the world of the book, Mays once again plays Detective Inspector Chubb, who, along with Pünd and his assistant Madeline Cain, investigates Melissa’s murder. After meeting the two, Chubb suggests that the three work together to try to solve the crime. With their combined intelligence, can they solve the mystery of who killed Melissa James and why?
New: Madeline Cain
Played by: Pippa Bennett Warner
Where you’ve seen them before: whores as Harriet Lennox; Gangs of London; Roadkill as Rochelle Madeley
Case file:In Moonflower Murderswe meet Madeline Cain, a bright and enthusiastic all-round wife of Atticus Pünd, as they delve into the mysterious murder of Melissa James.
New: Aiden MacNeil/Algernon Marsh
Played by: Will Tudor (Mr. Selfridge, Game of Thrones)
Where you’ve seen it before: game of Thrones as Olyvar; Shadowhunters as Jonathan/Sebastian; Mr Selfridge as Frank Whiteley
Case file: Tudor takes on not just one, but two roles, in Moonflower Murders. In the present timeline, Tudor plays Aiden MacNeil, Cecily’s husband and PR expert for her parents’ hotel, Branlow Hall.
In the world of the book, Tudor plays Algernon Marsh, the shady financial manager of recently murdered ex-Hollywood actress Melissa James. Marsh also happened to be involved in a hit-and-run accident while on his way to see the former star.
New: Lisa Treherne/Melissa James
Played by: Rosalie Craig
Where you’ve seen them before: The Snake Queen as Jeanne d’Albret, Queen of Navarre, wife of Antoine and mother of Henry IV; MI-5; Macbeth as Lady Macduff alongside Kenneth Branagh
Case file: Craig also has two roles. In the current story she plays Lisa Treherne, the sister of the missing Cecily and the (not so enthusiastic) sister-in-law of Aiden. In Pünd’s world Craig plays Atticus Pünd takes over the cases murder victim Melissa James.
New: Frank Parris/Oscar Berlin
Played by: Mark Gatiss
Where you’ve seen it before: Sherlock as Mycroft Holmes; Nolly as Larry Grayson; The League of Gentlemen; Christopher Robin
Case file: Gatiss plays both Frank Parris, the difficult, snobby guest at Branlow Hall whose body was discovered on the day of Cecily and Aiden MacNeil’s wedding, and Oscar Berlin, Alan Conway’s fictional film producer and a possible suspect in the murder of Melissa James.
New: The Trehernes & The Gardners
Played by: Pooky Quesnel and Adrian Rawlins
Where you have seen Pooky Quesnel before: PRide and Prejudice and Zombies as Mrs Phillips; Great expectations as Sarah Pocket; Waterloo Road; Doctors
Where you have seen Adrian Rawlins before: Mary and George as Sir Edward Coke; the Harry Potter Films as Harry’s late father, James Potter; Gentleman Jack as Jonathan Gray; Season 3 of The doctor and the dear animals as the grumpy Charles Harcourt
Case files: In the present day, Quesnel plays Pauline Treherne, Cecily’s mother and wife of Lawrence Treherne, played by Rawlins. The couple own Branlow Hall, the hotel where a guest was murdered years ago on Cecily and Aiden’s wedding anniversary.
In the world of the book, Quesnel and Rawlins play Maureen and Lance Gardner, hotel managers of the Moonflower, the Also also happens to be the main scene of the investigation into the murder of former Hollywood star Melissa James.
Keep an eye out…
When switching on Moonflower Murders, Sanditon Fans may notice some other familiar MASTERPIECE faces, including Liam Garrigan, who plays Leonard Collins, and Samuel Colbourne in Sanditon Season 3, and Kate Ashfield, who plays Joanne Webster and played Sanditons beloved matriarch Mary Parker!
