Would You Like Some Arsenic With Your Tea?

Nowhere will you find more scandal, gossip, back-stabbing, unrefined passion, and cold-blooded murder than in the quaint old-fashioned English village. It is the home of the world-renowned Miss Marple, among other characters with a nose for problem-solving. So often it is represented as a haven in a world torn-apart by war, but its own tribulations are never quite so obvious.
Behind their flower beds and the walls of their vicarages, evil lurks in the most unsuspecting places. But the old woman at the head of the garden society can sniff it out, as can the vicar’s parlor maid, usually to dire consequences.
All year, I await that glorious announcement of the latest PBS “Mystery” series’ advent. Many a drizzly evening I have spent with a mug of cocoa and a cat on my lap, trying desperately (and frequently in vain) to untangle that enigma that is always a blend of logic and human nature. One episode that aired in 2005 stuck with me even more so than the others, and I recently turned to Netflix to obtain it.
Perhaps the reason I was so intrigued by “Malice Aforethought” was that it wasn’t a mystery at all. Set in the quintessential English village, the cast of characters are all the usual suspects. There are the gossiping pepperpots, the sultry “new girl in town”, the highly respectable doctor with a particular interest in his female clients, his martinet of a wife, and their trusty housekeeper.
Our antihero is Dr. Bickleigh who can treat his patients, meet with his numerous lovers, chat with the locals and still make it home in time for afternoon tea. In an attempt to juggle one less woman, he decides to “knock off” his dear old wife by putting his extensive knowledge of drugs to work.
The unique appeal of “Malice Aforethought” lies in its innovative spin on the classic whodunit. Utilizing the appeal of the quaint English village, with all of its buried emotion and characters who are never what they appear to be, it is more drama than detective story. The climax of every TV mystery comes when the logical minded deducer spins round and points their finger at the guilty party. This is usually followed by a short soliloquy on the means and motives of the convicted. The whole of “Malice Aforethought” is this admission.
We see our lovely doctor as he hatches his fatal plan, and as he snuffs out just one more victim in order to pin down just one of his infatuations. We see the frustration as he gets deeper into his wicked game. I was reminded of Hitchcock’s “Dial ‘M’ for Murder” when I found myself inside the cunning mind of a killer, halfway wanting him to triumph despite his wickedness.
The malevolent charm of these murder stories is their ability to find evil in even the most innocent of places. They are often referred to as “cozy” mysteries, but there is never anything cozy about merciless, cold-blooded murder. It’s like the unsettling movie scene where a crime is committed on a bright, sunny day, rather than a dark and stormy night. We don’t expect evil in such a comforting setting. One thing’s for sure, you’ll never look at a tea sandwich the same way again.