The Mistpuddle Murders

"Nobody likes their true story."

Writer: Simon A. Forward

Format: Audio

Released: November 2018

Series: Short Trips 8.11

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

Welcome to Mistpuddle.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've gathered you here. I'm sure you're all wondering why the village is home to woodland creatures with a taste for tea, cakes and secrets. And I'm sure you're' all wondering where the Doctor has vanished to. The truth is not as quaint as the pretty cottages and mostly cute residents would have you believe.

Murder has come to Mistpuddle. And no-one is leaving until we uncover whodunnit."

Verdict

The Mistpuddle Murders was a good little Short Trips adventure! For most of the story it was headed by Nyssa as you might expect with this kind of format and Sarah Sutton as the only actress, but it was a pleasant surprise as well to see how much of Tegan she incorporated into the narration. I liked the style of the story with Nyssa and Tegan almost taking it in turns to recount the events leading up to the whodunnit and that allowed them as narrators to indirectly address the listener which was rather fun. I was taken aback by Sutton's impression of Tegan and for the first couple of lines of dialogue I actually thought it was a two-hander with Janet Fielding! It was uncanny with her Australian accent which must go down as being very impressive. It was really nice to be able to showcase Nyssa as she led the investigation but the surroundings of Mistpuddle were pretty peculiar to say the least. I thought the idea of a wooden audience was intriguing and the idea of characters being created by an author and then coming to life. Given the format and it only being a story of thirty-five minutes in length, there isn't much fleshing out of the details which is a shame as I think given an extended runtime this could have been something special. Incorporating something like the Land of Fiction here would have been tremendous! The confusion of Lynne Woods as the creator and then there also being woods named after her was amusing and the dynamic between Nyssa and Tegan in detailing the key events was a delight. I really was impressed with how well Sutton was able to transition from each character. Pricklethorp turning out to be the murderer was good and I thought the absence of the Doctor throughout was hardly warranting of his face adorning the cover art. Sutton's take on Peter Davison's fifth incarnation was less than impressive, but with the Doctor only featuring for the last five minutes or so that hardly made a lasting impact. I thought some of the twists were interesting with the idea of two sugar cubes in the tea being the way to cause the murder a fresh take. One sugar cube on its own was harmless, but mixing two that contained vicious chemicals when combined meant death. That was unique and a fine crime in the circumstances, Nyssa had even analysed every sugar cube without finding anything suggesting this was the method. Pricklethorp's reaction to being accused was fantastic as even though it was clear he was the enemy, he took such offence. I always like it when that happens as it's just a bit barmy. The arrival of the Doctor from the fridge of all places was not expected, but it was nice how he just took the floor when arriving. He has a certain presence which is just unmatched. He of course could name the murderer and that was that really. Overall, a fascinating journey to a really unique place of Mistpuddle! A worthy listen.

Rating: 7/10