Downton Abbey star Phyllis Logan was delighted to share the screen with her real-life spouse, Kevin McNally, in Channel 5’s latest crime drama, Murder Most Puzzling.
The series, which is an adaptation of Parnell Hall’s critically lauded Puzzle Lady Mysteries novels, revolves around Cora Felton, a crossword aficionado whose unique problem-solving skills inadvertently make her invaluable to the local constabulary in a sleepy town.
Kevin, a familiar face from Pirates of the Caribbean, The Crown, and Unforgotten, took on the role of Gilbert, a potential love interest for Cora.
According to the episode summary: “Cora is distracted by love, as she’s wooed by a charming suitor, Gilbert. When Sherry says he seems too good to be true, it causes a rift between the women but plants a seed of doubt in Cora’s mind.”
Phyllis and Kevin’s romance began on the set of the 1993 miniseries Love and Reason, during which time the Miss Austen actress was in her late thirties, reports Surrey Live.
The couple, who became parents to their son David in 1996, tied the knot after nearly two decades together in 2011. In a heartfelt 2017 interview with Mail Online, Phyllis shared insights into her romantic journey with Kevin.
“I never thought real love – the sort where your blood tingles and your world explodes with joy – would happen to me at my time of life,” she revealed. “I believed I had missed out. But I’m ever so glad it happened.”
Murder Most Puzzling marks another collaboration between Phyllis and Kevin, who have previously played romantic partners on screen. They were last seen together in the BBC period drama Miss Austen, where they took on the roles of Jane Austen’s parents, Cassandra and George Austen.
The series is set against the backdrop of the idyllic market town of Bakerbury and introduces viewers to Cora Felton, a fresh face in town with a knack for solving crosswords, who lends her expertise to the police in cracking a murder case.
The official synopsis of the series reads: “After the body of a teenage girl is found in the local cemetery with an enigmatic clue in her pocket, Bakerbury Detective DCI Hooper seeks help from the town’s newest, and most famous, resident – Cora Felton, AKA The Puzzle Lady.”
Cora’s unconventional ‘shoot first, ask questions never’ method turns out to be just the ticket for outsmarting the murderers, swindlers, and crooked officials blocking her path.
Despite harbouring a secret that could destroy both her reputation and those close to her, she possesses an uncanny ability to unravel murder mysteries. “And, as it turns out, Bakerbury isn’t as sleepy as it looks…”
Murder Most Puzzling airs on 5.