Murder Most Puzzling: release date, cast, plot, episode guide, interview and everything you need to know

Murder Most Puzzling is a cosy murder mystery series based on the bestselling novel franchise of The Puzzle Lady Mysteries by American author Parnell Hall.

The three-parter is led by Downton Abbey star Phyllis Logan as Cora Felton, a woman who earns a living from her nationally syndicated crossword puzzle column but has secrets to hide.

The series sees Cora, who recently moved to the sleepy English town of Bakerbury with her niece, asked to help the local police with a strange murder where a crossword puzzle is left on the body. But Cora isn’t who she says she is, and soon gathers allies and enemies in equal measure.

Here’s everything you need to know about 5's three-part mystery series Murder Most Puzzling…

Murder Most Puzzling release date  

Murder Most Puzzling is a three-part series that starts in the UK on Thursday 19 June 2025 at 8pm on 5 (formerly called Channel 5), with episodes running weekly at the same time and also on 5's streaming service My5. When an international and US date is released, we’ll update this page. Also if we hear where US viewers can watch it, we’ll let you know.

Murder Most Puzzling plot and episode guide

Murder Most Puzzling follows Cora Felton, who has a crossword column in a national newspaper. She moves to the sleepy market town of Bakerbury with her niece, Sherry (Charlotte Hope) . When a strange murder takes place, the police are baffled when a crossword puzzle is left on the body and with the case going nowhere, they reluctantly turn to Cora for help. However, eccentric Cora isn’t who she claims to be but throws herself into the case regardless. See our episode guide below

Episode 1: Thursday June 19 at 8pm
When a body is found bludgeoned to death in the graveyard, with a mysterious crossword clue attached, DCI Derek Hooper (Adam Best) turns to Cora for help. As Cora throws herself into solving the graveyard murder and becomes convinced a cold case could lead to the killer, she also finds herself at loggerheads with lawyer Becky Baidwan (Yasmin Seky) and journalist Anton Grant (Alistair Brammer). 

Murder Most Puzzling cast — Phyllis Logan on playing Cora Felton

Phyllis Logan, who plays crossword queen Cora Felton, says: "She’s a great character, just so unusual and very appealing. Cora is a bit bonkers, but that’s what I love about her. I mean, she smokes, she swears, all those things – a bit like me really, not that I smoke anymore! She also drinks Bloody Marys for breakfast and, later in the series, she even mentions she’s had six husbands. I guess maybe the older you get, the less reverent you become, and she’s exactly like that. I was very drawn to Cora, and to the series as a whole as it’s just so different.

"Cora’s relationship with DCI Hooper is hilarious because she’s a real pain in his side. She’s always interfering, but then inevitably ends up solving the case, which puts his nose out of joint. They’re always at each other’s throats, but that’s what makes it so fun! Adam Best, who plays him, is really funny anyway, and some scenes were hard to get through because he made me laugh so much.

"In the first mystery, we’ve got a ‘graveyard killer’ to find, and then a later episode sees someone get killed by being drowned in a fountain, and there’s also a case involving strippers. The opening story is more obvious in terms of the clues that Cora has to solve, but later on it becomes less about crossword-puzzle-solving and more about Cora being good at solving crimes.

"I wasn’t actually aware of the original books, and I don’t think many people will be. I don’t know how true to the books the character is. But, for me, it was all there in the script and I loved the way Cora was presented. Our director, Tom Dalton, was also very open to suggestions. If you came up with an idea he’d say, ‘Yes, that sounds great. Let’s give it a go."

* Phyllis Logan is best known as Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey and starred in Miss Austen earlier in 2025 She has also been in No Way Up, Shetland, Guilt, The Good Karma Hospital, Goldeneye, Lovejoy and Holby City.

Who else is starring

Murder Most Puzzling also stars Charlotte Hope as Cora's niece Sherry, Adam Best as DCI Derek Hooper, Yasmin Seky as lawyer Becky Baidwan and Alistair Brammer as journalist Anton Grant. Sarah Alexander, Fiona Browne and Declan O’Connor also feature.

Is there a trailer? 

No, not yet. If 5 releases one, we’ll add it to this page.

All about author Parnell Hall’s book series 

The Puzzle Lady Mysteries, by Parnell Hall, on which the Murder Most Puzzling TV series is based, follows the eccentric Cora Felton, aka the puzzle lady, who has a nationally syndicated crossword puzzle column and features in adverts selling breakfast cereal to schoolchildren.

The truth is that Cora’s a charming fraud who also happens to be exceptionally good at solving murders. There are 20 books in the series, including A Clue for the Puzzle Lady, Last Puzzle and Testament and Puzzled to death. Parnell Hall, who died in 2020, also wrote the Stanley Hastings Private Eye novels and the Steve Winslow courtroom dramas.