Case file · Series 18, Episode 5 · Season 18, Episode 5
Saints and Sinners
An archaeological dig apparently discovers the village's namesake saint before its director is murdered in the trench.
The 60-second case card
Should I watch this one?
The village is eager for a founding legend until scientific scrutiny threatens to turn its celebrated saint into inconvenient evidence.
- Best for
- Archaeology · Local saint · Authenticity
- Mood
- Classic
- Team
- DCI John Barnaby with DS Charlie Nelson
- Spoiler guidance
- Read the premise freely; open the marked sections only after watching. Check the linked provider advisory for further viewing information.
Why it matters
The village is eager for a founding legend until scientific scrutiny threatens to turn its celebrated saint into inconvenient evidence.
Archaeologists working in Midsomer Cicely announce that they have found the remains of Cicely herself, promising prestige for the dig and the village. Celebration ends when the excavation's leader is killed and left among the trenches.
Barnaby and Nelson examine competing claims about the discovery, professional ambition and the villagers' private misconduct. As more deaths follow, the investigation asks who needs the bones to be authentic—and what else has been buried beside them.
Break the seal: reveal the finding
Who was the killer in Saints and Sinners? (spoiler)
The solution depends on the true status of the remains, professional deception and villagers whose present interests are threatened by an honest account of the excavation.
More episode detailsProduction, cast, deaths and filming information
Credits, context and checked facts
Production and cast
- TV series
- Series 18
- Episode number
- Episode 5
- Written by
- Lisa Holdsworth
- Directed by
- Renny Rye
- Listed transmission date(s)
- 10 February 2016
- Reported filming period
- August–September 2015
- Detective
- DCI John Barnaby
- Partner
- DS Charlie Nelson
- Pathologist
- Dr Kam Karimore · Manjinder Virk
- Principal setting
- Midsomer Cicely
- Casebook tone
- Classic
Sources accompany the production credits and filming links.
Fictional settings and real filming places are listed separately. Filming links include 1 mapped area; 1 exact site.
Credits and archive connections
- Writer credits4 episodes credited to Lisa Holdsworth
- Director credits23 episodes directed by Renny Rye
- Release positionCase 109 of 144
- Story characterClassic · Archaeology · Local saint
- Location evidence1 exact screen-use match
Holy Trinity Church at Bledlow serves as the church of fictional Midsomer Cicely.
The investigation contrasts the village's saintly origin story with the very contemporary misdeeds uncovered around the dig.
Sources for the production file
Published episode chronology and credits ↗Official ITV programme page ↗Filming-location reference index ↗Credits follow the linked chronology. Dates can differ between territories. Consult original credits for story, teleplay and adaptation wording. External synopses may contain spoilers.
Selected episode credits
Saints and Sinners cast
These selected cast entries link to their published profiles. They do not include every name shown in the end credits.
Julia Sawalha
Sawalha plays Penny Henderson in Saints and Sinners, a case set around an archaeological discovery and contested local history. It is another meeting of a familiar British television performer with Midsomer's ensemble format.
Open actor profile →Fiona Dolman
Kingsley Ben-Adir
Ralf Little
Ruth Sheen
Pippa Nixon
Jonathan Aris
Aden Gillett
Gabrielle Lloyd
Edward MacLiam
Kim Vithana
Stefano Braschi
Malcolm Sinclair
The performers behind this case
Core cast
Follow the cast links for full actor and character guides.
Neil Dudgeon
John Barnaby · Detective Chief Inspector- Messiah
- Life of Riley
- The Mrs Bradley Mysteries
Gwilym Lee
Charlie Nelson · Detective Sergeant- Bohemian Rhapsody
- The Great
- Jamestown
Manjinder Virk
Dr Kam Karimore · Police pathologist- The Arbor
- Trigger Point
- Out of Darkness
Image credits identify the licence used. No programme publicity stills are reproduced.
Forensic team
Dr Kam Karimore
- Credit
- Resident pathologist
- Played by
- Manjinder Virk
Spoiler-controlled deaths
Deaths recorded in this case
3 people die in this case, according to the linked death record.
Break the seal: reveal the list of deaths
- Zoe Dyer
Murder · Suffocation
Performer check- Zoe Dyer: Kim Vithana
- Alex Dyer
Murder · Crushing
Performer check- Alex Dyer: Jonathan Aris
- Christopher Corby
Murder · Stabbing or impalement
Performer check- Christopher Corby: Aden Gillett
Break a second seal: reveal the verified killer
Who was the killer in Saints and Sinners? (spoiler)
Penny Henderson (Penelope Milson)Penny killed Zoe Dyer, Alex Dyer and Christopher Corby after each discovered or threatened her plan to take the Milson family hoard. Her threat to Dr. Kam Karimore was interrupted; Jared Horton's old assault on Rev. Wilfred James and Noah Sawney's theft and damage were separate offences.
Verified motive
Penny's archaeological search was personal: as Penelope Milson, she believed the hoard was her birthright and a form of restitution for ancestors who had been persecuted, killed and exiled. She killed Zoe when Zoe found it, Alex when his plan to expand the dig showed he knew about it, and Christopher when he intended to publicise and profit from it; each stood between Penny and sole possession of her family's fortune.
Verified decisive clue
Archive case 109 · checked 25 September 2026The jewellery-box hasp and Penny's Milson birth recordThe hasp logged as unidentified metal identifies the jewellery box that locates the hidden hoard. The car registration and birth certificate expose Penny Henderson's Milson identity, connecting her to the treasure and the three people who discovered her scheme. The reverend's attempted bone swap and Dexter's theft are separate from the murders.
Decisive-clue source: episode subtitle transcript ↗Real place → fictional identity
Where was Saints and Sinners filmed?
Holy Trinity Church
Used as: The church appears as the parish church in fictional Midsomer Cicely.
Representative photograph of the real filming location; the exact camera angle or building may differ.Sources accompany the identified filming places.
Wider filming areas