The Village Murder Casebook

Case file · Series 19, Episode 6 · Season 19, Episode 6

The Curse of the Ninth

A young violinist wins a disputed festival prize, then is strangled with a string as a valuable Stradivarius disappears.

The 60-second case card

Should I watch this one?

A stolen instrument and a contested award give the mystery an elegant surface; the more dangerous question is who has been performing a false identity.

Best for
Classical music · Stradivarius · Hidden identity
Mood
Classic
Team
DCI John Barnaby with DS Jamie Winter
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

A stolen instrument and a contested award give the mystery an elegant surface; the more dangerous question is who has been performing a false identity.

Jacob Wheeler receives the Falconer Award at Thassington's classical festival despite strong support for pianist Zak Sowande. Jacob is then killed with a violin string, and the Stradivarius entrusted to him vanishes from the same competitive musical circle.

Barnaby and Winter investigate disappointed performers, festival patrons and the history attached to the instrument. Further violence reveals that professional ambition is intertwined with family secrets and an identity maintained for many years.

  • Classical music
  • Stradivarius
  • Hidden identity
Break the seal: reveal the finding

Who was the killer in The Curse of the Ninth? (spoiler)

The missing violin and murders protect a concealed identity, with the festival prize forcing people connected to the instrument's past into the same public space.

More episode detailsProduction, cast, deaths and filming information

Credits, context and checked facts

Production and cast

TV series
Series 19
Episode number
Episode 6
Written by
Julia Gilbert
Directed by
Matt Carter
Listed transmission date(s)
27 August 2017 20 May 2018
Reported filming period
October–November 2016
Detective
DCI John Barnaby
Partner
DS Jamie Winter
Pathologist
Dr Kam Karimore · Manjinder Virk
Principal setting
Thassington
Casebook tone
Classic

Sources accompany the production credits and filming links.

Fictional settings and real filming places are listed separately. Filming links include 0 mapped areas; 2 exact sites.

Credits and archive connections

  • Writer credits7 episodes credited to Julia Gilbert
  • Director credits8 episodes directed by Matt Carter
  • Release positionCase 116 of 144
  • Story characterClassic · Classical music · Stradivarius
  • Location evidence2 exact screen-use matches
Kam Karimore's final case

This episode marks Manjinder Virk's final appearance as Dr Kam Karimore.

Concert location identified

Radio Times identifies Watlington Church as the concert location and Chenies Manor House as another filming site. Its report does not identify the episode's pub.

Sources for the production file

Published episode chronology and credits ↗Official ITV programme page ↗Filming-location reference index ↗Episode-specific filming report ↗

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

The Curse of the Ninth cast

These selected cast entries link to their published profiles. They do not include every name shown in the end credits.

The performers behind this case

Core cast

Follow the cast links for full actor and character guides.

Image credits identify the licence used. No programme publicity stills are reproduced.

Forensic team

Dr Kam Karimore

Credit
Resident pathologist
Played by
Manjinder Virk
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Spoiler-controlled deaths

Deaths recorded in this case

2 people die in this case, according to the linked death record.

Break the seal: reveal the list of deaths
  1. Jacob Wheeler

    Murder · Strangulation or hanging

    Performer check
  2. Vernon De Harthog

    Murder · Poisoning

    Performer check
    • Vernon De Harthog: Simon CallowThe earlier list printed the surname particle in lower case; the published cast record supports Vernon De Harthog, used here.
Break a second seal: reveal the verified killer
Series 19 · episode 6 · checked 15 September 2026

Who was the killer in The Curse of the Ninth? (spoiler)

Natalie Wheeler

Natalie strangled Leon De Harthog after discovering that he was impersonating her brother Jacob and intended to take the inheritance, then poisoned Vernon De Harthog when his discovery threatened to expose her. Dan Falconer had caused the real Jacob's fatal fall during a childhood argument and concealed the death, while Ivo Baxter's theft and Warwick Sowande and Audrey Glenhill's scheme remain separate.

Verified motive

Natalie had waited for Jacob's return and wanted to believe Leon's impersonation, but killed him after discovering his plan to take Jacob's inheritance, being mocked for her trust and threatened when she said she would go to the police. She then poisoned Vernon because his discovery of Leon's passport would lead investigators back to her; Dan's childhood concealment of the real Jacob's accidental death remains separate.

Search the complete deaths index →

Real place → fictional identity

Where was The Curse of the Ninth filmed?

Chenies, Buckinghamshire

Chenies Manor House

Used as: The manor house is an identified filming site for this episode; the published account does not specify which rooms or scenes it represents.

Read the filming source ↗

Sources accompany the identified filming places.

Wider filming areas

Places connected to this file

Location research remains open.

No real filming place is confirmed for this case.