Murder Most Puzzling is a 2025 crime mystery television series starring Phyllis Logan and Charlotte Hope, which premiered on 19 June 2025 on 5. It was released on the PBS network on February 26, 2026, under the title The Puzzle Lady.
Premise Eccentric celebrity cruciverbalist Cora Felton (aka The Puzzle Lady) and her niece Sherry have moved to the sleepy English town of Bakerbury to escape from a mysterious pursuer from their past. But when a teenage girl is found dead with a crossword clue on her chest, the local police call on The Puzzle Lady to help solve the crime.
Cast Main Phyllis Logan as Cora Felton (The Puzzle Lady) Charlotte Hope as Sherry Carter Adam Best as DCI Derek Hooper Richard Croxford as Mayor Firth Alistair Brammer as Anton Grant Nick Danan as DS Sam Brody Jack Weise as PC Danny Finley Simon Haines as Rod Reed Trevor Kaneswaran as Sunil Baidwan Amber Mendez-Martin as Katy Hooper Conor Sánchez as Jimmi Potter Yasmin Seky as Becky Baidwan
Guest
Julie Michelo as Ellen Hooper Kevin McNally as Gilbert Sullivan Ashionye Michelle Raccah as Babs Dufresne Fiona Browne as Edith Potter Catherine Rees as Dr Nadia Burke Conor Grimes as Mr Trotter David Crowley as Stuart Tanner Ben Waddell as Gary Gibson Amy Morgan as Sioned Ben Freeman as Dennis Pride Chris Patrick-Simpson as Ray Hendrie Tabitha Smythe as Stacey Gallivan Jacob Baird as Julian Hendrix Maggie Hayes as Ally Brindle Sarah Alexander as Gloria Hendrix Amanda Doherty as Olivia Lemon Matthew Sharpe as Darren Duggan Aidan McArdle as Governor Peacock Louise Parker as Vicki Tanner Declan O’Connor as Dante
Production The six-part series is written and created by Dominique Moloney, based on the best-selling Puzzle Lady series of novels by Parnell Hall. Phyllis Logan was announced in the lead role in October 2024. Filming took place in Northern Ireland in late 2024.
Episodes
Broadcast It premiered as The Puzzle Lady in Belgium on BBC First on 17 March 2026. It started showing as The Puzzle Lady in the Netherlands on BBC NL on 26 May 2026.
Reception Philip Cunnington in the Lancashire Post wrote: "This uneasy mix of the cosy and the corrupt ... finds it hard to sustain interest over its two-hour running time". References
External links
The Puzzle Lady at PBS