Murder Before Evensong star explains book changes and teases darker twist on best-selling novel

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Readers who enjoy Richard Coles’s Canon Clement novels are likely excited about Murder Before Evensong, the new 5-part series adapted from the first book in the series.

The show features Matthew Lewis playing Daniel Clement and Amit Shah as DS Neil Vanloo. Shah suggests that even readers familiar with the original story can anticipate some differences.

He explained that the show features some characters who are also in the novel, and others that are original to the series.

It’s definitely an adaptation, and I believe the show’s creative team intentionally aimed to be more daring and give it a somewhat darker, grittier feel than you’d typically find in a traditional, comfortable crime series.

As a fan, I was really excited to hear Shah talk about how much the creators wanted to dig deep into the characters and their connections. They’re building these relationships in such a clever and intricate way, and honestly, that’s what I think will really keep us all watching, eager to find out what happens right until the very end. It’s all about those brilliantly intertwined relationships, and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out! They’re hoping it will keep viewers hooked, and I think they’ve succeeded!

The official description of the series states: Canon Daniel Clement, a quiet and reserved priest in the charming English village of Champton, finds his peaceful life disrupted when his frustrating mother, Audrey, unexpectedly shows up, forcing him to deal with memories he’s been avoiding.

However, Daniel faces a much bigger problem when he unexpectedly finds the body of Anthony Bowness, a member of his church and also a relative of Lord de Floures.

Daniel needs to look beyond the calm surface of village life to find clues and reveal secrets that have been hidden for years. He has to deal with the media, the public, and the anger of his boss, the bishop. Daniel finds himself wondering who he can believe, and even if he was the person the killer meant to target.

In a recent interview with TopMob magazine, Coles shared that fans often mistake Daniel Clement for himself, saying “readers think that Daniel Clement is basically me”. He also confessed that when he first saw Lewis in costume, “he actually does look like a hotter version of me,” and playfully admitted it required “a little bit of mental rearrangement!”

Murder Before Evensong premieres on 5 at 9pm on Tuesday 7th October.

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2025-09-30 13:05