Badger's Drift

The Killings at Badger's Drift is a mystery novel by English writer Caroline Graham, the first in her Chief Inspector Barnaby series. In 1997, it was adapted as the pilot of Midsomer Murders, a popular ITV television series on Graham's books.

In the fictional village of Badger's Drift, the elderly Miss Bellringer insists that her friend, Emily Simpson, did not die of a heart attack as her doctor claims, but was in fact murdered. An autopsy soon proves her right, as a mix of red wine and hemlock is found in the dead woman's system. While the village descends into panic, the murderer strikes again, claiming the life of Mrs. Rainbird. She is discovered by her son Dennis, the local undertaker.

As Barnaby investigates, aided by Sgt. Gavin Troy, he uncovers a connection between an older crime and the current killings at Badger's Drift.

On the screen, Emily Simpson's death is made more violent. Instead of being poisoned, as she is in the novel, her neck is broken with a crowbar. Also, in the novel, only Mrs. Rainbird is killed and her son Dennis discovers her body, both are murdered.

The Killings at Badger's Drift was well received by the mystery community. It was named by the Crime Writers' Association as one of the "The Top 100 Crime Novels of all Time." It also won the 1989 Macavity Award for "Best First Novel" and was nominated for the same honor at the 1989 Anthony Awards and the 1988 Agatha Awards.