I have to say I have always loved this one for being very different, and the chemistry between Tom and Pru is one of the highpoints of the story. There is a lot of stuff hinted at there.
But there are a few niggles where the story doesn't quite hold together. Barnaby makes a massive intuitive leap to decide that Jamie is the killer. OK at that point we know he's a swindler but on what evidence does Barnaby decide he must be the killer? He had the flimsiest of connections with the victim. Barnaby's evidence that Annie was the killer was flimsy at best, and it should probably have never gone to trial, but his evidence against Jamie was even flimsier. And if Jamie had not confessed then Barnaby would have had nothing to go on at all. He could have kept his mouth shut and a good defence lawyer could have claimed entrapment concerning the attempted murder of Mrs Beverley. You could imagine how that one would go in court "Really, so this police officer just happened to be in the wardrobe checking for woodworm?" Much as I thought the performance of Thelma Barlow as the spirited Mrs Beverley was excellent, would Barnaby and Jones really have agreed to such a dangerous plan?
But there are a few niggles where the story doesn't quite hold together. Barnaby makes a massive intuitive leap to decide that Jamie is the killer. OK at that point we know he's a swindler but on what evidence does Barnaby decide he must be the killer? He had the flimsiest of connections with the victim. Barnaby's evidence that Annie was the killer was flimsy at best, and it should probably have never gone to trial, but his evidence against Jamie was even flimsier. And if Jamie had not confessed then Barnaby would have had nothing to go on at all. He could have kept his mouth shut and a good defence lawyer could have claimed entrapment concerning the attempted murder of Mrs Beverley. You could imagine how that one would go in court "Really, so this police officer just happened to be in the wardrobe checking for woodworm?" Much as I thought the performance of Thelma Barlow as the spirited Mrs Beverley was excellent, would Barnaby and Jones really have agreed to such a dangerous plan?