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"THE MERFOLK MURDERS: A TIMELESS WHODUNIT WITH A SCI-FI TWIST"

Set in 1940s Scotland, The Merfolk Murders sees the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, and Adric entangled in a real-life murder mystery amidst a university society dedicated to crime fiction. What starts as a discussion of detective novels—specifically the Orion Hood series, inspired by none other than the Fourth Doctor and penned by Sarah Jane Smith—soon spirals into an intricate web of intrigue, espionage, and deception. While the wartime setting feels somewhat underdeveloped, the story thrives as a Doctor Who take on a classic whodunit.

A STEADY BUILD-UP WITH A LACK OF TENSION

The opening episode takes its time establishing the mystery and its players, though it struggles to evoke the weight of the World War II backdrop. Despite elements like a German spy subplot, there’s a noticeable lack of tension throughout much of the serial. However, for those who enjoy a traditional murder mystery, the structured storytelling—with red herrings and clues sprinkled throughout—makes for an engaging listen. The final episode, in particular, delivers a satisfying Poirot-style resolution, neatly tying up the various plot threads.

STRONG CHARACTERISATION AND COMPANION DYNAMICS

The TARDIS team is well-served here, with Nyssa and Adric’s alien perspectives standing out, while Tegan provides a grounded, no-nonsense counterpoint. Their interactions, filled with sharp dialogue and differing viewpoints, prove to be one of the highlights of the story. The guest cast is also given plenty to do, ensuring that each suspect feels distinct and involved in the unfolding mystery.

A UNIQUE AND AMUSING EPILOGUE

One of the more refreshing aspects of The Merfolk Murders is its extended conclusion, which jumps forward in time to explore the long-term impact of the mystery’s resolution on those involved. This rare glimpse beyond the immediate aftermath of a historical adventure is both effective and humorous, providing a fittingly light-hearted end to an otherwise methodical mystery.

VERDICT: A CLASSIC MURDER MYSTERY IN WARTIME SCOTLAND

A rare pure historical for the Fifth Doctor era, The Merfolk Murders embraces its murder mystery roots with an engaging whodunit structure and strong character moments. While the story lacks sustained tension and doesn’t fully capitalise on its wartime setting, its intricate plotting and compelling resolution make it a rewarding listen for fans of detective fiction.

📝6/10

a purely engaging and thrilling story from the fifth doctor adventures. its another murder mystery and if we're going by the timeline of serpent in the silver mask -> black orchid -> the merfolk murders then its 3 murder mysteries in a row. but tim foleys writing here makes me deeply care about the entire cast of characters. adric gets a lovely little romance with a guy called henry, nyssa bonds with a soldier over losing their families, the doctor gets to revel in playing detective after some comedic teasing by tegan being very enthusiastic to solve the mystery. its all really well crafted

I liked this story but I will have to say it was a bit too long for me but it didn’t effect my enjoyment as other stories do like how the tardis team split up scooby doo style too

This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: Dark Contract

It's fitting chronologically that after Doctor Who on TV took a turn at the murder-mystery genre, Doctor Who on audio should try it too. This is such a compellingly crafted mystery, it's ridiculously clever and heartwarming and heartbreaking and just brilliant in general.

The TARDIS team's potential is not at all wasted in this story, every member gets their own development. Nyssa bonds with a soldier, Private Kowalski over having lost their homes. Adric considers settling down for the first time and while it's not completely explicit, falls in love. This leads to a whole bunch of heartbreak later on but I don't want to spoil too much. Tegan really gets to show off her almost motherly side, especially towards the aforementioned Adric. The Doctor dons an old pseudonym he used as a detective when he was in his last body.

This pseudonym, Orion Hood, is a really interesting insight into the Doctor (and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a few Fourth Doctor Boxsets featuring this premise). Peter Davison in general is absolutely brilliant in this, I will never understand people who say he's a boring Doctor. He had a great speech at the end, much like every other iconic detective where he strings together all the breadcrumbs and reveals the villain in a climactic moment.

On the topic of those clues, this is not a murder-mystery that cheaps out and doesn't reveal everything. All the details are there and it makes for a fantastic "how did I not realise that" moment at the end.

What a story, genuinely.

Next Story: The Great Beyond

Tim Foley has become a regular writer on this range, previously penning The Auton Infinity and last year's Pursuit of the Nightjar expectations are set high, this time stepping away from sci-fi and placing the Doctor and his friends into a more traditional murder mystery with The Merfolk Murders.

The team find themselves at the University of St Andrews in 1940 and meet the Merfolk, a society that spends the summer reading murder mystery stories, who soon have a real murder to discuss. The society's leader Athena, maths student Henry, the allied soldier Private Kowalski, Professor Hodgson and Sebastian - the student who knows of the Doctor - are they key players.

Subverting the usual Doctor Who tropes, the central protagonists aren't so much as suspected, instead being free to make their own investigations, each spending a good amount of time with the others while getting the chance to go off alone and get to know members of the side cast, a blossoming romance between Adric and Henry being a personal highlight, as well as Nyssa being able to connect with Kowalski over having lost their homes.

The mystery itself is well-crafted, there did come a point where it seemed the solution may be obvious but the story has enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep you guessing. The identity of the culprit certainly surprised me and it all comes together in an overall satisfying way. While not a lot of substance is drawn from it, a parallel being drawn to people who get a too obsessed with modern true crime media also goes appreciated.

The performances are great throughout, the "gotcha" scene is so well performed and Foley gives Janet Fielding another moment to shine as Tegan has to make a difficult phone call. As always, Fielding's interplay with Davison entertains.

As with last year's box sets it's a shame there's no music suite on this release, as Howard Carter's score for this story is my favourite he's done for the range so far, music during a major reveal in the climax and a scene with Adric and Tegan on the beach are particular highlights I'd love to have listened to in isolation. I hope that future Fifth Doctor Adventures releases do feature music suites, even if it's too late for this one.

The Merfolk Murders is another big winner for The Fifth Doctor Adventures, adding to Tim Foley's impressive streak. There's no telling if or when Foley will write another story for the range, though this story does tease other adventures for the this Doctor's immediate predecessor and successor.