Dixie Goff tells her daughter Angela that she wants family only at Duncan's funeral. Angela says, "Mum, don't you think some of Dad's old friends and patients would like to come, pay their respects?" Dixie replies, "I will not have a procession of his old flames filing past the grave. I will not." The detectives ring the doorbell. Barnaby asks, "Mrs Goff, we've learned that Mr Keith Scholey came round here to speak to you on the night before your husband's murder." Dixie says, "What he told me was no surprise. My husband had always had something of a wandering eye and I tolerated it." A Talent For Life" takes place in the Midsomer village of Malham Bridge and the story starts when Isobel Hewitt slaps Margaret Seagrove in the face. Margaret wants to press charges and Barnaby and Troy come along to have a word. Isobel Hewitt brags about her slap against Mrs Seagrove and as she talks with her nephew, Melrose Plunkett and his wife Rebecca, they inform Isobel that they can not carrying on paying off her overdraft. Shortly after, Isobel Hewitt and Duncan Goff are found murdered by the river. It would have been nice if the main suspects had a lot more in them. For example: the fishing plot line, which many characters are part of does feel bit mundane for its own good. The story is hugely compelling, and never simplistic and never losing any of the maturity of most of the previous episodes. There is a lot going on mostly without being cluttered or rushed (remarkable for an episode that as ever is heavy in exposition), and that nothing is what it seems, or very few people are who they seem adds to the complexity, while there are no out of kilter scenes. The twists, red herrings and turns keep coming, and rarely in an obvious or press-the-rewind button. The characters are colourful, eccentric and not what they seem. Ruth Scholey comes to the restaurant and finds out her husband has been killed. She tells the detectives that as far as she knew the door was fine. She had an argument with her husband earlier because she wasn't sure about the alibi she had given him. He had told her she was being disloyal.

Troy makes an insightful comment, "It's the bereaved partners that really get to you. There's something about elderly people being bereaved when they've been in love for a lifetime. Suddenly all alone." Then Cully tells him that the deceased was a serial philanderer.Cully has returned! She now runs a mobile library of sorts. Glances between her and Troy indicate their attraction is still there. Her absence goes unexplained. It seems her parents bought her a cheap car, which they call Bert. The murder plot itself was interesting, confusing to follow since everyone's a suspect. But watching it a second time when knowing the identity of the killer, makes it much more pleasant to follow what is happening, notice all the red herrings, and enjoy the script as it is. The deaths are not too gruesome and the initial motives were tame by the series' standard as being a sudden crime of passion based on a broken heart. There was a funny bit about how Troy had pegged the killer early on but was talked out of it by Barnaby's doubts. Then Troy came up with a theory that faulted someone else and Barnaby agreed, celebrating Troy's success with Cully and Joyce. However, Barnaby realized Troy's theory was wrong and once again solved it all himself. Troy was embarrassed but Tom recalled Troy's initial gut feeling as correct, and walked off with his arm around the dejected Troy. Barnaby discusses the case with Troy, "What we've got to do first is establish whether they were murdered together and for the same reason, or whether one of them happened upon the murder scene and was killed to protect the identity of the killer. In which case we need to know which of the victims was the real target." Troy asks, "There's no way they could have had a thing going? I know they were getting on but you never know with these wrinklies. Maybe Quentin got jealous. Decided to do them in. He's weird that bloke." Barnaby smirks at Troy. The motive was also agreed not very interesting and pretty mundane and clichéd. Again agreed the show was at its best when the motives were either fresh, darker and more outlandish (though some, especially the Neil Dudgeon episodes, went too overboard on the outlandish to the point of absurdity and were convoluted at times too), here in comparison it was bland.

Joyce looks through a photo album and says the children looked lovely in their huge bonnets. Cully tells Joyce the photos are of children in the workhouse. Many of them never reached adulthood. Another photo shows people celebrating the end of the First World War. Malham Bridge lost 15 men, Three from one family alone. Joyce tells Cully not to let the stories get to her. Keith confronts his wife, Ruth Scholey at their home. Keith says, "I'm going to ask you a question. And I'll know if you lie to me. So think very carefully before you reply." Peregrine's instructs his man, Hastings, to take bottles of bubbly to the kitchen. People pour into the house for the after- funeral reception. The solution is indeed disappointing with kind of obvious murderer and dull motives, which could have been much more compelling. I would go that far and name it underdeveloped.Rebecca rants, "Isobel had no comprehension of economy. As you can see we don't exactly live like lords. It severely stretched us, letting her live in that house, and we've had to scrimp to get by. Isobel, of course, continued to live the high life. I know she's family and you have to be loyal but the truth is, Isobel was a very manipulative woman. Men ran around after her and she did nothing in return." Troy asks, "Which men ran around after her?" Rebecca says, "My husband for one. And Quentin Roka for another. Her antique dealer playmate. God knows what was going on there." Melrose says, "Quentin runs the antique shop near Isobel's. He often helps her out..." Rebecca interrupts, "Wheedling his way into her confidence. With the finances." Melrose says, "Quentin paid the odd bill for her at the Post Office. I am the person who will benefit financially from Isobel's death in that I now have possession of my assets." Meanwhile, the script is smart and thought-provoking with some nice humour and colourful characters. Nothing felt inconsequential, everything had a point, everything intrigued and any loose ends were tied together nicely. At the Old Fisherman pub in Malham Bridge, the meeting of the Midsomer Fly Fishers has just ended. Margaret Seagrove goes after Isobel Hewitt and grabs her arm. Margaret says, "What do you mean, limited skills? I've won the casting final three times in a row and you call my skills limited? How dare you?" Isobel slaps her and says, "Is that any better?" Duncan Goff says, "Isobel!!" Margaret say to her husband, "She hit me. Aren't you going to do something." Duncan gives Isobel a lift. Beatrice speaks to Barnaby. She says, "I think it more likely Isobel was the target. I spoke to her by phone the night before she was killed. She'd just had the most terrible row with a mutual friend....