Early Summer 2019

The once-idyllic landscape of Midsomer County was marred by whispers of chaos. News reports blared of riots and power struggles plaguing the rest of Britain, fueled by fuel shortages and a breakdown in social order. Even the quaint villages of Midsomer weren't entirely immune. But here, the response was as unique as the murders themselves.

Enter the Midsomer Liberation Army (MLA), a brainchild of the ever-enthusiastic (and slightly eccentric) Lord Hugh Fitzwilliam, head of the Midsomer Military History Association (MMHA) in Little Grimley. Fearing the unrest might spill over from neighboring counties, Lord Hugh decided to take matters into his own tweed-clad hands.

The MLA was a sight to behold. A motley crew of villagers patrolled the rolling hills in a ramshackle fleet of repurposed military vehicles. A rusty Sherman tank, christened "Cromwell" (after a local baker, not the historical figure), rumbled alongside a WWII jeep ("Dougal") and the crown jewel – three Soviet-built BTR-152s, troop carriers that looked like misplaced beetles and sported the rather fetching badger flag.

DCI Barnaby, a man known for his calm demeanor and keen eye for detail, wasn't exactly thrilled. The sight of these Cold War relics thundering down country lanes was enough to raise an eyebrow, even for him. However, to his surprise, the MLA proved effective. The badger flag became a symbol of…well, something between peace and quirky intimidation, and the pre-apocalyptic vibes subsided.

But as always in Midsomer, peace rarely lasts longer than a freshly baked Victoria sponge. One crisp morning, Barnaby found himself staring down the barrel of a very real (and rather rusty) tank gun. The unfortunate victim? Sir Alistair Fielding, a wealthy landowner and noted weapons collector, found lifeless inside his heavily fortified manor house, "The Keep." The murder weapon? A single, well-placed shell from Cromwell's main gun.

Barnaby, ever the picture of composure amidst the rising panic, began his investigation. The suspects were a delightfully eccentric bunch:

• Lord Hugh Fitzwilliam, whose booming voice and even more booming tank were both prime suspects. Was this a land grab gone wrong, fueled by a desire to expand his estate?
• Mabel "Madge" Muldoon, a seemingly harmless widow with a surprising knowledge of artillery (a past as a World War II tank mechanic, perhaps?). Was her love for vintage weaponry a little too…explosive?
• And then there was Alistair's nephew, Edgar, a man perpetually on the verge of a nervous breakdown and rumored to be deeply in debt. Could his financial woes have driven him to such a…tank-tastic crime?

As Barnaby delved deeper, he discovered a web of hidden agendas. Sir Alistair, it turned out, wasn't just a collector – he was a black-market arms dealer, using his "Keep" as a covert storage facility. The missing piece of the puzzle? A shipment of high-powered weaponry scheduled to leave Midsomer that very night.

In a thrilling climax that would leave even the most seasoned Midsomer viewer breathless, Barnaby unraveled the truth. It turned out Edgar, desperate for money, had struck a deal with a group of unscrupulous buyers to steal the weapons. But Madge, ever the patriot, discovered the plot and tried to stop him. A struggle ensued, ending with Edgar accidentally firing Cromwell's main gun and blasting a hole through Sir Alistair's prized collection – and, unfortunately, Sir Alistair himself.

With the case solved (and Cromwell back in the MMHA collection, minus its "live ammunition capabilities"), Midsomer returned to its usual eccentricities. The MLA disbanded, their badger flag lowered with a slightly less tearful ceremony (Lord Hugh seemed rather relieved to be rid of the responsibility). And Barnaby, nursing a healthy dose of skepticism towards all things "artillery," settled back into the relative calm of Midsomer life. After all, in a place like Midsomer, even murder had a certain…explosive quality to it.