Lesley Manville plays Susan Ryeland and Tim McMullan plays Atticus Pünd in Marble Hall Murders, with the main cast and their roles listed below.
The third mystery brings Susan back to London publishing and introduces Eliot Crace, the writer continuing Atticus Pünd’s adventures. The Crace family occupies Susan’s world, while the Chalfonts, Waysmiths and Lyttletons inhabit Pünd’s Last Case. Many new performers appear twice, but some belong to only one strand. A dash in the table means there is no second named role here, rather than a clue about the plot.
Who plays who?
Returning cast
Lesley Manville
As Susan, Manville returns to the publishing world with a new writer to edit and another Pünd manuscript to understand. Susan’s knowledge of books remains central even when the questions become personal. Manville’s performances elsewhere include Mary in Another Year, Cathy in Mum and the title character Ada in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.
Tim McMullan
McMullan plays Pünd for the third mystery, this time inside the continuation novel Eliot is writing. The detective also remains Susan’s imagined companion as she considers the book and the people around it. McMullan’s earlier credits include Frees in Shakespeare in Love, Stephen Lamport in The Queen and Arthur Valentine in Foyle’s War.
Alexandros Logothetis
Andreas is played again by Logothetis, the actor associated with Susan’s Greek life across the adaptations. He belongs to her contemporary relationships, rather than Pünd’s new island investigation. For other work, his selected credits include Nikolas Kyritsis in The Island, Manolis in Amerika Square and Alexandros in Business in Balkans. The full profile links to further career details.
Claire Rushbrook
Katie remains part of Susan’s family life, with Rushbrook returning as the sister who knows her outside her career. The character has no named counterpart inside Eliot’s novel. Rushbrook’s screen work includes Linda in My Mad Fat Diary and Pat Simms in Home Fires; Doctor Who viewers may recognise her performance as Ida Scott.
Michael Maloney
Charles is Susan’s publisher, placing him at the business end of the manuscripts she edits. He and Susan approach the same book from different professional positions: one must manage its commercial future, while the other is responsible for the editorial work. Maloney played Mark in Truly, Madly, Deeply and Edward Heath in The Crown.
New for Marble Hall Murders
Patricia Hodge
Miriam is the celebrated children’s author whose memory dominates the Crace family. Lady Margaret is the matriarch of Eliot’s manuscript, with a markedly different temperament. Hodge is familiar as Penny in Miranda and Phyllida Erskine-Brown in Rumpole of the Bailey. She also plays Mrs Pumphrey in All Creatures Great and Small.
Jamie Blackley
Eliot takes on the job of writing a new Pünd novel, bringing Susan back into contact with the detective through another author’s work. His family supplies much of the story around the manuscript. Blackley played Adam Wilde in If I Stay, Freddie Hamilton in The Halcyon and Robert Dudley in Becoming Elizabeth.
Harry Lloyd
Roland is Eliot’s brother, while Robert belongs to the Waysmith family within Pünd’s Last Case. The pairing is a useful way to follow the two households without assuming their histories match. Lloyd played Viserys Targaryen in Game of Thrones and Peter Quayle in Counterpart; animation audiences may recognise his voice as Viktor in Arcane.
Mark Bonnar
Edward is part of the family surrounding Miriam’s legacy; Elmer belongs to the antiquities business in the period story. Bonnar gives viewers another visible bridge between the households Susan compares. He played Duncan Hunter in Shetland and Max McCall in Guilt. New Blood, in which he played Peter Mayhew, is another Anthony Horowitz connection.
Rupert Penry-Jones
Jonathan belongs to the Crace family in Susan’s investigation, while Jeffrey is part of the Chalfont household in the manuscript. Their surnames are useful anchors during scenes with several relatives. Penry-Jones played Adam Carter in Spooks and DI Joseph Chandler in Whitechapel. Period-drama viewers may remember his Captain Wentworth in Persuasion.
Laura Rogers
Julia is one of the younger Craces whose family history interests Susan. Judith belongs to the Lyttleton couple in the novel. Rogers played Sheena Williams in the television drama Bad Girls and Helen Stewart in its stage musical, two separate parts. Her theatre work also includes Kay Summersby in Pressure and multiple roles in The 39 Steps.
Richard Goulding
Harry is in Pünd’s manuscript, alongside Judith Lyttleton, rather than the modern Crace household. Goulding’s performance should therefore be followed within that period story. He played Prince Harry in both The Windsors and King Charles III, productions with very different approaches. His other screen roles include Oliver Trenchard in Belgravia and Stewart MacLean in Scoop.
Zubin Varla
Frederick manages the museum devoted to Miriam Crace at Marble Hall; Vassilikos is the police lieutenant working alongside Pünd. The roles place Varla on different sides of the process of explaining a mystery. His screen credits include Daniel Doyce in Little Dorrit and Xanwan in Andor. On stage, he played Jerry Falwell in Tammy Faye.
Anneika Rose
Wardlaw is a detective constable in the modern investigation, working in the same strand as Blakeney. Her interviews belong to the police case rather than the mystery Susan is editing. Rose played Lila in Ackley Bridge, Nicky in Deadwater Fell and Amrita in The Midwich Cuckoos. Crossfire provides another television credit, as Abhi.
Danny Sapani
Blakeney is the detective inspector Susan encounters during the contemporary investigation. He has an official role alongside the editor’s more literary approach to the case. Sapani played Sembene in Penny Dreadful and Jahan Zakari in MotherFatherSon. Doctor Who viewers may also recognise Colonel Manton from A Good Man Goes to War.
Jorden Myrie
Matthew belongs to Susan’s modern London story and the world surrounding her return to publishing. He does not have a second named manuscript role in this guide. Myrie played Stuart Lawrence in Stephen, Kobi in Mood and DCI Marcus Clarke in Sherwood. His films include The Strays, in which he played Marvin.
Amelia Bullmore
Elaine’s connection with Charles Clover brings Susan’s earlier publishing relationships into the new story. Bullmore is known for DCI Gill Murray in Scott & Bailey and Sonja in I’m Alan Partridge. She also played Rachel Liebermann in Vienna Blood, alongside fellow Ryeland performers Matthew Beard and Conleth Hill, and Kay Hope in Twenty Twelve.
Other faces to recognise
Daniel Cerqueira also joins the ensemble. His actor profile links to his agency’s production credit; the guide does not assign him a character name. His films include Radiator, The Woman in Black, Denial and Judy. For the principal family relationships, start with the Miriam and Lady Margaret profiles, then follow the links to each household rather than treating the two sets of names as interchangeable.
Hear the story as an audiobook
The UK audiobook of Marble Hall Murders is read by Lesley Manville and Tim McMullan. The publisher’s audiobook page identifies this edition. Listen to the novel’s version of the two investigations. Save book comparisons until you have finished. Checked 19 October 2026.
Find Marble Hall Murders on AudibleCast sources
PBS: Magpie Murders cast · PBS: Marble Hall Murders characters. Checked 19 October 2026.
Read or listen to Marble Hall Murders
Marble Hall Murders
Anthony Horowitz’s novel behind the television adaptation.
Waterstones · print Audible · audiobookPaid links may earn commission, at no extra cost.