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Neil Dudgeon will be back to play DCI Barnaby tonight as Midsomer Murders returns to screens with Book of the Dead. He won't be alone, as his sidekick DS Jamie Winter (Nick Hendrix) and Fleur Perkins (Annette Badland) will also be reprising their roles to help him solve a string of mysterious murders.

The episode will also see several famous faces joining the guest cast, including Death in Paradise star Felixe Forde

Felixe, who played Luna Jones in Death in Paradise, has taken on the role of Scarlett Myhill in Midsomer Murders. Downton Abbey and Grantchester star Oliver Dimsdale will also appear in the instalment as Rev Sebastian Butts.

Fans will also see Coronation Street legend Sally Lindsay alongside Neil in the ITV drama as she takes on the role of Danica Trask.

The synopsis for tonight's second instalment teases, "When the author of a book that sparked a nationwide treasure hunt is found dead, Barnaby and Winter must unravel the cryptic clues to find the killer among a group of dedicated seekers."

Felixe isn't the only Death in Paradise star to feature in the new series, as Jinny Holder appeared in "The Devil's Work" last night. The Darlene Curtis star took on the role of Lila Blundell.

Ahead of the new episodes, lead actor Neil spoke exclusively to Reach PLC about hisfuture on the programme after he took over from John Nettles in 2011.

When asked whether he wants to play Barnaby for "as long as he possibly can," Neil said, "I think so, I mean I wouldn't want to do it to the point where it's embarrassing, and he's just too old. I just take it a year at a time.

"By series one, I thought I'd shoot one episode, and they'd say, 'he's terrible, we are not doing anymore'. After having John Nettles for 13 years, and then I come along, and it's cancelled, that would be pretty embarrassing.

"But then, at the end of the first series, they recommissioned it, and I thought it was great because that sort of vindicates that people had faith in me to give me the job in the first place."

He added, "So that was great to have the first recommission and do a second series. When I first started, somebody said to me, 'I think everybody would be happy if you did another three years or so,' and 15 years later, I am still doing it.

"So, I think everyone is pleased that it is still going, but I always take it a year at a time, and at the end of every series, I think, 'Are there going to be more?'

"Sooner or later, somebody is going to say there can't be any more stories in Midsomer, but we keep coming up with them, and people seem to like it."

Midsomer Murders is available to watch on ITVX.

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