The third installment in Rian Johnson's series of Benoit Blanc mysteries inserts the detective (played marvelously by Daniel Craig) into yet another seemingly impossible mystery, this time set in a rural Catholic parish where Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor), a boxer who turned priest after killing a man in the ring, has been assigned as assistant pastor after he punched a rude deacon. But the church, Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude, is led by Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), a rude and angry priest who takes pleasure in driving newcomers away from his tight-knit congregation.

Father Jud's introduction into their circle causes friction ... and sets up the inevitable murder. The monsignor is stabbed to death in a small room to one side of the altar, where he has retreated for a pre-homily tipple in the middle of Mass. Father Jud is the first person to reach him, spying a devil-headed dagger in the monsignor's blood-soaked back. The police are summoned, and Chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) sees the locked-room nature of the mystery as being beyond the skills of her department; she in turn brings in Blanc to assist in the investigation.

Blanc finally makes his appearance in the movie some 40 minutes into the 144-minute film.

So, let's meet the prime suspects.

There's Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), who pretty much runs things at the church and is incredibly devout follower of both Christ and Wicks. The only other employee of the church, Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), is the groundskeeper and handyman.

Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner) is the town doctor who is bitter over his wife's recent betrayal. Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny) is a concert cellist who is disabled and donates generously to the church with the faith that Wicks can heal her. Lee Ross (Andrew Scott) is a best-selling novelist who has hit a dry patch and counted on Wicks to inspire his next book. Vera Draven (Kerry Washington) is a stressed-out lawyer who was saddled with raising Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack) as her adopted son, although the town mostly knows he's actually her bastard brother.

They all have reasons to hate Wicks, or at least to resent him. Father Jud, too, is a suspect, since he's seen by the core congregants as an interloper who wanted Wicks out of the way.

And then there's the pertinent backstory: Jefferson Wicks' grandfather, the Rev. Prentice Wicks (James Faulkner), kept his wayward daughter Grace (Annie Hamilton) in line by promising her his $80 million fortune upon his death. When he dies, however, the money isn't anywhere to be found, and she ransacks the church in a fury before throwing herself violently against Prentice's crypt and dying. Jefferson Wicks has refused to restore the crucifix his mother destroyed, leaving only its shadowy outline on the wall behind the altar.

It's a deliciously tricky murder, one that bewilders Blanc for far longer than he would care to admit. He recruits Father Jud to help in his investigation, convinced despite the police chief's suspicions and the congregation's animosity. Things grow ever complicated, as Jud discovers that workers were hired to open the Wicks crypt before the monsignor's death, and Blanc discovers that Jud found and concealed Wicks' hidden flask after the murder. Then Jud has a moment of spiritual clarity and resolves to devote himself entirely to the church.

And then there's the thing with Wicks' apparent resurrection, and the revelation of an errant confession....

I love how Johnson -- who is both writer and director of the Benoit Blanc series -- makes each movie separate unto itself, with no ties to past characters or plots. They all stand on their own but still flow together neatly, much like Agatha Christie did with Poirot and Marple. As Blanc, Craig brings a lot of whimsy and heart along with his deductive skills, giving the character more depth than he had in his James Bond films (which I, admittedly, quite thoroughly enjoyed).

The future of the franchise seems to be up in the air, with Johnson and Craig both interested in continuing the series but the studio not yet committed to backing it. Let's hope they keep it going.