A local outcast, who was controversially acquitted of murder years previously, is the latest inductee into a post-operative heart rehab club. Following his arrival, members dreams of a second chance at life begin being cut short.

Barnaby is investigating the murder of Victor Karras, a manufacturer of exclusive board games, who appears to have been poisoned.

The annual scarecrow festival in Midsomer takes a terrible turn when dead bodies are found placed on piles next to the festival's straw creations. Barnaby's investigation shows a deep competitive rivalry that makes people do just about anything to win.

The Midsomer Mummers, a company for amateur opera, is in the middle of rehearsals for a charity concert when a dead body is found at the theatre. The investigation's goal is to find out which person has the greatest wishes to be at the centre of attention.

Each year, the village of Angel's Rise hosts the Psychic Fayre. Founded by the Saint-Stephens family in memory of their late daughter, the event attracts mediums, psychics, and followers of the occult. When a body is found surrounded by ritual symbols on the eve of the festival, Barnaby must step into the spiritual world to find the killer.