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

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.

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.

After a local photographer wins an urban myth competition with his creation of The Wolf Hunter, it unexpectedly gains a cult following.

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.