A postman is brutally murdered on his morning round in the hamlet of Goodman's Land. Local WPC Jay Nash helps Barnaby and Troy to establish that Dave offered a very personal service to the female villagers, leaving a trail of jealous husbands in his wake, and it becomes clear that the tiny village is riven with other adulterous affairs. Then the body count begins to go up...Meanwhile, romance is blossoming between Troy and Jay.

When factory owner Alan King, owner of the Kings crystal glass company, meets his death in Shanghai the repercussions are swiftly felt in far off Midsomer Magna. His brother, not only assumes control and closes the factory down but marries the widow, much to the resentment of her son. When the company's chief accountant is found dead in the river Barnaby finds himself drawn into the mysterious world of Masonic rituals and business corruption. Jones's knowledge of the former proves invaluable but it is Cully's performance in an open air version of Hamlet that provides the vital clue, setting the detectives on a race against time to prevent further deaths.