George Baker

With the help of Acting DC Ben Jones, Barnaby investigates the garrotting of a husband and wife outside a deserted cottage near Midsomer Newton. Despite a reputation for being haunted, Winyard is a magnet for villagers, developers and conservationists. Barnaby and Jones must separate truth from rumour in order the reveal the cottage's secrets - and catch the killer.

A secret agent resigns from a high-security organisation, but he is then abducted and awakens to find himself imprisoned in a village from which there is no escape.

The discovery of an armoured security van involved in the disappearance of one person and the unsolved murder of another provides the impetus for the team to look into the case again. The van is at the bottom of a lake and Pullman decides to dive and investigate. She survives, but a key witness does not and the team realise that the murderer is close at hand.