It’s 1953, and just outside the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester, local vicar Sidney Chambers (James Norton) has lost track of time, having spent a glorious morning with his fun loving friend, and the woman with whom he is secretly in love, Amanda Kendall (Morvern Christie). Racing to church, Sidney arrives just in time to minister at the funeral of a local solicitor - although his poor time- keeping earns the disapproval of his punctilious housekeeper Mrs Maguire (Tessa Peake-Jones). With the death a suicide, Sidney does his best to comfort young German widow Hildegard Staunton (Pheline Roggan), but is soon called away from his normal duties when the glamorous Pamela Morton (Rachel Shelley) asks to draw Sidney into her confidence.

When Amanda's engagement ring is stolen on the same night a murder is committed, Sidney and Geordie investigate whether there might be a connection between the two crimes.

After the death of two elderly sisters, Sidney and Geordie try to track down a man on the run. Will they be able to catch the killer before he strikes again?

When a personal tragedy threatens to overwhelm Geordie, his relationship with Sidney is pushed to the limit - will they be able to put their differences aside to help catch a killer?

Sidney and Geordie travel to London for a night at Johnny Johnson's jazz club, but they soon discover that policemen and clergymen can never truly be off duty.

With Amanda and Guy's wedding fast approaching, Sidney is thrown into crisis - is he truly cut out for life as the vicar of Grantchester?