The Body Farm

Eve Lockhart runs forensic research facility ‘The Body Farm’ studying the complex journey the body goes through as it decays. Eve and her team of scientists quickly discover that dealing with victims of crime is a lot messier than any of them expect.

When the severed hand of a young man is found close to Harold Penton's estate, Hale is convinced that Penton is guilty of rape and murder. Penton, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist, is also a recluse and very keen to protect his privacy. His bodyguard, Jimmy West, does his best to prevent Hale from getting too close, insisting, along with Penton's doctor, that he is too ill to be questioned.

The body of a dead man, later identified as 35-year-old Connor Ryan, member of a fishing trawler's crew, is found floating at sea. When Eve arrives at the harbour to examine the body, Hale tells her that the trawler and the other crew members, Patsy Fay and marine biologist Tom Wilkes, are missing. The trawler was originally hired by Wilkes to collect samples for a study of local geological features.

Eve and the team are called to a women's prison to carry out tests on the body of an inmate, Beth Fox. The body has been found badly bruised, injuries which would indicate that she has been beaten to death. However, Eve suspects something even more sinister has happened here. Following the discovery of the body, a serious riot has broken out, which makes it difficult for the team as they try to gather evidence.

The team are called in to investigate the death of prominent human rights lawyer Richard Warner. He died in a fire at his home but it is not clear if the fire was set deliberately, so the team analyse the severely burned body without knowing the cause of the fire. Warner had recently been visited by one of his old clients - Joseph Marial, an asylum seeker from Sudan.

The team are called in to investigate the death of Ray Quinn, who was killed in what looks like a robbery at a classic car garage. The owners, Mick and Martin Flannery, are keen to clear the scene so that they can open for business again, but after an initial investigation, Eve is convinced that there is more to the case than a robbery gone wrong. Hale visits Ray's home.