The ancient Causton Abbey is now a brewery, but the old curse is still active: one person is found boiled to death in one of the vats shortly after a party to launch a new ale.

A butterfly collector is found pinned to a wall like one of his specimens.

Carver Valley's comic festival is in full swing when the village is shocked by the murder of a former supermodel. With a scathing comic shaming several villagers as the only lead, Barnaby and Winter are left trying to separate fact from fiction.

Barnaby gets to relive his former sporting glory when a death at the local Rugby Club sends Barnaby and Winter into a muddle of rucks, grudges, romance... and artisanal chocolates?

Barnaby is less than impressed when Sarah drags him to a wedding. But things go from bad to worse when Barnaby must unveil a murderer with an apparent penchant for local brides.

Things take a gruesome turn when Ferraees Circus comes to town, bringing with it a chain of sinister clown sightings, threatening notes and deathly dangerous circus acts. Barnaby will have to face up to his fears in order to solve the case.