DI Goodman's love life might be lacking, but his considerable intellect and experience are tested to the full, as he faces some of Saint Marie's most perplexing murders yet.
Humphrey buys himself a new boat, and a millionaire philanthropist is murdered on his yacht.
The team enter the shady world of island politics when the outgoing governor of Saint Marie is poisoned at her leaving party. Meanwhile, DI Goodman dives into the even murkier world of online dating.
Fashion model Zoe Mackay is strangled moments after leaving the catwalk, leaving DI Goodman and his team stumped. All of her colleagues, dress designer, three other models and the photographer have watertight alibis and the backstage area was securely guarded at all times. The only clue was a stocking clasped in the victims hand. A series of catwalk photographs of the event from start to finish even provide an image of the actual murder.
Dwayne's old mentor, Cedrik, is found dead and as he is being cremated a text message saying "I was murdered" from his phone that Dwayne had placed in the coffin, is received by Dwayne. Evidence from a pillow indicates murder. The suspects are Cedrik's three friends and his girlfriend. Goodman is also confused as to why the victim gave Dwayne a lucky necklace and had ordered a cheap mail order watch two days before he died.
Goodman's aunt Mary comes to visit him, but things take an unexpected turn when she becomes the only witness to the murder of John Green, a tourist, thrown from his balcony in the next hotel room. A check on Green's background reveals that he did not exist until five years ago and the first thing he did upon arriving was meet career criminal Neil Jenkins; resident on Saint Marie for the last nine years.
After chef Robert Holt is discovered fatally stabbed, with his body turning up in a freezer the morning after the opening of his new restaurant, DI Goodman and the team are left clueless as to who is responsible. Most of the victim's loved ones were at the event, but Humphrey realises that Holt's brother, Gary, was absent and wonders if he could have committed the crime.
When the salvage of the 400 year old silver coin hoard from a sunken ship is completed, the leader of a Marine Salvage team, Tosh Walker, is found dead with a stab wound to the chest. The evidence leads to prime suspect, rival treasure hunter, Newton Farrell, who argued with Walker earlier; but he is alibied by Catherine at the time that Walker's wife received a phone call from Walker claiming Farrell had stabbed him.
Sian Evans is found shot dead in her backpackers hostel showers. With a gun in her hand and her body slumped against the door, it all points to suicide. All the hostel residents are on a boat tour except for her boyfriend, the manager, a woman missing from her home in Wales and Leo, a recent arrival. Humphrey and the team discover they all had a motive to kill Evans . The only clues are her toiletries laid out and her missing towel. JP marries Rosey Fabrice and Humphrey meets an old girlfriend.
