Dalziel being ordered to 'take leave and see the medical section' for manhandling his suspect for the kidnapping of Penny Wilson during an interview, Pascoe must lead and Milligan assist the investigation for the suspicious death of Rowan Priestly's holiday village entertainer Efrona Davis, whose body is washed up on shore. Pascoe manages to persuade the ACC to take Dalziel back as the SIO on the case, instead of DCI Derek Hores, who Pascoe believes substandard. As two bodies are found relating to the first killing, Dalziel realizes that an intimate web of a fraudulent agent, perverted manager posting interned porn and a diamond heist worth £2 million from the firm stag party boys worked for are the three key pieces in solving the case. Student Penny Wilson also washes up, her preacher father Matthew Davis is openly disgusted by her 'entertainment career'. Dalziel manages to persuade the ACC to let him continue with the case but only gets 48 hours to piece all of the clues together.
—KGF Vissers