Trama

The traditions of a local cult in Midsomer, the Temple of Thoth, appear to be related to a series of murders using poison of the poison dart frog.

Jean Wildacre is killed on stage during a magic show. She was a member of an occult group headed by imperious Ernest Balliol.Balliol and a former colleague in the group Aloysius Wilmington have long been at odds as both are anxious to locate a priceless antique book,believed to be somewhere on Aloysius's premises. Balliol has married again and his daughter Isolde is as fervent as he is in trying to find the book. His gentler son Tristan lives with and cares for his mother,Ernest's fragile first wife Rosemary. Two more deaths follow and each victim was present when one of Balliol's wives was recruited into the group years earlier. Suspicion falls on Ernest and his children and on Simon Wilmington,actually the illegitimate son of Aloysius,though he has been led to believe he is the magician's nephew.—don @ minifie-1

DCI Barnaby and DS Jones investigate the murder Jean Wildacre who was killed on stage while assisting at a children's magic show. Someone had tampered with the blades on a magic trick and had coated them with the venom of the poison dart frog. The magician, Aloysius Wilmington, has a lot of enemies in the village owing to a book he had published debunking the occult in general and a local cult, the Temple of Thoth, in particular. The Temple's leader, Ernest Balliol, is outraged by Wilmington's book and barely kept in check by his son Tristan, a respected solicitor. The elder Balliol is fixated on getting his hands on a very old and valuable book that he is convinced is to be found in Wilmington's vast library. Wilmington's nephew Simon is cataloging the works and Balliol's daughter Isolde is using her female charms on him. A second and a third murder soon follow but a unknown family secret lies behind the crimes.—garykmcd

During the annual Halloween magic show starring Aloysius Wilmington, his assistant Jean Wildacre dies on stage from Ecadorian tree frog poison on the pins of the sabotaged, well-tried magic box. Aloysius, owner of the grand local manor, antagonized many townies by writing an irreverent book on the occult, which he studied long from his priceless family library, and in particular the locally practiced cult of the Temple of Thoth, with Ernest Balliol as high priest, to the open annoyance of his son, smart barrister Tristan. Ernest encouraged his gullible daughter Isolde 'Izy' to seduce Aloysius's nephew and heir Simon Wilmington, a former cocaine addict blackmailed by antiquarian Hugo Cartwright to steal books, like the Balliols hoping for a rare magical treatise. Simon discovers a historical treasure to Aloysius's taste, but the poisoner strikes twice more before Barnaby and Ben can crack the case. Meanwhile Tom is forced to dress up as Dracula to host a neighborhood Halloween party.—KGF Vissers