Trama

When a local DJ is crushed to death at a traditional girls' boarding school, DCI John Barnaby discovers that murder and deception are never far away from the quaint villages.

DCI John Barnaby arrives in Causton on his cousin Tom's retirement. Jones misses his old boss and the two men do not gel, especially as Barnaby seems dismissive of Jones' efforts to restore a vintage car once driven by local racer Duncan Palmer for a classic car competition hosted at her school by frosty headmistress Harriet Wingate. Palmer faked his death in the 1960s but was actually found dead in Midsomer some years later. His old team-mate Peter Fossett is judging the contest and the entrants include Peter's brisk, bossy daughter Kate Cameron and her ex-husband Jamie, now in love with Harriet's shy daughter Jessica. Kate will do anything to win, enlisting the help of the other judge, radio D.J. Dave 'Doggy' Day, who is found murdered. Soon after another young man is killed, who turns out to be involved with Kate's precocious schoolgirl daughter Charlotte in drug dealing. After Barnaby has discovered that Duncan Palmer was Jessica's father, he confronts the killer, but has cause to show respect for Jones who rescues him from being another victim of death in the slow lane.—don @ minifie-1

DCI John Barnaby is just settling into his new job when he and DS Ben Jones are called to investigate the murder of local radio personality, DJ Dave 'Doggy' Day at Brooklands, a posh private school for girls. They had been there the previous day at the request of the crusty headmistress, Harriet Wingate, who was concerned about rowdies from a nearby estate disrupting a classic car show they are having over the weekend. Day was found impaled by the starter crank for one of the vintage autos, owned by Kate Cameron. Barnaby is also interested in the story of a well known race driver, Duncan Palmer, who had disappeared in the Lake district years before but whose body was found in a barn on the school property just 5 years ago. Barnaby concludes that the most recent death is connected, as is the recent drug dealing that has been taking place.—garykmcd

Jones cheerfully shows around his new boss DCI John Barnaby, by whom he actually feels passed-by with a hunt of nepotism as it's the predecessor's kin, while they almost leisurely report for security just in case at the posh girls boarding school, which hosts a national contest of Oldtimer cars, a jewel -from missing champion Duncan Palmer- being recently discovered on its grounds, which Jones helps repair. The jury consists of old Oldtimer celebrity Peter Fossett and local Dave Doggy Day, a likable but very modern London star DJ asked home, where he does more charitable work, by Jessica Wingate, spinster daughter and employee of domineering, old-fashioned headmistress Harriet Wingate, who just managed again to make the board vote against the urgent proposal to stop the outdated school's financial hemorrhage by accepting government funding and regulation, as proposed by Jess's lover, businessman Jamie Cameron, who is furious to find that Harriet invited his ex Kate to participate in the show like him. At night, Doggy works on siren Kate's car but is impaled by the crank. Jones would rule it an accident, but Barnaby realizes it must be murder. During the investigation, local presumed drug pusher Thomas Brightwell is murdered elsewhere. He was the lover and accomplice of Jamie and Kate's wicked daughter Charlotte Cameron, a domineering boarder, whose affair was recorded on the video diary of her junior minions, which Jess uses as blackmail material to force Harriet to retirement so Jamie can finally save and modernize the school. Barnaby must work out the rim history of the Oldtimer and its owner, the drug connection and complex, dark family secrets, but takes too much risks, so Jones must save him discretely.—KGF Vissers