One night in a street full of rowdy teenagers, Danny Merrick is dared to knock on the door of The House in the Woods, Winyard by name. Riding down to the house in the middle of nowhere surrounded by dead trees and overgrown patches of land, he is frightened away by a whistling sound from the top window of the house and his bicycle is pinned to the ground by nettles.

Caroline and Peter Cave are house hunting in the village of Midsomer Newton and are referred to Winyard, when their luck runs out, having found no house which they wish to work on and live in. Anne Merrick who works at The Feathers Hotel suggests Winyard. It was her son who was frightened away from the house and her other son, Phillip, has been telling stories about the apparently haunted house in the local school.

Caroline and Peter take a trip to see Harriet Davis, the Estate Agent running a successful but illegal business, with the help of Gerry Moore, the local builder. She claims that Winyard is under offer. Caroline and Peter leave and entering at that moment is Charlie Magwood, who is trying to sell Winyard. Harriet Davis tells him there’s been no interest in the property. It seems she is conning them both.

Harriet Davis is actually lying to the owners of the houses, telling them there’s no one interested so she can sell it at a ridiculous price to the builder who then does it up and they share the profits when it sells high. However Barbara and Lesley Flux, local villagers, have worked out what Harriet is doing.

That evening, after looking all over for Winyard, the Caves eventually find the house. Caroline seems to like it a lot less than Peter who is busy looking around inside, so she heads back to the car. Unfortunately for her, there is an intruder in the back seat who garrottes herself and Peter, when he comes back, with piano wire.

Scott has called in sick so Barnaby comes to work alone. He discovers that the Cave’s were staying at The Feather’s Hotel in Midsomer Newton. Their car was not far from Winyard so it’s not long before Barnaby and a constable, DC Ben Jones, begin digging for clues.

But before Jones becomes a permanent working companion with Barnaby, they have a double murder to solve which could get Joyce (who has been accepted into the Midsomer Conservationist Group, which helps building at risk in the country) in trouble.

DCI Tom Barnaby

Joining the Series -

Midsomer Newton -