The villagers of Morton Fendle are up in arms, when they discover the local craft centre, which they had invested in, is in financial uncertainty. As Barnaby tries to stop matters from escalating, he soon learns that its owner Alan Hollingsworth's wife Simone has been kidnapped. Shortly after following Alan to the nearby market town, and witnessing him dropping off a valise, a neighbor of his is murdered when her car is forced off the road and collides with a stationary log lorry. When Alan himself is murdered, the detectives need to track down Simone and the reasons behind the kidnap, before identifying the culprit.