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Morse is taken aback by the apparent suicide of Anne Staveley. Morse knew her well as they were members of the same choir and he was quite attracted to her. On the evening of the choir's public performance, Morse stops by her house to collect her but finds her front door open and no one at home. On his way home after the performance he sees several police vehicles outside her house and it appears Anne has hung herself. When her nosy neighbour is also killed, Morse is convinced that Anne was murdered.
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Morse and Lewis investigate the death of Nicholas Quinn, a hard of hearing Oxford examiner who had recently complained to his superior that others in the examination syndicate were selling secrets. Quinn died of cyanide poisoning but Morse is convinced that this is a case of murder, not suicide. When a second prominent member of the syndicate is killed, Morse looks to the other members for the murderer. What he finds is a maze of deceit and office adultery.
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Morse and Lewis investigate the murder of Harry Josephs, a warden at St. Oswald's church who is found dead immediately after a church service. The initial focus is on a tramp who attended the service but the autopsy reveals that Josephs died of an overdose of morphine. When others who attended the same service are killed - including the vicar Lionel Pawlin, the church organist Paul Morris, his 12 year old son and Harry Josephs' wife Brenda - Morse suspect that everyone who attended that particular service is in danger. However, the solution to the case revolves around deceit and mistaken identity.
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Morse and Lewis investigate the death of Laura Poindexter, an American tourist who is part of an exclusive tour group visiting Oxford. Missing from her personal effects is her jewelry, including the Wolvercote Tongue which she was going to donate to the Ashmolean Museum. The pathologist determines that she died of natural causes, but Morse feels there's something not quite right. The mystery deepens when Theodore Kemp, the Ashmolean's expert on the Wolvercote Tongue, is found dead and Mrs. Poindexter's husband goes missing.
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Morse and Lewis investigate the disappearance of teenager Valerie Craven who vanished some six months previously while walking home from her exclusive girls school. Morse is the third detective assigned to the case and is convinced that the girl is by now dead. However, the girl's parents receive a note, purportedly from Valerie. Suspicion falls on a number of people, including fellow students, men named in her diary and some of the teachers at her school. When one of the teachers is killed, the missing persons enquiry becomes a murder investigation.
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Morse is pressed into service when, while attending a college dinner for an eclectic group of foreign summer students, a Japanese member of the group suddenly excuses himself and a short time later is found brutally murdered in his room. There are any number of suspects, several of whom had bad experiences with the Japanese during World War II and at least one student that is clearly not what he claims to be. When traces of drugs are found on the Japanese student's clothing the drug squad is now involved. But when a second member of the group is murdered, Morse is convinced that this is far more than a simple case of drug smuggling gone awry.
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Morse and Lewis investigate the murder of a young woman, Sylvia Kane, found dead in a pub car park. She was last seen at a bus stop asking for the times of the bus to Woodstock and was to meet as friend at the same pub where she was found. She had accepted a lift from someone in a red car and the police find an envelope on the dead girl addressed to Jennifer Coleby, a co-worker. This leads Morse to uncover a complex set of social inter-relationships and eventually, the girl's killer.
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The disappearance of Sir Julius Hanbury - and the theft of several of his erotic paintings - provide a new puzzle for Morse to solve. Assisted by DS Lewis, Morse interviews everyone at Hanbury House and it is in the course of searching the grounds that he finds Sir Julius' body, appropriately enough, in the family mausoleum. The pathologist notes that he was the victim of a frenzied attack but the lack of blood at scene leaves the police to conclude that he murdered elsewhere. Sir Julius was a candidate to become the Master of an Oxford college and was known to have a have had a bitter rivalry with another candidate for the position. When Roger Meadows, a friend of the Hanbury's au pair, is killed in a car accident, Morse concludes that that he too was murdered. Jealousy, revenge and greed all play part in the deaths.
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When a decapitated body is found in the canal, the police must first identify the victim. The Master of an Oxford college, Sir Alexander Reece, contacts his old friend Morse to obtain assistance in locating the Deputy Master, David Kerridge, who is now four days overdue from his planned return to college. Kerridge is found battered to death in his London flat but oddly, it's also determined that the body in the canal was wearing one of Kerridge's suits. Morse and Lewis conclude that the headless body is that of Nicholas Balarat, a member of Reece's college and a senior civil servant who may have denied Reece an important appointment. However, another murder at the college sends the detectives in an altogether different direction.
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Morse and Lewis investigate the death of Anthony Donn who is attending an old boys cricket match at his Oxford college in advance of the team going on a European tour. Morse knew him and had actually met him again not long before his death. The death looks like a suicide, but Morse has his doubts. So does his wife Kate, who is surprised to learn that her husband carried a loaded gun. Lewis goes undercover and joins the cricket team. He learns there is at least one couple, the Fosters, staying at the college who may not be who they claim to be. When a second murder occurs at the cricket grounds, Morse learns the true nature of the Fosters stay at the college and begins to unravel the mystery.
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Morse and Lewis investigate the death of Michael Gifford a successful architect who was strangled while sitting in his vehicle in a multi-level car park. As they look into his background, they find he was an egotist who had affairs with several women and had employees who are either indifferent to or devastated at his death. There are several suspects including Brian Pierce, who was re-directing company funds for his own use, Rosemary Henderson, with whom he was having an affair and her husband George who is dying of liver failure. In the end, Morse uncovers a clever deception that finally puts them on the path to identifying the killer.
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Morse and Lewis investigate the death of Dr. Julian Dear, a senior fellow at an Oxford college. Dear was to participate in a debate on the evening of his death, where he was headed when attacked, suffered a fatal heart attack during what appeared to be a mugging. The College's Master, Matthew Copley-Barnes comes upon a young man leaning over the body of Dear, and the young man pushes the Master aside in his escape. Morse soon learns that Copley-Barnes has been receiving strange packages, and also that the College has large investments in Corby International, a major bio-agricultural/chemical firm. These facts and the interest of a well-known journalist, Sylvie Maxton, writing an article about the Master leads Morse to a complex cover up of scientific information as well as the discovery of a long-hidden tragedy.
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Trevor Radford, Managing Director of the family's Radford Breweries, is found murdered in the brewery. He had been working late one evening mounting a defense against an unwelcome takeover attempt from a rival brewery. There appear to be some disagreement in the family as to whether they should sell out. His brother Stephen, an entrepreneur in his own right, thought the time had come to rid themselves of a losing proposition but their father would like to maintain the family tradition that now spans 150 years. Morse and Lewis learn that Trevor's wife was having an affair with Stephen, so there is always the possibility that there this is a crime of passion rather than greed.They also learn of a long ago claim against the business' assets.
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Morse and Lewis investigate the death of Jackie Thorn who was found bound and stabbed in her flat. The murder is a carbon copy of one that occurred 27 days previously and they assume both were committed by the same man. The team is joined by Sgt. Siobhan Maitland, a expert in crimes against women. In the course of the investigation, they find that both women had purchased their cars from the same dealer and Morse becomes convinced that the owner, Jeremy Boynton, is the culprit. When they find a third assault victim who survived an attack some 5 years previously, Morse is more convinced than ever. The only thing now is that Morse needs evidence, provided he has the right man of course.
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Morse finds himself the subject of a murder investigation when his friend, Beryl Newsome, is murdered at a rehearsal of the Magic Flute and he foolishly touches the murder weapon. Morse is suspended and DCI Bottomley, with DS Lewis assisting him, is put in charge of the case. Morse feels that he was set-up and looks to his past to see who, among the many criminals he arrested, might now be setting about seeking revenge. When someone scratches masonic symbols all over his car and he is reported for erratic driving, Morse wonders if Masons may somehow be involved. When a large number of his personal items are found in Beryl's apartment, Morse is placed under arrest.
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Deputy Assistant Commissioner Charlie Hillian is killed on the night of his retirement party. Hillian was at one time a senior officer in Oxford and was in fact Morse's boss. He was also writing a book about his most memorable cases, including one about the unsolved death of an 8-year-old girl some 18 years ago. The suspect in that case, Frederick Redpath, was at Hillian's house the day he died and that chapter from the manuscript is missing. There are other suspects however, including Hillian's ghost writer who will now receive all of the book's royalties; a handyman who was working on the property; and Redpath's daughter, who knew the little girl who was killed all those years before. Morse comes into conflict with with a colleague DCI Dawson, who was one of Hillian's protégés, as they again look into the little girl's death.
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Victoria Hazlett is a brilliant student who aspired to the priesthood in the Anglican Church. When she collapses and dies during an exam, the post-mortem reveals that she was likely poisoned, but the pathologist can't quite identify one of the substances found in her system. Victoria was a member of a group that advocated women priests and ran a shelter for women who required assistance in their life. Several members of the group feel that an anti-womens' group led by the Reverend Geoffrey Boyd is responsible, but there is little evidence. There is a link to a nearby weight loss clinic. Morse is quite attracted to one of the women in the group but is taken aback when he learns she lied to him about her whereabouts the night before Victoria died.
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Harry Field is found dead having fallen, or been pushed, off a bridge. As they look into the case, Morse and Lewis learn that Harry was a bit of a character, something of a bohemian and an artist who did a lot of art restoration and cleaning. His wife Helen hadn't seen him for a week, but this wasn't unusual for their relationship. Morse develops a liking for Harry and his sense of humor. Although Harry wasn't much of a painter in his own right, he may have been involved in art forgery scheme. Lewis decides the time has come for him to seek promotion to Inspector and seeks Morse's endorsement.
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Morse and Lewis investigate when Nicos, the chef from a local Greek restaurant, is found murdered. He had been in England for 6 months and they initially learn little about him other than he was well liked and had no enemies. They eventually learn that he had previously been in England as a sous-chef for Digby Tuckerman, a wheeler dealer whose hotel went bankrupt and is now hoping to open a series of marine theme parks. Morse seeks the advice of Randall Rees a scholarly expert on ancient Greek ships and learns that he too was recently in Greece as the organizer of a symposium on ancient Greek maritime vessels. When Nicos' sister is also killed, Morse must determine who would want them both dead.
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When the case against the Abingdon gang comes under scrutiny, Morse and Lewis must travel to Australia to locate their prime informant who was resettled there with his entire family in exchange for the information he provided the police. When they get there, they find the informant, Kenny Stone (now known as Mike Harding), is somewhat difficult to pin down. When they learn that someone in Mike's family subscribes to a newspaper from home, they fear that members of his old gang may also be looking for him. When Harding's daughter is kidnapped, they have two people to find, but not surprisingly Morse and the local constabulary knock heads from the outset. What Morse learns about the original convictions, however, turns the entire case on its head.
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Henry Fallon, who is wheelchair bound and is suffering from a neurological disorder, apparently commits suicide and Morse has mixed feelings working on this case as he was once engaged to the dead man's wife, Susan Fallon. The body was found by his son-in-law Peter Rhodes, a local antiques dealer and the victim's wife was in London. When Fallon's doctor advises Morse that Henry didn't have the physical capability to hold a gun to his head, the police realize they may have a murder on their hands. When the police are told that the business arrangement between Fallon and Rhodes had fallen apart, they also have a suspect. Lewis is concerned that Morse is too close to Mrs. Fallon to be objective but in the end, the perpetrators are identified.
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Morse and Lewis investigate the murder of wealthy industrialist Sir John Balcombe. There is little love lost in the Balcombe family and no great remorse when Sir John is found dead, obviously bludgeoned to death. The dead man's wife and two sons all seem worried about other things. To Morse's annoyance, there is a great deal of media coverage, some of it quite personal. He also comes under pressure from his superior, Chief Supt. Alun Armstrong, to produce results. When a second murder occurs on the Balcombe estate, Morse begins to focus on the family's history and learns that Mrs. Balcombe has a little known secret in her past.
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Morse and Lewis find themselves in Vicenza, Italy looking into the death of May Lawrence who was killed while attending a psychotherapy clinic there. The clinic is run by Russell Clark, a convicted fraudster who is well known to Morse and the British authorities. Morse is particularly enjoying the trip, all the more so when he learns that one of the patients at the clinic is Nicole Burgess, a well-known opera singer. What Morse learns suggests fraud in the selling of counterfeit rare manuscripts but the culprits are anything but obvious. As well, the link to May Lawrence's death remains elusive.
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Lawrence Cryer is a fraudster serving a sentence in a minimum security prison.The initial cause of death was thought to be a heart attack but the autopsy reveals he was struck down. Cryer was one of three businessmen who had defrauded millions from would be investors. His fellow fraudsters, Alex Bailey and Brian Thornton, are serving their sentences in the same prison. Cryer's young widow is now having an affair with Thornton's son and Bailey continues to engage in financial planning of some sort. Morse believes that the three must have salted some money abroad but is having difficulty finding the evidence. When a second fraudster collapses from an overdose of heart medication, Morse focuses on those who lost money in the investment scheme but the answer lies elsewhere.
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Personal tragedy strikes as Morse's niece, Marilyn Garrett, commits suicide. Morse was very fond of her and had hopes that she would accomplish many of the things he had not done in his life. While Morse is away on personal leave, Lewis is studying for his inspector's exams and is temporarily assigned to Chief Inspector Holroyd, a by-the-book type of officer. They investigate the death of a young man who had been walking in a tunnel and was struck and killed by a train. When Morse and Lewis are reteamed, they see similarities in the cases and look into the possibility of drug use at all-night dance parties in the area.
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Dr. Mathew Brewster's suicide takes a particular twist when the pathologist determines that he had also been bound and gagged. The Brewsters, both medical doctors, ran a private clinic and their son John, who lived at home, is doctoral candidate in philosophy. One possible suspect is Michael Steppings who threatened the Brewsters and their nurse after his daughter suffered severe side-effects and is now in a vegetative state from a botched operation two years previously. The forensics lab determines that one of Steppings's threatening letters was altered and Morse learns that Brewster may at one time been having an affair, so he must consider another possible motive for murder.
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When John Peter Barrie escapes from a maximum security mental institution, the police assign all available resources to finding him. Barrie is a dangerous sex offender known as the Devil's Disciple. Morse is assisted by Barrie's psychiatrist, Dr. Esther Martin. Barrie contacts Morse and they begin a deadly game of cat and mouse. When Morse refuses to play the game Barrie's way, the madman kidnaps a woman and demands that Dr. Martin be held for a future exchange. As the investigation proceeds, Morse believes Barrie has accomplices in the area but after a local cultist is killed, he realizes he has been looking in wrong direction all along.
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Neville Grimshaw is found shot on the banks of the river and Morse has another case to solve. Grimshaw was an investigative journalist looking into the business dealings of a major Oxford University benefactor, Andrew Baydon. When opera diva Gladys Probert is shot during an academic procession, witnessed by Morse and Lewis, the police wonder if the bullet was meant for Baydon. Both Probert and Baydon were tyrannical with their staffs and families and they both clearly had enemies. The case becomes more complex when they discover that the victims were shot with two different guns. The resolution of the case revolves around a dark secret involving one of the principals.
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Steven Parnell, who was accused of murdering a number young girls the previous summer, is killed while in prison awaiting trial. Morse had not been involved in the case as he was on leave during most of that investigation. What piques Morse's interest is that one of the victims, Karen Anderson, was never found and it is assumed that her body was dumped in a nearby lake but Parnell confessed to his priest on his deathbed that he wasn't responsible for that particular murder. When one of the witnesses in the case, George Daly, is murdered, Morse and Lewis try to find some connection to Anderson's disappearance. They also wonder why Anderson's camera - she was an avid photographer - wasn't found. What they come across is a group of middle-aged men whose hobby is taking so-called glamour photos. The case takes an interesting twist when the body they do find in the woods isn't Anderson's, but a middle-aged male. Morse realizes that he got the whole thing wrong and the cause of the murder lies elsewhere.
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Felix McClure, an Oxford University professor, is stabbed to death in his college study. Not only was he an expert in his field but he was one of the University's key fund-raisers. The investigation focuses on Brooks, a one-time cleaner for McClure who quit his college job abruptly after a student, Mathew Rodway, jumped out of a college window high on drugs. When Morse learns that Brooks' daughter was the object of affection for both Rodway and another student, he has another possible suspect. Brooks' wife also worked for one of McClure's friends and Morse uncovers a conspiracy that he may not be able to prove.
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Rachel James is shot through her kitchen window while having breakfast early one morning. She was having an affair with Dr. Julian Storrs, an Oxford professor who is a candidate for Master of Lonsdale College. When her next door neighbor is also killed however, Morse determines that the shooting of James may have been in error. Morse also suspects that he may have been a blackmailer. Both Storrs an his rival for the Masters position, Denis Cornford had secrets that would make them suspects. Morse determines that several others also had things to hide and any one of them could have committed the murders.
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Morse is taken seriously ill at an opening of an exhibition of old judicial practices at a museum and is hospitalized. Supt. Strange pushes Morse to take early retirement. An attractive scientist, who had a speech at the opening of the exhibition, brings her book on a 140 year-old case known as the Oxford Canal Murders to the hospital for Morse to read. The case involved the murder and rape of a young woman traveling by canal boat from Coventry to London. Two men were hanged for the crime. Morse starts reading the book, dreams about it, and decides to re-open the investigation. With Lewis away at the Inspectors course, Morse manages to borrow a fast-track university graduate PC Adrian Kershaw to help him.
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A year after her murder, the police re-open the case of Yvonne Harrison when they receive an anonymous letter implicating a burglar, Harry Repp, who is about to be released from prison. Supt. Strange assigns the case to DS Lewis, who is chafing at the bit awaiting his promotion to Inspector. Morse has been ill and has only just returned to work. He steps on Lewis' toes by involving himself in the case, but as the body count rises, Morse finds himself in charge of investigating a woman who had many affairs with many different men. When he learns that the dead men were in possession of large amount of cash, he suspects they were blackmailing her murderer.
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