While a fun run for charity is taking place at the Grange, Mrs Peacock's new fiancé is the centre of attention - and this is even more so when it transpires that the Count was not quite who he claimed to be. But who killed him?
A local landowner has a scheme for filling in the Arlington village pond to build a night club. The ""Stop the Disco!"" action group is to see him at the Grange to confront him with its objections, but there is a fatal turn of events...
For three years in a row, Elizabeth Peacock and Vivienne Scarlet have triumphed in the Arlington Bridge Trophy Competition. With the aim of dethroning the champions, Professor Plum brings in his acquaintances the Hopes, a pair of card-sharps. However, the Hopes become too hopeful of immediate hard cash, and one of them goes suddenly to an early reward in the great beyond.
Elizabeth Peacock has invited Peregrine Talbot-Wheeler (an expert on art and the presenter of a television programme about antiques) to value some of her possessions. In his last few seconds on earth, did Peregrine get a brief chance to conduct his final assessment on a Billiard Cue, an Antique Pistol, a Sword, a Bow Tie, or a curious Paperweight?
The local Member of Parliament has died, and Mrs Peacock hosts a wake at Arlington Grange. Michael Mustard and Peter Plum's employer, Chapman, are among those bidding to be selected for the vacant parliamentary seat. Chapman quickly begins to indulge himself in a little blackmail in pursuit of victory, and his demise is surely no great mystery...
At a Fete at the Grange, an unidentified visitor in a dragon-suit is found to be Kirkbride, Elizabeth Peacock's private detective - but what was he doing there and why did sudden death arrive under his very nose?
Simon Charles, a financial advisor, persuaded those at the Grange to put money into a deal that has gone spectacularly wrong. Fortunately, Simon didn't lose money himself. His advice now is that he can offer a way for his friends to recoup their losses - but, of course, they will need to invest more money first... Scarlet's virtue (or what's left of it, anyway) may be at stake, as a result of her losses. Green has secretly lost £20,000 which Mrs Peacock gave him for a church restoration project. Mrs White risked her life savings on the first deal and now has nothing left for the second. Plum, meanwhile, discovers that Simon's deal is connected with computer software stolen from him. Which of these, then, is the motive for Simon's murder?
After a string of thefts from the Grange, George Biddle comes to call, in connection with Mrs Peacock's insurance claim. Who is the thief? And, indeed, was anything really stolen? A number of other issues come to the surface. There are obscurities about an insurance claim on the late Mr Peacock's death. Biddle, an old friend of Colonel Mustard's, had promised him a directorship but had not delivered. It seems that Green had made a suspicious claim for some supposedly missing candlesticks, while Biddle also knew that Scarlet had sold a valuable bronze and put a modern copy in its place. And did Mrs White really set fire to the last house she worked in?The real mystery is surely that Biddle managed to survive for more than five minutes at Arlington Grange.
Actress Marieanne Kray and producer Toby Taylor are at Arlington Grange to make a film about its former owner, George Velares. Several residents know Toby or Marieanne (under her real name, Maisie Medford). Scarlet has been deceived into a ""casting couch"" affair with Toby, believing she had been offered the role in the Velares film which he in fact gave to Marieanne... Mustard knew Velares and now understands how he died. Marieanne and Elizabeth Peacock were once in a theatre company together, and Elizabeth believes Marieanne poisoned her to get a leading role from her... while Peter Plum thinks Marieanne stole his film script on the story of Velares. Marieanne, meanwhile, is thinking of writing her memoirs, in which she plans to tell all about an old affair with Jonathan Green. Who is the murderer, and why?
Before a charity auction at the Grange, a window cleaner is found eavesdropping. Ben is in fact a private eye brought in by Elizabeth Peacock to detect a sneak thief. Ben is soon dead. Who killed him?Scarlet knew Ben had searched her bedroom - but what did he find in her drawers? ... Mrs White was the petty thief at the Grange, and Ben had found her hoard... Elizabeth Peacock and Michael Mustard were overheard by the detective talking about a lost masterpiece they had found among the charity auction lots and hoped to buy for next to nothing, and Ben had wanted a piece of the action... He had previously investigated the disappearance of £5,000 from the local church, in which Jonathan Green may have been implicated... Peter Plum had reason to believe Ben had fathomed the mystery of the missing Old People's Holiday Fund...
Hippy travellers have camped in Michael Mustard's field next to Arlington's parish church, putting banners on the church roof and causing a swift collapse in local property values. Meanwhile, Vivienne Scarlet has fallen heavily for Dave, the travellers' leader, bringing him up to the Grange, where he finds both love and peace - the latter of a decidedly permanent nature. But is Dave (or, rather, was he) who he claimed to be?
The long-lost Jack Peacock turns up unexpectedly from Bolivia, but not for long.
A stranger, Gordon Ferrar, arrives at Arlington Grange with an injury, but very soon is suffering no more.
A psychic medium, Miss Terry, is summoned to Arlington Grange to rid it of evil spirits. She is perhaps not quite the real thing, and one of the regulars quickly sends her on a permanent visit to the Other Side.
Who killed Max Gold? And was it with a mallet, a stocking, an arrow, a fossil, a meat cleaver, or a poker?
Sister Concepta, a nun visiting the Grange, goes to meet her maker. Not surprisingly, there is no shortage of motives on hand for killing the sister in god - with a spear, a shotgun, a cake knife, a parasol, a paperweight, or, just conceivably, a corkscrew.
This week's murder victim is David Stringer, a visiting author who was a little too interested in Arlington Grange and its inhabitants.
Despite arriving on his cue, Clive Moxton becomes the late Clive Moxton.
Jake Swithin visits the Grange and falls foul of all the usual suspects. This week's weapons are: walking stick, dagger, lady's scarf, steak hammer, wine-bottle and sword.
Sir Nigel Hussey magnificently lives up to his name, but expires less elegantly. The possible weapons lying around the house are: flame thrower, G-string, golf club, poisonous snake, crossbow and automatic pistol.
Candice Costello quickly becomes one of the show's most beautiful murder victims to date. But was she done in with a fire poker, a battery charger, a pair of scissors, a meat cleaver, an ice-pick or a poisoned fountain pen? And which of several plausible motives caused someone to snap?
Marjorie Hunt, an old friend of Mrs White, comes to stay at the Grange. Unfortunately for her, she is a psychic and unwisely gives a Tarot card reading for some of the regulars on the evening of her arrival... Miss Scarlett has damaged her car that afternoon, and Mrs Hunt knows all about it - and maybe more. Green is having an affair with a married woman in the village. Mrs Peacock is preparing to burn down the Grange for the insurance money. Mustard feels guilty about a little matter of some missing army property. Plum's latest invention has got him into hot water. And Mrs White has a dark secret. All too predictably, Mrs Hunt does not live to see the next morning.
After Mrs White inherits a small fortune, all the Grange's inhabitants start treating her rather differently. Then city slicker Terence Radcliffe persuades her to put all her money into a dud deal.Weapons: garden hoe, corkscrew, shotgun, sculpture, carving knife and decanter-stopper.
Journalist Daniel Peacock arrives at the Grange to write a book about a former royal resident, and several people still around feel threatened and are determined to stop him... so Daniel's death comes as no surprise. But who killed him, and was it with a dagger, a cheese-wire, a snooker triangle, a broken glass, a kitchen knife or a microphone?
Richard Forrest is Mrs Peacock's guest for Christmas dinner. His father, a retired judge, is the previous owner of Arlington Grange, and Richard hopes to get the estate back for himself. It transpires that several of those present have appeared in the dock before Judge Forrest, and Forrest Junior has blackmail in mind. A dead body, predictably, is soon discovered - but it isn't Forrest's, it's the body of Ken, the chauffeur. All must soon be revealed...