King's Crystal, a family glassware business in Midsomer Magna, appears to suffer financial meltdown after the death in Shanghai of Alan King, one of its partners. Six months later, his widow Hilary marries his brother Charles, who is now running the company. The firm's accounts executive, Peter Baxter, is found murdered after a break-in at the now-closed factory. The now-redundant staff, led by Jack Tewson, are agitating for compensation for their stolen pensions. Alan's son Ian becomes increasingly moody, sullen and resentful, particularly to his mother Hilary and would-be girlfriend Sophie Baxter, daughter of the accounts executive. Barnaby asks Jones to use his Masonic connection to help the investigation to untangle the firm's financial irregularities. Barnaby is inspired by a performance of Hamlet in which Cully plays Ophelia, to see its parallels with the case.moreless