- During the Christmas days Barnaby has to solve an explosion as well as a number of murders near a freight company while trying to cope with his acting CS who has very strong beliefs about teamwork.
- In the run-up to Christmas, Barnaby and Jones find themselves, thanks to their very young 'wonder boy' chief superintendent, on a team-building exercise at the local Territorial Army Centre, run by Matt Parkes. Colonel Parkes is a highly respected man, unlike his womanizing waster of a son, Jamie, who is hated by all,even Caroline, his grand-mother, whose daughter died giving birth to him. Especially bitter is Penny Galsworthy,wife of another T.A. officer and garage owner Tim, whose daughter killed herself after being impregnated by Jamie, and she stalks him obsessively. George Barkham, another soldier, missed out on being promoted to a partnership at Matt Parkes' haulage firm, thanks to Jamie, who is also black-mailing George's daughter. The Parkes' yard is torched, causing an explosion and a watch-man almost killed. Then a criminal associate of Jamie and Jamie himself both meet their maker in quick succession. Ultimately Barnaby has the sad duty of arresting somebody who has rid the community of a waste of space after several days of misrule.—don @ minifie-1
- DCI Barnaby and DS Jones find themselves on an outdoor team-building workshop run by their new Chief Superintendent John Cotton. They're spending the day at a local Territorial Army training facility and are soon on the job when a truck explode at the nearby Parkes family freight company. Col. Matt Parkes, who commands the facility at which Barnaby and Jones just spent the day, owns the company and runs it with his son James. The authorities conclude that the explosion was not an accident. The security guard, Don Mitchinson, was conveniently called away to answer the telephone otherwise he could have been killed or severely injured. Jones was at school with James Parkes and doesn't think very highly of him. Nor do many of the locals, who all have their reasons for disliking him, making him the most likely target. Barnaby isn't so sure however. When they find a dead body in the river, later identified as Alec Granger, another clue is found. A third murder finally sets them in the right direction.—garykmcd
- Ben is initially amused, Tom instantly appalled that the young chief superintendent ad interim John Cotton drags them along on a team building event during Advent, organized in a wood by the Territorial Army (military reserve), which normally runs initiations for potential Army recruits. Theire colonel, Matt Parkes, also runs a trucking firm with his dodgy, womanizer son James, Ben's former schoolmate, who barely escapes injury while 'entertaining' a girl in his homely-converted barn while the trucks shed explodes by timer bomb. The security guard, Don Mitchinson, was ably distracted by James, who involved his son, trucker Dale, in an exclusive cars smuggling business, as well as Tim Galsworthy's car mechanic team. Decompsing gasses made float in the river o metal box containing the corpse of dodgy outsider Alec Granger. Barnaby's team must untangle various family, business and romantic ties to crack the case and prove Cotton's fashionable 'processes optimization' is a waste of time.—KGF Vissers
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