After dinosaur fossils are discovered in the foothills of Brokenwood, the town buzzes about the potential boost for tourism; but when a paleontologist turns up dead, the future doesn't look so rosy.

A writers retreat on a picturesque estate generates ample inspiration when the mentor, Dame Audrey McKinnon, is found deceased, floating under a nearby waterfall.

Brokenwood's favorite dentist, Sonny Lyman, is the subject of Jools Fahey's amorous attentions; Jools becomes a prime suspect when Sonny's wife is found gassed in an oven.

The House of Screams, a local scare attraction, becomes the venue for an actual murder when a teenager is found with a sickle through his neck.

While a visiting theatrical troupe puts on a nativity play at St. Judas, a precious holy relic goes missing, and the actor playing Jesus is killed.