DI Kate Ashurst and DS Emma Scribbins investigate the mysterious death of affluent party girl Nikki Pengelly. Her distraught fiancé Ralph blames Nikki's besotted ex-husband Gavin but the investigation leads the detectives to the Applejacks dating agency, run by Redmond Appleby and his wife Maxine and a back-to-school disco. Then Ralph's bitter ex-girlfriend Hazel goes missing.

One of the owners of Middleford's private golf club – womaniser Charlie Egan – is found dead, in handcuffs, in the swimming pool on his raucous stag night. The old boys network interferes as DI Kate Ashurst and DS Emma Scribbins line up suspects including stripper Shelley Simon Weaver, Charlie's business partner and club manager Grace Bailey who was besotted with Charlie.