Trama

The Barnabys plan to renew their wedding vows for their 25th anniversary when Tom is distracted by a murder committed with an Indian sword in Badger's Drift.

Barnaby and Troy investigate the murder of Richard Bailey who is found in his home in Badger's Drift hacked to death. Bailey had recently received bad news from his doctor who informed him that he had a brain tumour. The are many possible suspects, including villagers who oppose Bailey's plan to redevelop a major property, Tye House, into a golf course and residential housing estate and his childhood friend, Ian Eastman, who lost out on an opportunity to develop the new property. Cully Barnaby gets an opportunity to work with Simon Fletcher, a one-time resident of Badger's Drift who is now a well-known director and also happens to be a childhood friend to Eastman and Bailey. When a second murder is committed, the detectives must find a motive that is linked to events some 30 years earlier.—garykmcd

In sleepy forest village Badger's Drift local property developer Richard Bayly. who had recently been diagnosed with a brain tumor, is found by his maid, murdered in his own mansion with an Indian sword, which is found close by and was stolen in a burglary at Stephen Wentworth's vicarage. Barnaby and Troy set out who would want to kill a dying man, whose mansion Tye House was key in a golf course development program, vigorously opposed by a crone who is murdered shortly after, as well as another project party. With many hidden secrets to uncover within the village, such as handyman and gay boy-toy Charlie's adulterous client, the truth finally emerges but not until Cully's drama mentor, director Simon Fletcher, is killed by an arrow, daringly shot during the annual benefit fair for church repairs. It all ties to schoolboy Felix Bryce 's apparent suicide three decades ago.—KGF Vissers

Richard Bayly, a property developer, is found murdered in ghastly fashion - beheaded with an Indian sword. While he was generally well-liked, there's plenty of people with motives. His latest development in Badger's Drift has caused much animosity with the locals and his overlooking of the local real estate agent to sell the property has caused a rift between them.—grantss

Property developer Richard Bayly is found ferociously decapitated with an Indian sword at his home in the village of Badger's Drift, the morning after he had publicly announced at a church meeting that he was dying from a malignant brain tumour.—Anonymous