Morseistakenseriouslyillatamuseumreceptionandishospitalized.Inthehospital,Supt.Strange,visitsMorsetopushhimtotakeearlyretirement,whileDr.Millicent'Millie'VanBurengiveshimherbookona140year-oldcourtcaseknownastheOxfordCanalMurders.Thecaseinvolvedthemurderandrapeofayoungwoman,MrsJoannaFranks,travelingbycanalboatfromCoventrytoLondon.Thecaseresultedinthreeboatmenbeingsentencedtodeathandtwoofthemhanged.MorsestartstoreadMillie'sbookanddreamsaboutit.Hesoonhasanumberofproblemswiththecase. Whyweren'tthethreemenalsochargedwiththeftWhydidMrsFrankstakeaboatinsteadofatrainthatwasmuchfasterandcomfortableandonlyslightlymoreexpensiveWhydidn'tsheabandontheboataftershecomplainedaboutlewdbehaviorofthecrewattheshippingofficeinBanburyWhydidshethendrinkand'socialise'withthecrewWhathappenedtoher'carpetbag'withwhichshearrivedontheboatbutwhichwasnotmentionedinthecourtcase,norwasitstoredinthearchiveswithher,almostempty,trunkThetrunkwasmarkedwithinitialsofherfirsthusbandwhohaddied.Howdidithappenthathershoeswerefoundontheboatbutnobodysawherreturntotheboatfromtheforest PCAdrianKershawdoessomebrilliantlegworkforMorse.Hestudiedhistoryandhasinvaluablebackgroundknowledge.Forinstance,hementionsthattheboatmenhadbadreputationbecausetheyworkedonSundaysanddidnotattendchurch.LaterachapelwasbuiltfortheminOxford. Thedeadwoman'sclothesandtheshoesfoundontheboataresubmittedtomodernforensicinvestigation.Theresultisthattheshoesdidnotbelongtothedeadwomanfoundinthewaterbecauseshewasmuchtaller.Theshoeswereneverusedintheforest. OnlyMrsFranks'husband,CharlesFranks,wascalledtoidentifythebodyofthedeadwoman.Heclaimedthat,whileherfacewasdarkenedanddisfigured,hefoundabirthmarkbehindherear.Theprosecutorwelcomedthatinformationthatonlyahusbandoraloverwouldknow.Theaccusedwerenotshownthebody.Thedefenseattorneymerelyclaimedthattheguiltofthethreemenwasnotproved.Allthreeaccusedclaimedtotheendthattheywereinnocent.OneofthemwasnotexecutedbecauseheembracedChristianityinprison. MorseinstructsKershawtoinvestigateifCharlesFranksbenefitedfromhiswife'sdeathand,indeed,hepocketed300poundsinsurancemoney.CaseclosedCharlesFranksmurderedatallwomenanddroppedherinthecanalaftermeetingJoannaintheforest.IfJoannaFranksjumpedofftheboatatthesametimeasthedeadbodyhitthewater,sheswamtothebankandjoinedherhusband.Thecouplechangedtheirnames,inthecaseof'CharlesFranks'asecondtimeafterhe'died'asJoanna'sfirsthusband.Thefourthboatman,ayoungsterwhowasnotcharged,wasprobablypaidbyJoannatogivefalsetestimony. MorsetravelstoIrelandandhasagraveofJoanna'sfirsthusbandexhumed.Thecoffincontainsbagsofsandandsomestones.
戴维德·迪格斯,詹妮弗·康纳利,肖恩·宾,艾莉森·赖特,罗温·布兰查德,克拉克·格雷格,迈克·奥麦利,希拉·凡德,伊多·戈德堡,米奇·萨姆纳,迈克尔·阿伦诺夫,罗伯托厄宾纳,切尔西·哈里斯,凯蒂·麦吉尼斯,莉娜·霍尔,弗雷泽·艾奇逊,山姆·奥图,Mako Ibrahim
诺曼·瑞杜斯,Gilbert Glenn Brown,埃文特·斯特朗,克蕾曼丝·波西,亚当·那加提斯,安娜·沙利耶,罗曼·勒维,La?ka Blanc-Francard,Louis Puech Scigliuzzi,O'Brien Alex