As Goodman buys a boat Dan Hagen, wealthy philanthropist and oceanographic leader of a diving party, is shot on board his yacht whilst the four members of his group are all underwater and in each other's sight. Goodman is puzzled by the appearance of a toy soldier next to the corpse and learns, not only that Dan's ex-spouse and current trophy wife are in the party though apparently friends, but that Dan's colleague Sam Blake had argued with him over a professional matter and student Jonathan Taylor was a drug smuggler Dan exposed. Taylor is arrested but ultimately the toy soldier gives Goodman the clue to the way the murder was carried out.

Outgoing island governor Caroline Bamber is poisoned after accepting a drink from Commissioner Patterson at her leaving party but Goodman finds an unsigned note in her bag warning that someone was out to kill her. Private secretary Ellery tells Goodman that Caroline was blackmailing president Francois Tromeur over an affair but deputy governor Andy Hamilton and assistant Lucy Preville are also in the frame. Goodman deduces how Caroline was poisoned but has less success finding a girlfriend online.

A fashion show on the beach takes a murderous turn when a model is found strangled with a scarf backstage, moments after leaving the catwalk.

When Dwayne gets a disturbing text message from an old friend after his funeral, the friend turns out to not have died of natural causes, and the suspects are all people Dwayne has known for years.

While his dear aunt is visiting, Humphrey and the others have to find the motive behind the murder of a man who has never been to the island before and who was killed within less than a day of arriving.

Chef Robert Holt is stabbed to death following the launch of his restaurant Le Calmar. His phone and money are missing but not an expensive watch and initially robbery is suspected. His partner Anouk, son Matt, sous chef Dexter and pastry chef Kim all claim to have been in their villa at the time and only his brother Gary, a bankrupt and ex-prisoner has no alibi. A street urchin picked up the phone which he says Robert dropped whilst arguing with Matt and indeed Matt, Dexter, Kim and Anouk all claim that the victim was a bully who controlled all their lives. To solve the murder and a possible conspiracy Goodman is much helped by footage illegally filmed by a customer on the opening night of the restaurant.

Hours after salvaging a huge cache of silver coins from the Santa Anna shipwreck and arguing with rival treasure hunter Newton Farrell Tosh Walker is stabbed to death on Newton's boat and his corpse thrown into the sea. Newton is the prime suspect having cleaned out his boat and possessing the murder weapon, in addition to which Tosh rang his wife Naomi to say Newton had stabbed him. The one piece of the puzzle that fails to fit is that at the time of the murder Newton was seen drinking in a local bar. Naomi tells Goodman Tosh suspected her of infidelity whilst his son Sam is exposed as vying with his father for the rights of the company and crew-man Addison stole some of the coins. One of these people would appear to have framed Newton. Goodman must establish who and why.

Tourist Sian Evans is found dead inside a locked bathroom, having apparently shot herself but Goodman does not believe she committed suicide. She was one of several guests staying at local Astor Henri's hostel, along with boyfriend Griff Morgan, middle-aged writer Perrie Chapman and young Leo Richards. Goodman discovers that Sian had had a fling with Leo and bought ecstasy tablets from Astor, as well as discovering errant wife Perrie's secret. Customarily he assembles all the suspects to denounce Sian's murderer before attending officer JP's wedding and reacquainting himself with visiting former girlfriend Martha.