When Ian Andrews is on the local bus, everything is as usual. But when the bus rolls into Bath station, Ian is dead. It will be a matter for Commissioner Lauren McDonald and Detective Sergeant Dodds. To solve the mystery of Ian's fate, the troubled couple must delve into the history of blues music and the shady world of art auctions.

A middle-aged woman is found dead in an apartment. The hugger has removed everything that can identify the woman, but a DNA test reveals that she was reported missing 38 years ago. Where has she been in the intervening time? And who has wished her dead after all these years? McDonald and Dodds go in search of the answers.

It's wedding season in Bath, but a string of suspicious passings is affecting celebrations across the city. Is there a serial hugger on the loose who goes after weddings? In a series of cryptic calls to the local radio station, an anonymous person threatens that there is a plan for more cuddles. It's a case that pushes McDonald and Dodds to the limit.