When Bentham DeQuetteville falls to his death from the roof of Quitewell Hall after seeing a headless horseman, his aristocratic family seem more concerned about their forthcoming Civil War re-enactment than the incident. As DCI Barnaby and DS Jones try to find out the truth behind the ghostly figure, their investigation uncovers shocking secrets about the DeQuettevilles.

DCI Barnaby and DS Jones investigate the murder of amateur astronomer Jeremy Harper, who was struck on the head with a piece of meteorite on an outing on Moonstone Ridge with the Midsomer Stanton Astronomical Society to observe a total eclipse of the sun.