The newly promoted Detective Sergeant Morse investigates when a famous international thief tries to steal a Faberge egg from an auction. The case leads to the gruesome murders of an academic and a gangster, and Morse is convinced the deaths are the work of the same man. As he struggles with his new responsibilities, he finds himself forced to mentor a younger partner.

Hollywood glamour comes to Oxford as the stars of a new horror movie sequel begin filming in the city. Meanwhile, the unexplained poisoning of a former detective sergeant leads Endeavour and Thursday to a local cinema, which is playing host the film's stars in a special event.

The railway takes centre stage as Endeavour investigates the disappearance of a local woman - with initial fears linking it to the unsolved murder of a teenager, killed several years earlier. Endeavour puts the missing woman's last known movements under scrutiny, while Thursday is absorbed in the investigation of a lorry hijack which he suspects is linked to local gangster Eddie Nero. The murder investigation takes a surprising turn when a woman's body is discovered, but Endeavour notices anomalies at the murder scene which point away from the cold case theory. Meanwhile, Cowley is disrupted by the arrival of two rough-and-ready burglary squad officers, also investigating the lorry hijack, who commandeer Fancy for their plans. Soon stumbling on a potential informant, Fancy is thwarted when his new lead is violently killed. The discovery of another body uncovers a clue that blows the case of the missing woman wide open - and leads to an unlikely culprit.

A photo-shoot on an army base turns sinister when one of the models is found dead. But the investigation is complicated when Sam Thursday is revealed to be involved.

An assassination attempt at an international sporting event opens a new case for Endeavour and Thursday, but their investigation is quickly brought to an unexpected end.

After the mysterious disappearance of a teacher, Endeavour finds himself investigating the dark and secret world of a public school.