An unconventional team of homicide detectives face various cases, as led by Tessa Vance and Steve Hayden. Hayden is an often light-hearted 'man's man' who is moving up the career hierarchy, while Vance is more introspective and no-nonsense, and often solves the murder with intuition and insight. Their team includes boss Inspector Malcolm Thorne, Constable Dee Suzeraine, forensic services expert Lance Fisk, and unorthodox doctor Imogen 'Tootsie' Soames.
CreatorsHal McElroy, Jennifer Rowe
Ashes to Ashes
Aug 11, 1997
A man out for an early morning surf gets more than he bargained for when surf blows a corpse out of the water and into his face. It appears to be a routine investigation, natural causes being indicated... but complications arise when Tessa and Steve find they cannot identify the victim, and no-one steps forward to claim him. Surely someone should be missing a well-groomed man in his fifties?
The Burial
Aug 18, 1997
Late night. A voice recites limericks on a moonlit beach. Suddenly, all goes quiet. A grey dawn, and a dog and its owner, the stern Major Richter, make a gruesome discovery - a human head attached to the very dead body of Adrian McCafferty who is buried up to his neck under the sand. Adrian drowned when the tide came in and covered him. Tessa and Steve learn that there was a beach party last night. Adrian was buried as part of a joke. Is his death simply a stupid party prank gone wrong, or is there something more sinister to discover?
Cat and Mouse
Aug 25, 1997
Wheelchair bound Spinner congratulates himself on finishing a piece of artwork by pouring a cold beer and logging on to his favourite internet games forum. His pleasure is short lived, however, as a shadow falls across him and a lead pipe takes him out of the game... permanently. Tessa and Steve arrive on the scene to find the killer has taken the time to send the message ""Spinner Resigns"" over the internet to the victim's games partner. The murder takes on new importance when Dee reveals she knows the victim. While Dee tries to come to terms with her friend's murder, Steve and Tessa struggle to put together the pieces of the puzzle.
Dead Clean
Sep 1, 1997
While investigating a series of bizarre murders, Steve and Tessa are drawn to the local community centre, a drop in for former mental patients. With a handful of suspects, but no real clues, Steve and Tessa must race against the clock to find the killer before he strikes again.
Who Killed Cock Robin?
Sep 8, 1997
To the outside world former football star Robin Cochrane was a picture of charm, but when he is found poisoned by a chemical solvent, Tessa and Steve are forced to put together a picture of the not so pleasant private life of Robin Cochrane.
Hot Shot
Sep 15, 1997
When Maddie Herman, a paparazzi photographer who made her living out of the gossip and innuendo of the lives of others is found murdered, Steve and Tessa have no shortage of suspects. But when the case takes a sudden twist, Steve and Tessa realise that someone is leading them on a merry chase, until the trail leads the team back to a very surprising suspect.
Black Friday
Sep 22, 1997
Steve and Tessa are called in to solve the murder of Trevor Parkin, his body was found one Friday afternoon in a zoo - he was wearing a gorilla costum. The more they discover about the deceased, the deeper the mystery, and although all the witnesses are helpful, there is no suspect, and no clear motive..or is there?
Last Stop
Sep 29, 1997
Abel Jago sits dead in an armchair before his valuable toy railway, on which the train of cars make their rounds. The railway engineer left a short farewell letter to his wife Ellie before committing suicide. Tessa however soon has doubts about Jagos suicide and when the autopsy results come in, it is revealed he was poisoned with cyanide.
Something Wicked
Oct 6, 1997
Tessa and Steve are confronted with a conspiracy of silence while investigating the death of a man with a history of abuse.
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Oct 13, 1997
Steve and Tessa are baffled when former football star Wayne Pascall is found stabbed to death in a lift, with a missing woman's handbag next to his body.
Dead and Gone
Oct 20, 1997
When Krystyan Balzan is found dead at the bottom of the stairs in his house, Steve and Tessa believe he came home unexpectedly and disturbed a robbery in progress.
Wages of Sin
Oct 27, 1997
Steve and Tessa investigate the death of a woman found in an area notorious for prostitutes. When they learn the woman was a pregnant nun and not a prostitute, their investigation takes a new turn.
An Eye for an Eye
Nov 3, 1997
When a mummified body is found in an empty house, it is identified as that of Karen Diskin, the daughter of police inspector Snowy Muldoon, who went missing two years earlier.
Blood Heat
Nov 10, 1997
The brutal murder of a video store owner initially appears to be linked to a protest demonstration until other suspects emerge.
Fall From Grace
Nov 17, 1997
Tessa suspects an apparent suicide is really an elaborate scam designed to cover a woman's disappearance.
Heartstopper
Nov 24, 1997
When the general manager of a department store is found dead during the store's opening, the owner and employees become the main suspects in the investigation. Steve is haunted by a face from his past, and Tessa pursues the case alone.
