As the team investigates the gruesome death of an unknown male victim Rachel agrees to accommodate her young brother Dominic, who is homeless after being released from jail. Janet's elderly mother Dorothy moves in with her family after an operation but consistently argues with her son-in-law Adrian, who moves out. After the victim is identified as loner Darren Rigby, a man into child porn, a second body is discovered, that of married Keith Fleming. As Rachel resumes an affair with old flame Sean Nadia Hicks, the last person to see Darren alive, resists arrest but is ...

Nadia remains uncooperative when questioned about Liam Walsh, who used one of the victims' cash point card and another couple, Nikki Madden and Anthony Stainfield, linked to Nadia via a joyride in a stolen car, are equally evasive, as is Welsh when they are all arrested. However, when a further victim turns out to be Nadia's brother Janet persuades her to expose a gang who prey on men's sexual weaknesses. With the case closed Janet also finds herself warding off the friendly advances of Andy, who has just learned that Adrian has left her.

Rachel accompanies Gill on a visit to Jeremy Leach, a man serving thirteen years for a murder on their patch. A copycat murder has taken place in Bristol, throwing doubt on the original conviction, Leach claiming the killer in both instances is Alistair Jackson, son of his solicitor who has been obsessed with the case. Gill, unlike Rachel, does not believe him, suggesting Leach is working with an ex-cell mate to incriminate Jackson and clear his own name. Then another victim is found with Jackson's DNA on the corpse, suggesting Leach's assumption is correct. With the ...

Gill is forced to work with her ex-husband when eight year old Dylan Nichols is murdered after last being seen at an amusement arcade. Chief suspects are arcade employee Ryan Varney and Michael Nash, recent boyfriend of Dylan's mother, both of whom are known paedophiles. Nash is arrested and, given that he is using an assumed name, is squarely in the frame. Janet begins a relationship with Andy but feels he is moving too fast for her whilst Dominic's involvement in a car crash prevents Rachel from taking her sergeant's exam.

Geoff Hastings, the man who stabbed Janet, claims that he has information on further victims which he will divulge only to her but uses the interview to dig at her private life, causing her to tell Gill and Rachel about her fling with Andy - who refuses to accept that it is over. Meanwhile the team investigates the murder of young taxi driver Yusuf and it is a hunch on Rachel's part that leads to the killer and the location of Hastings' diaries containing his confessions. She is nonetheless unable to prevent Sean from organizing their wedding day without her consent.

Following the discovery of the corpse of middle-aged divorcee Susie Bishop the team find that she led a very racy private life. In addition to two men fighting over her she was seeing her ex-husband and having a fling with the married headmaster at the school where she worked. Only one has an alibi but when it is disproved the - surprising - identity of the killer is revealed. Gill meanwhile has to reject her ex-husband's drunken pleas for reconciliation whilst Rachel is shocked to find that Sean has been married and has a little boy - with whom she does not get on.

When teenager Leon Foster is found shot in the head the immediate assumption is that he was the victim of a gangland feud. However Janet, relegated to paper-work by a sour Andy, hears that he was involved in an under age sex party, leading her and Rachel to interview two girls from very different backgrounds. Andy eventually makes his peace with Janet, who discovers husband Adrian's good points whilst a reluctant Rachel, pushed into it by Sean, agrees to meet her estranged mother.

Gill feels sorry for sweet old lady Margaret Selwyn, after her husband Colin's accidental death but, when Margaret's daughters reveal that Margaret had often spoken of killing her husband, a murder inquiry is opened. Andy gets transferred to another division after spitefully attempting to get Janet into trouble but a reconciliation with Adrian is not on the cards after he learns of his wife's affair. Meanwhile Rachel, following a drunken night out about which she can remember nothing, is the prime suspect after Nick Savage is killed. She is exonerated - but at a price...