Murdoch and Ogden travel to Victoria to spend the holidays with Murdoch's brother, Jasper. Once there, they are called upon to solve an archeologist's murder, and become embroiled in a land dispute between the indigenous Songhees and Haida peoples.

Back in Toronto, the Brackenreids are conned out of their life savings by a young Italian named Charles Ponzi, and develop a scam involving Crabtree, Higgins, Nina Bloom, and Ruth Newsome in order to get it back.

Murdoch and Crabtree enjoy a war re-enactment, until a fellow pretend soldier is murdered.