Halifax f.p. Episode Rating Graph

A gritty prison setting sees Jane working with an ex-boyfriend to try and uncover a murderer amongst a group of psychopaths - all convicted of murder. Jane begins to realise that there is an alterior motive for this killing, but what can be even more threatening than anything they have already done? A fire soon sees Jane alone in the prison unit with four dangerous killers.

Told in retrospect, Jane is receiving councilling from her analyst after having killed someone. It is Christmas, Jane is alone, feeling vunerable, stressed, suffering from panic attacks, drinking a little too much and to cap it all, is called in to help investigate the case of a mass murderer who has shot the customers in a country diner. There are few survivors who provide little in the way of clues. One man, Ray Harvey, the local garage mechanic, is their best hope, but he is a reformed alcoholic, who has fallen off the wagon as a result of the shooting. Detective Eric Ringer works with Jane and falls for her. On New Year's Eve, Eric arrives at Jane's apartment, finding her somewhat under the influence of drink. They end up in bed. Afterwards, Jane is at her lowest ebb. She takes Eric's gun and puts it in her mouth - echoing her father's suicide. Shaking her out of her depression is a call from Ray asking for her assistance.

Jane rushes back from New Zealand where she has been lecturing, for the funeral of her best friend, Dr. Lisa Hardman. Staying to help Lisa's husband with the children and to wind up Lisa's psychiatric practice, she discovers a patient who displays a dangerous obsession with Lisa's family. Jane begins to suspect that Lisa's death was not due to natural causes and when first she, then Lisa's husband, get sick, Jane realises that she is dealing with a serial poisoner.

Jane becomes the target of an obsessive admirer. At first she dismisses it as trivial, but when his declarations of love turn to threats, she realises that he is deadly serious. Jane's mother is seriously injured while driving Jane's car, her assistant Ari is beaten unconscious, as the stalker succeeds in isolating Jane from those around her. Handling a complex case of infanticide, caring for her mother and dealing with a dangerous erotomaniac who seems to be tracking her every move, Jane is rapidly reaching breaking point.

Jane finds her misquoted criticism of a colleague's release of a mental patient, who murders again, leads to a patient of her own, Peter Donaldson, ( Ben Mendelsohn ), facing the pressure of exposure to an unforgiving public. In an attempt to help him come to terms with the situation, Jane discovers someone who bears a grudge and is dangerously close to driving Peter over the edge.

Rogue cop, Jonah Cole, ( Steve Bisley ), from Sydney comes to town on the hunt for the 'Make-up Killer'. This is a high profile case where the police are under pressure from politicans and the media to get a result. Calling on Jane Halifax to provide a profile of the serial killer, Jane and Jonah initially lock horns in their attempt to catch the culprit. With his acute sense of smell, Jonah recognises a familiar scent that links all the victims. Abrasive and eccentric in his approach, Jonah's obsession to find the killer wins him no friends, but Jane proves to be equally skilled as his work-mate in this deadly and dangerous pursuit.