讲述了一个“失孤”的刑警与一个“没有身份”的孤儿之间，从对立到相互救赎，一起探寻真相走向光明的情感悬疑故事。 一个孤独坚毅的警察，一个野蛮生长的少年，一场不期而遇的纠葛……在一个个失踪谜案交织着谋杀的阴谋逐渐浮出水面之后，迎来的会是暴风骤雨还是风平浪静？是互相救赎还是不可饶恕？恶意也许就在一瞬之间，而遗忘却是如此漫长。在彩虹出现之前，一段过不去的过去，两位不放弃的父亲，三个揪着心的家庭，都在等待一个答案……
The disappearance of Sir Julius Hanbury - and the theft of several of his erotic paintings - provide a new puzzle for Morse to solve. Assisted by DS Lewis, Morse interviews everyone at Hanbury House and it is in the course of searching the grounds that he finds Sir Julius' body, appropriately enough, in the family mausoleum. The pathologist notes that he was the victim of a frenzied attack but the lack of blood at scene leaves the police to conclude that he murdered elsewhere. Sir Julius was a candidate to become the Master of an Oxford college and was known to have a have had a bitter rivalry with another candidate for the position. When Roger Meadows, a friend of the Hanbury's au pair, is killed in a car accident, Morse concludes that that he too was murdered. Jealousy, revenge and greed all play part in the deaths.
Henry Fallon, who is wheelchair bound and is suffering from a neurological disorder, apparently commits suicide and Morse has mixed feelings working on this case as he was once engaged to the dead man's wife, Susan Fallon. The body was found by his son-in-law Peter Rhodes, a local antiques dealer and the victim's wife was in London. When Fallon's doctor advises Morse that Henry didn't have the physical capability to hold a gun to his head, the police realize they may have a murder on their hands. When the police are told that the business arrangement between Fallon and Rhodes had fallen apart, they also have a suspect. Lewis is concerned that Morse is too close to Mrs. Fallon to be objective but in the end, the perpetrators are identified.
《摩斯探长前传》第一季于2013年4月在英国独立电视台播出，共由《女郎》、《赋格》、《火箭》、《回家》四个故事组成。该剧主人公改编自经典的侦探形象——摩斯探长，而饰演摩斯的Shaun Evans的表演也为这部剧添光不少，他将摩斯的个性表现的非常丰富，有点忧郁，有点张狂，又有点可爱。
