MurdochisinBristol,England,withnomemoryofwhoheisandtwogunmenchasinghimthroughthestreets.WiththehelpofalocalpubLandladyhestartstopiecetogetheranassassinationplot.InTorontoDetectiveHamishSloackisassignedtohelpfindthemissingMurdoch.

SeasonfiveofMurdochMysteriesopensinunfamiliarterritory,asDetectiveWilliamMurdoch(YannickBisson)leavesTorontototryhisluckwhiletheKlondikeGoldRushintheYukonwindsdown.Suspendedforinterferinginaninvestigation,ontherunforsurreptitiouslyfreeingamurderertomakeamends,andnursingabrokenheartafterDr.Ogden'smarriagetoanotherman,hetriestoescapehispast,andhispassionfordetectivework.Backinthecity,newlypromotedChiefConstableGiles(NigelBennett)makesitcleartoInspectorThomasBrackenreid(ThomasCraig),thathe'llbekeepingaverycloseeyeonpolicematters.Meanwhile,Murdoch'sbelovedformerassociate,Dr.JuliaOgden(HélèneJoy),isnowworkingalongsideActingDetectiveGeorgeCrabtree(JonnyHarris)andDr.EmilyGrace(GeorginaReilly),afeistyyoungprotégé.Intheremotenorth,Murdochispleasedtodiscoverthathisfledglingprospectingcareermaygarnergreatsuccess,asmallcomfortafterJulia'smarriagetoanotherman.Butashetriestorebuildhislife,hefindshimselfdrawnintothecaseofMrs.ElizabethBryant(JillHalfpenny),aninnkeeperchargedwithmurder.TheplotthickenswhenwriterJackLondon(AaronAshmore)lendshisinsights,andMurdochsoonrealizesthatwhilehehadhopedtoleavehisshatteredheartandtatteredcareerbackinToronto,hisdaysasadetectivearenotbehindhim.

MurdochandInspectorBrackenreidareaboardtheSSKeewatinaftertheowner,ClarenceMacFarlane,receiveswhathebelievesisathreat.TheKeewatinisabouttodepartfromTorontoonitsmaidenvoyagedestinedforRochester,N.Y.andMurdochthinkstheyshouldstayonboard,especiallyafterheseesthatJuliaisoneoftheinvitedguests.TheirpresenceprovesusefulafterMacFarlane'sdaughterAmy,whoisengagedtoherfather'schieffinancialofficerOwenMathers,fallsoverboardandisnowheretobefound.AsMurdochinvestigateshefindsthereisarealthreatagainsttheKeewatinandthetruefactsbehindAmy'sdisappearance.

故事描述一名开音像店的亿万富翁JohnnyRose（EugeneLevy）和他的肥皂剧明星妻子Moira（CatherineO’Hara）、嬉皮士儿子David（DanielLevy）、交际花女儿Alexis（Anniemeijubar.netMurphy）在一夜之间破产。这家人不得不离开已经习惯了的奢华生活，回到乡下去「从零开始」。好在他们还有一点私人领地：当年他们抱着好玩的心态在最偏僻的角落里买下一座几乎没有人烟的小镇（镇名即本剧标题「施米特湾」），现在这里成了他们仅存的落脚点。他们必须尽快适应新的贫穷生活，找到家庭的真谛……但这个穷乡僻壤的地方让他们感觉「限制」太多！