Investigative journalist Madeline Magellan is the kind of journalist that generally sticks her nose in where it isn't wanted. While writing a story about the murder of a famous artist, she happens across a quiet but brilliant man named Jonathan Creek, who makes a living inventing magic tricks for Adam Klaus. Adam is a very famous magician, but Jonathan is the real genius behind Adam's illusions.
Madeline (Maddy) and Jonathan team up to solve the artist's murder, then team up again (with some reluctance from Jonathan) to solve near-impossible cases. Maddy gradually falls in love with Jonathan, but being a shy person, he doesn't show if he knows about her feelings for him--but he loves to solve the tricky mysteries that she brings for his mind to solve.