Vera Vexley is the editor of the Metropolitan Ledger’s puzzle section, and a part-time consulting detective for the local sheriff’s office. This year, she has been invited to spend the holidays with family friends, the Sterlings, a wealthy family who appears to be hiding enough secrets to stuff a sleigh. Vera soon finds herself helming a murder investigation when someone is found dead on Christmas morning, putting her at odds with the quick-tempered and distraught family members. Can Vera find the culprit before the holidays turn even more deadly?

With a Christmas deadline looming, literary editor Isabell retreats to her family's cabin in a quaint town where she spent her holidays as a little girl. Finding the town in a slump, the inspiration she is looking for comes from a local rancher who helps her both revive the annual Christmas Festival and discover the ending to her own story.

Gregory and Matilda put pressure on a weekend getaway to resolve all of their issues but as their toxicity intermixes with the folklore of the town, the couple's problems are not the only thing they find themselves trying to escape.