Christmas is coming to the picturesque Cotswold countryside, and the
days are merry and bright at the Slocombe house. Thea's daughter Jessica
has come to stay, much to her stepdaughter Stephanie's delight, and the
family are looking forward to the festivities. But things soon take a
turn for the worse.
A local family, the Frowses, find themselves increasingly harassed by an
aggressive landlord and his overbearing new wife. When Beverley Frowse
suddenly goes missing without a trace, Thea and Stephanie both feel they
should help to investigate her disappearance, if only to ease the
growing concern of Beverley's son, and Thea's friend, Ant.
Christmas Day arrives, with all the traditional trimmings and general
goodwill, despite Thea's barely suppressed hankering to be involved in
events at the Frowses' house, where a dead man has just been discovered
nearby ...