Carole Seddon hates Christmas – it all seems rather a waste of time. So when her best friend, Jude, drags her along to go shopping at a local store called Gallimaufry, she can feel her inner-Scrooge knocking. Then Gallimaufry is burnt down and a body is discovered. It seems like a tragic accident, but it’s not natural causes when a gun is involved. With a host of suspicious characters – the infamous womanizer Ricky Le Bonnier; Piers Duncton, an unfunny comedy writer; or Anna Carter, the lonely dog walker – the lady detectives know they have their work cut out for them. It seems that someone in Fethering has a deep, dark, deadly secret – and is prepared to kill to keep it.