Agatha has not given up on Christmas. She is, however, bored. Her detective agency in the Cotswolds is thriving, but she'll scream if she has to deal with another missing cat or dog.

The perfect Christmas was a childhood dream while surviving her rough upbringing in a Birmingham slum. In her dreams, James Lacey kissed her under the mistletoe... This year she is sure that if she invites James to a really splendid, old-fashioned Christmas dinner, their love will rekindle like a warm Yule log.

When a wealthy widow hires Agatha because she's convinced a member of her family is trying to kill her, Agatha is intrigued, especially when the widow drops dead after high tea at the manor house. Who in this rather sterile house, complete with fake family portraits, could have hated the old lady enough to poison her?