Poirot is persuaded to spend an "old-fashioned English Christmas" at a country house to track down a ruby stolen from a foreign prince. Christmas in the English countryside at Kings Lacey, a fourteenth-century manor house, makes Poirot shudder, but he succumbs when told that it has modern oil-fired central heating.

When a young woman working in Pepper Reece's friend Vinny’s wine shop is brutally assaulted, costumed revelers and holiday cheer are the last things on Pepper’s mind. Who would want to hurt Beth? Or were they looking for Vinny instead? As Pepper chases down a killer, someone is stalking her.

In Salem, Lee Barrett and Detective Pete Mondello tie the knot. Their Maine honeymoon turns mystic with uninvited ghosts. Lee's psychic abilities uncover a family mystery. Amidst wedding bliss, they delve into past and present crimes, turning cozy moments into curious investigations.