In this mystery in Kate Kingsbury's cozy series, the Pennyfoot Hotel is decked out in holiday style, but when things start to go awry, Cecily Sinclair Baxter learns that not everyone's been nice this year.

When one of Cecily's candlesticks disappears, she realizes someone is lacking in Christmas spirit. But petty thievery seems the least of her problems after she learns a former employee has been found dead in her duck pond. He hasn't worked at the Pennyfoot in years, but his ex-wife is still their head maid--and she heads the list of suspects.

Now a killer and a thief must be taken off the guest list in order to put the merry back into Christmas.