Cecily Sinclair Baxter's Christmas becomes a working holiday when the man she hired to play Santa Claus is murdered in this Pennyfoot Hotel mystery.

To ring in the holiday season, Cecily Sinclair Baxter is hosting a party at the Pennyfoot Hotel for the children of Badgers End to meet Father Christmas. Unfortunately, the jolly old man fails to appear. Instead, his body is discovered--clearly a victim of foul play--and his helper has had a fatal fall.

The police believe the two men had a tragic rooftop tangle, but Cecily has her doubts. The murder weapon is still missing, and since no one has left the hotel since the crime, she's making a list of suspects--and checking it twice.