Christmas may be 63 days away, but as the Tinker’s Cove Chamber of Commerce gears up for an elaborate Dickens-themed Christmas event, reporter Lucy Stone is already feeling a bit Grinchy—until a possible murder requires her sleuthing skills in the latest Lucy Stone Mystery from bestselling author Leslie Meier.

With all four kids out of the house, Lucy Stone’s suddenly empty nest has put a damper on her usual zest for Christmas. She’s got plenty of article ideas to keep her busy, though, including reports of vicious social media posts targeting several town residents. Plus, there’s the self-proclaimed “reputation changer” who promises he can clean up any negative press. It all seems a bit too convenient to Lucy, who decides an investigation is in order.

On top of all that, after agreeing to play Mrs. Cratchit in “A Dickens of a Christmas,” Lucy also decides to plan a pre-Thanksgiving family weekend. Despite her juggling, it’s not a success—the kids and their partners come, but the mood is tense, and Lucy is relieved to see them off. Then comes shocking news: bank manager Bert Cosgrove, one of the victims of the slanderous media posts, has been found dead. The police are calling it a suicide.

No one, including Lucy, believes sweet, mild Bert would take his own life. While holiday preparations reach a feverish pitch, she’s determined to find his killer. And as she burrows into a surprising history of motives, longstanding secrets and family connections begin to stink like rotten plum pudding. Now, as Lucy gets closer to the truth, she finds herself in a life-threatening situation that would definitely spoil Christmas—permanently.