Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree and her friend Ellie stumble across a dazed Faye Ann Carmody covered with blood in her house. Her husband Merle -- the town butcher who was not well liked -- is found in pieces wrapped in his own butcher paper. Faye Ann is charged with his murder but she can't remember a thing and had been drinking. Since it was widely known that Merle was abusive of Faye Ann, everyone believes she finally snapped. The police feel it's an open and shut case. Jake and Ellie don't.

Then there's another death. This one appears to have been a heart attack, but Jake and Ellie feel it was murder and related to Merle's murder. With an attempted murder, things really start heating up.

Christmas is just weeks away. Jake had planned to rehabilitate her old house this winter but now she's on the trail of a killer. There are so many suspects. Ellie and Jake spend their time checking each one out and eventually they end up in danger themselves.

Jake is also a newlywed with a teenage son. Her ex lives in town and keeps coming to her for help with his new relationship. He is a very self-centered man.

This author has created a wonderful town -- Eastport, ME -- with fabulous characters. They are very believable and act just like I would expect people in a small town to act. Her plots are always very well constructed and I have a hard time figuring out who did it and why.

I have read 1 other book in this series. I highly recommend this book and the whole series. This a true cozy series.

I like the friendship between Jake and Ellie that has developed. I hope the relationship of Jake and Wade is more prominent in other books. She spends more time talking to her ex in this book. I'd like to get to know her son Sam better. I think in some of the earlier books he plays a bigger part. One reason she moved to this town was to get him away from his old friends and drugs in the big city.