Detective Evan Calloway, a former big-city investigator who recently moved to Hollyridge for a quieter life, is reluctantly pulled into the chaos. As he digs deeper, he uncovers simmering tensions among the parade volunteers: simmering jealousy over leadership roles, hidden financial embezzlement, and a secret affair that someone was desperate to keep hidden.

The poison wasn't in a drink or a pill-it was baked into homemade Christmas cookies, each volunteer insisting their batch was "just for Clara." Now Evan must unravel who delivered the deadly treat before the culprit strikes again, all while navigating the charm-and the secrets-of this seemingly idyllic town.