Crafts and Life

Inspired by her German heritage, Holly's grandmother has arranged for Wagtail to have a Christkindl Market packed with goodies and decorations for the howliday tourists. But Holly's mood takes an unseasonable turn when she learns that her old flame and childhood friend Holmes Richardson has brought his fiancee home–and she'll be staying at the Sugar Maple Inn…

A love triangle becomes the last thing on Holly's mind when her Jack Russell Trixie's nose for trouble leads her to the corpse of a pet clothing tycoon. Now Holly and her dedicated detectives–Trixie and Twinkletoes the cat–must sniff out the killer to keep Christmas from going to the dogs…

It is just before Christmas and the business owners of Wagtail are doing a Secret Santa with a difference, they have all provided goods and/or money so that the less fortunate Wagtail residents can have a good Christmas (or in the case of some gifts they provide the gift keeps giving as it is something the person needs for everyday). Holly and a couple of the Sugar Maple Inn dress as Elves each night (just in case they are seen!) and deliver the items on a specially decorated golf cart.

Holly needs all the Christmas Cheer she can muster as most of the Inn has been booked by one family, one member of which is Holmes's fiancee, the family seems odd however NJ (the fiancee) is a control freak, her cousin has dropped out of Med School and is spending all his inheritance on living the high life in New York and the other cousin is just downtrodden.  The two really nice members of the family are the Grandfather (who is prepared, indeed honoured, to play Santa for the children) and his mother, then he is found dead and Holly, Dave and Holmes need to find out who is playing the Grinch and ruining Christmas.