Eleven murders in a single small English coastal village ... and they've all been deftly solved by an unlikely pair of friends. Carole Seddon is a repressed, straight-laced divorcee whose solitary existence has been frequently disrupted by Jude, the colorful, outgoing neighbor who has become her closest friend. The chemistry between the two, who find pleasure in solving the extraordinarily frequent murders occurring in and around their town, is described with Brett's characteristically sarcastic and witty humor which is what makes these books so enjoyable. In this installment, Carole and Jude find themselves in the midst of the Christmas season. Carole is dreading her first real "family" Christmas since her divorce, a change that's been prompted by the birth of her grand-daughter, and is persuaded by Jude to shop in an eclectic new village shop to find unique gifts for her son and daughter-in-law. A few days later, after a bright Christmas party at Jude's home, the store burns down and the body of the owner's step-daughter is found in side, with a bullet in her back. Who killed the young woman with a tortured past? Jude and Carole are determined to find out - and they dig up a lot of surprising information along the way. Brett's caustic but funny commentary on village society - and humanity in general - along with the somewhat intricate plot made this another great addition to the series. Although, I do have to admit that I'm getting to the point where I wish Carole would just loosen up...can she really stay this spiky forever with Jude at her side???