When tragedy brings Merrin McKenzie back to St Ives, she knows adjusting might take time, even with the charm of her childhood home at Christmas. As she settles in, Merrin steps back from her career as a solicitor and falls into cleaning holiday rentals for friends who own cottages nearby. She expects to encounter dirty laundry and the odd forgotten phone charger in the course of the changeovers, but certainly didn't bargain on finding a dead body.

Everyone, including the police, are baffled as to the identity of the dead young man found neatly tucked up in bed. Coincidences begin to stack up for Merrin and she has gruff police Inspector Harris to contend with as a darker side to the festive Cornish setting begins to reveal itself.