DS Brenna Taylor and DCI Geoffrey Graham are summoned to investigate a drowning in a wintry pond during a family 12th Night party. The case quickly turns personal for the CID team, for one of their own detectives becomes prime suspect. Brenna finds herself caught between the police investigation and her belief in DS Mark Salt's innocence. Yet even her faith is strained when Mark's parody of "The 12 Days of Christmas" hints that he was having an affair with his murdered sister-in-law, Mercedes. It's easy to believe Mark's guilt: he attracts women like Christmas presents entice kids. As the investigation progresses, other 'attractions' in his past are revealed, and Mark's guilt intensifies with each one. Now that Brenna finally views Mark as a human being, will she lose him if he's charged with murder?