* THE SMASH-HIT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER *
* A GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF 2023 *

'A great deal of festive fun' - GUARDIAN
'Sharp, witty and suspenseful' - SUNDAY EXPRESS

One dead Santa. A town full of suspects. Will you discover the truth?

Christmas in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk. But there's not much good will among the amateur dramatics enthusiasts. Sarah-Jane is fending off threats to her new position as Chair, the beanstalk might be full of asbestos, and someone is trying to ruin the panto before the curtain even goes up.

Plus, there's the small matter of the dead Santa. Who had the victim on their naughty list? Read the round robins, examine the emails and pore over the police transcripts to discover the truth. Will the show go on?

'A perfect stocking filler' - INDIA KNIGHT
'Hallett is as good as ever' - OBSERVER