Love is a driving passion.So is hate.December in a small Devonshire village is the perfect time for a Yuletide fête, a wedding or a murder.Now retired, Beatrice Stubbs is busy with wedding preparations. Not for herself – co-habiting with Matthew is as far as she's prepared to commit – but Adrian and Will are getting married. She's Chief Bridesmaid and the theme is Narnia.When a local celebrity dies in suspicious circumstances, Matthew encourages Beatrice to do a little private investigating. Her enquiries turn up more than predicted and she discovers her nearest and dearest are capable of deceit.A snowstorm hits the village and Beatrice chases a lead, throwing everyone's plans into disarray and threatening lives. Ancient forests conceal a complex web of connections and loyalties, false reputations and poison.