A winter storm is brewing in Lighthouse Bay, Massachusetts. But it’s not just wind and snow swirling through the opulent halls of Castleton Manor. Eleven members of the Drelincourt family have booked the literary retreat for a private gathering. It’s librarian Faith Newberry’s job to convince the family patriarch, Max Drelincourt, and his nieces and nephews to sell their ancestor’s complete, autographed collection of valuable Agatha Christie first editions. When Faith realizes that not everyone is on the same page about the sale, a mysterious affair begins.

Trapped like mice when the roads in and out of the grounds become impassable, the Drelincourts squabble amongst themselves, and Faith despairs of them ever coming to an agreement. Worse, the first editions, which had been divided up among the family, begin to disappear, until there are none. No one can get in or out, so the precious tomes must be somewhere in the manor. The Drelincourts have a nemesis – but who is it?

Meanwhile, a pair of unlikely gentlemen, stranded in the storm, take shelter at Castleton. They say they slid off the road. Was their accident really an appointment with near-death or just a clever ploy to get inside? And what about the young housekeeper Faith has taken under her wing? She seems interested in keeping her body in the library – but Faith can’t help wondering if that’s all she wants. Nor can Faith discount the Drelincourts themselves, any of whom might benefit from bringing the curtain down on the others.

Fortunately, Faith has the assistance of all the members of the Candle House Book Club, as well as her cat Watson, whose uncanny abilities may surprise everyone. Together, they’ll find out if there’s merely mischief on the Drelincourt express, or if something wicked has come to Castleton Manor.

The air crackles with anticipation in scenic Lighthouse Bay, Massachusetts, when best-selling author Camilla Courtenay breezes into Castleton Manor to judge the final round of a Regency romance writing contest. The three finalists are competing for a publishing contract with Northanger Press, and the pressure intensifies when they accept their last – and most challenging – writing assignment. Librarian Faith Newberry eagerly assists the contestants with their research while looking forward to the lavish grand ball when the winner will be announced.

But in the days leading up to the ball, Camilla experiences a few unusual – and potentially deadly – incidents. Are they simply accidents, or is someone attempting to permanently end her career?

As Faith and her friends in the Candle House Book Club investigate the suspicious incidents, they discover a backstory of secrets, lies, and betrayals that could have been ripped from the pages of one of Camilla’s novels. But truth is stranger than fiction, and the group learns that Camilla’s name appears in all the finalists’ black books. When every contestant is a suspect, how far will one of them go to win?