"The tree was bedecked for the party in swing, and jack-of-all-trades Peter Bartholomew was outside looking in - as his ex-wife Connie kissed Newby Dillingham under the mistletoe. That's when the sniper struck, killing the popular bait and tackle shop owner and scattering the guests. Enlisted by his friend and relative newcomer Police Chief Will McOwat, Pete is soon hot on the killer's trail. Newby had recently turned down a half-million dollar offer from the development corporation of Connor, Rice, and Peterson - less affectionately known to the locals as CRAP - for his waterfront property. Their plans for a condominium development had been Nashtoba's biggest source of controversy - until now. Is a crack marksman the anti-condo faction a Yuletide message in a .30 caliber wrapper?"