In a small New England town, a Christmas controversy is grounds to killBethlehem, Vermont, is a sleepy little town, distinguished from the neighboring hamlets by its Christmas pageant. The holiday spectacular dates back generations; as the village's only tourist attraction, it brings in much of the money that keeps Bethlehem afloat. The festivities are held on publicly owned land, which might be a slight violation of the separation of church and state, but no one has ever complained until Tish Verek comes to town. Verek is a true-crime writer from New York, and not long after she kicks up a fuss about the pageant, she's shot dead in an apparent hunting accident. Anyone in Bethlehem could have fired the fatal bullet, and it's up to ex-FBI investigator Gregor Demarkian to decide which Christmas-obsessed villager is really a grinch in disguise.