All's fair in love and...publishing?

It's nearly Christmas, and Dashiell Dawson Dane already has enough on his plate: finding a present for his parents, coming up with excuses not to hang the Christmas lights, and finishing this stupid story he's been writing (okay, maybe he needs to start writing it). On top of all that, Bobby has been acting...well, strange. The last thing Dash needs, in other words, is to play host when Marshall Crowe—celebrity author and, worse, a friend of Dash's parents—comes to town.

When Marshall dies in the middle of a public reading of his latest novel, Dash can't bring himself to believe it was an accident, but he's determined to stay away from the investigation. Until, that is, the prime suspect shows up on his doorstep, begging for his help. The catch? It's the same woman who accused Dash, not so long ago, of murdering Vivienne Carver—Hastings Rock's resident cozy mystery author, Pippi Parker. And helping Pippi might just be the death of Dash.