In a world created by human ingenuity and dreams-the world of songs, stories and books-Isabella has lived in Christmas for over four hundred years. But when she seeks a vacation from the endless Christmas puddings and jingle bells, she discovers that the world of ideas is more dangerous than it seems. Given permission to visit the foreign genre of Mystery, Isabella experiences a shocking crime, one that threatens the very fabric of her society. With the help of Sherlock Holmes, she must find the murderer who is picking off literary characters one by one, threatening annihilation in a world where death is unimaginable-after all, a well told tale never dies.

As the investigation grows ever more troubling and dangerous, Isabella must learn to trust both her heart and Baker Street's notoriously woman-hating sleuth.