’Tis the season for mince pies, mulled wine . . . and murder!

A dead body. A locked cabin with no way in or out. A cunning killer who melts away faster than a snowflake in the sea.

November in Southbourne should be all twinkly lights and festive cheer, but Fiona, Daisy, and Partial Sue — the retired trio who run Dogs Need Nice Homes charity shop — have little to celebrate. What with the elusive ‘Southbourne Stalker’ prowling the streets of their sleepy seaside town, they’re in need of a little seasonal magic.

The new Christmas market seems the perfect tonic: fairy lights in the pines, the scent of cinnamon on the air, and mugs of steaming mulled wine. Until . . .

A desperate scream shatters the calm.

Postmaster Scott Preston is trying to break into a locked cabin. His father’s inside — and in terrible trouble. By the time the door is forced, it’s too late. His father is dead.

The police say he took his own life. But Scott can’t believe that’s true. His dad was many things, but tidy wasn’t one of them — and the stall is suspiciously spotless. Someone had a good clear-up before making their getaway.

Now the ladies must unwrap a mystery knottier than a string of Christmas lights, before someone else ends up six feet under the mistletoe.