Maine kennel owner and ex-cop Jack Field was hoping to spend a quiet evening in front of the fire with his canine pals and his ladylove, state medical examiner Dr. Jamie Cutter. But his plans go up in smoke when a young housemaid is found murdered in the Bright mansion a few nights before Santa's big day. Jack quickly determines that there are three main suspects--a convicted killer, a chauffeur with a shady past, and a mysterious con-man professor.