The Herdman kids are undeniably the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, cheat, bully and overall terrorize their small community. But this Christmas, they're taking over their local church Pageant – and they just might unwittingly teach a shocked little town the true meaning of Christmas.

Former police officer Darby Spencer and her mystery novelist mother Victoria Spencer have opposite personalities but still embark on the unlikeliest of ventures: becoming partners in a private detective agency. They are mistaken as sisters as they tackle puzzling cases in Alder Bluffs.

During Christmas week, Sabrina jumps at the opportunity to ghostwrite a memoir for a famous art dealer at the iconic Grand Fairbanks Hotel in New York City. The week gets complicated when she meets a handsome British visitor at the hotel bar; she thinks he’s a member of the British aristocracy, and he thinks she’s a wealthy hotel guest.