With work on the reconstruction of her beloved home almost complete, Jessica Fletcher is in high holiday spirits. The only thing dampening the holiday cheer is the discovery on Jessica's property of two sets of bones: one set ancient, the other only a few weeks old. It's concluded both were placed there during the construction. Soon tabloid reporter Tad Hollenbeck arrives in Cabot Cove to write a story about what he calls 'the murder capital of the country'. But when Tad himself is murdered, Jessica speculates that his arrival, his death, and the discovery of the bones are all connected...