It's November, and Miss Julia is looking forward to some quiet time before the holidays, but then rich, snobbish Connie Clayborn and her husband come to Abbotsville, North Carolina. At first, Miss Julia and the other ladies are pleased to be invited over for coffee, but the afternoon turns into a slap in the face when their hostess spouts nonstop criticism about their hometown. Days later, Miss Julia decides to confront Connie, but when she arrives, the Northern newcomer is lying on the kitchen floor, lifeless in a pool of blood. Who could have done this? The suspects are numerous, but in this 16th case in the series (after Miss Julia's Marvelous Makeover), Miss Julia will need to find out fast—particularly because her fingerprints are now all over the crime scene.