It's a few days before Christmas, and Meg Langslow's grandfather is hosting a scientific conference on owls at the Caerphilly Inn. A severe snow storm traps the conference-goers in the hotel, and one of the visiting ornithologists is murdered. Even if the roads can be cleared in time, Chief Burke doesn't want the various suspects to depart before he identifies the killer. In this 26th case (after Terns of Endearment), there's a very real possibility that none of them will make it home for Christmas, unless Meg can get to the bottom of this mystery.