The Last Noel — Jean Hager

MURDER STEALS THE SCENE

Peace and goodwill go out the window at Tess Darcy's Community Church in Victoria Springs the minute out-of-town drama professor Sherwood Draper walks in the door. He's been asked to replace the former director of the annual Christmas pageant, and she's furious. The organist is humiliated to be replaced by taped music, and the husband of a parishioner is outraged when he finds Sherwood backstage playing love scenes with his wife.

But it turns out to be curtains for the unpopular professor before the show begins. His corpse is found in a dressing room and there's no shortage of suspects with both motive and opportunity. Now it's up to Tess to find out if the irreverent professor has been done in by the fury of a wronged wife or by the righteous indignation of a fellow parishioner willing to commit a deadly sin on sacred grounds.