Julie Carter was celebrating her high school graduation with five friends on a rainy weekend in 1985. Her murder is the third case that Andrew Cheatham presents to his cold case unit. One of the five people at the cottage with Julie killed her, but, more than a decade later, no one has ever been arrested.

Bessie is determined to get justice for poor Julie, but she's also busy with other things. Christmas at the Castle is less than a month away, and her friend, Grace, is worried about a friend of hers who has gone missing.

Can Bessie help Andrew and the others work out what happened in the luxury cottage during graduation weekend? Can she find Grace's friend? And can she talk some sense into Andy Caine, who seems determined to marry the wrong woman?