A riveting novella set in Elizabethan England—perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and The Tudors. Just a few days before Christmas, a reluctant John Shakespeare—brother of a rising playwright—answers a plea for help from Joshua Peace, Searcher of the Dead, but he has no idea the kind of menace he will face. A naked man has been found in a snowdrift, a wreath of holly crowning his head and a bullet in his back. As all around him prepare for the festive season, Shakespeare must unravel a complex plot of passion and treachery and confront a cold-blooded murderer who will not hesitate to kill again.