Will Mary be able to solve the murder before her husband returns home? Or will the killers hiding behind the mask of simple, small-town people grab Mary and pull her into a dark closet and close it forever? Mary Holland is excited about the winter pie eating contest. She loves the contest because everyone knows she bakes the best apple pies. Mary is also exuberant at the news of her husband being sent back to the U.S. to serve out the rest of the war stateside. Life, as far as Mary is concerned, is returning back to normal. That is, until a poisoned pie kills a stranger in town. Thrust into a confusing mystery, Mary sets out to capture the killer but soon becomes entangled in a complicated web holding more than one hungry spider. With news that her husband is returning home for a two-week furlough, Mary has twenty-four hours to figure out the murder case and set a trap to capture the real killer. Unfortunately, a hometown murder that seemed simple at first quickly turns into a pie eating mess. With the help of Betty—and an unexpected friend—she dares the icy fingers of winter and steps into a fierce storm.