Nancy Emerson disappeared the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. From that day on, Rose Potter's life was not the same. She had dreams. In the first dream, Nancy appeared and brought Rose to a pine-filled forest. Two days later, Nancy's body was found. On it was a poinsettia, the "signature" of someone who would become known as the Christmas Killer. The small town of Bethboro, Connecticut, is running scared. And neither the police nor Rose's twin brother, Jerram, have any idea who the killer could be. Rose tries putting the murder out of her mind. But the dead never sleep. And when Rose closes her eyes at night, Nancy's there, waiting....