Snow Place for Murder

International resort developer Nigel Goodwin and his wife Aileen have traveled all the way from London, England to Misty Murphy’s little corner of North Carolina and bought out the Mountaintop Lodge for the week prior to Christmas. Their intention? To pitch an exclusive new resort concept to wealthy American investors. The Retreat on Blue Ridge will be like nothing the area has ever seen, with five-star dining and accommodations, an all-seasons indoor water park, and adventurous offerings such as whitewater rafting, ATV trail rides, and helicopter tours. While the proposed resort might bring tourists and money to the area, it would also bring more traffic to the two-lane roads and lots of noise to this otherwise peaceful community. Locals are at odds over the idea, and come to the lodge to express their opinions to Mr. Goodwin and the potential investors just as a virtual blizzard hits Beech Mountain. Like the weather outside, things become frosty and dangerous, and Misty has to call local police to intervene before things get out of hand. Handyman Rocky Crowder plows the lodge’s drive and, in an attempt to regain a jovial holiday atmosphere, smooths the snow pile into a makeshift sledding hill for the guests to enjoy. Misty’s boys have finished their exams and are “home” from college for the winter break, planning to spend most of their time snowboarding at the ski resort. While taking a few runs down Rocky’s sledding hill, they discover a funny-looking, nose-shaped rock. Only it’s not a rock. It’s the frozen nose of Nigel Goodwin, who’s found dead and buried under the mound of snow. Who put the developer on ice and why?