It is Christmas Eve and Police Sergeant Pratt, together with his unfortunate assistant, Constable Mary Potter, is on a fund-raising mission with his magic show. When they perform at a fine old country house, they suddenly find themselves at the centre of a family get-together, which is rapidly turning nasty! Determined to make a name for himself, Pratt enthusiastically sets about solving an attempted murder, with the usual calamitous results! This prequel to the hugely entertaining trilogy of ?Inspector Pratt’ whodunit plays, introduces Pratt on his very first murder case.