Richard Poole, field security investigator/troubleshooter for TransAtlas Corporation, is sent to Leeland, Illinois, to investigate a troubled subsidiary, LeeLand Mall. Arriving just before Christmas, Poole finds himself embroiled in a case involving the murder of two elves, Santa's Helpers, discovered in the mall. Poole works with local law enforcement people to solve the murders, in the process delving into the strange history of Leeland and its founder, Epaphimandas Lee. Santa Claus himself (i.e., the mall Santa) is subsequently found murdered, and many interesting connections must be investigated before the murders are solved.