It's at this time that Winter is approached by a former lover; she is now a defence attorney and she wants him to look into the case of a client she's defending. Travis Blake, third generation military and an Afghanistan veteran, is accused of murdering his fiancee, Jennifer Dean. His attorney Victoria Grossburger senses that something is hinky about the entire incident, but her hands are tied because her client has confessed to the murder and is refusing to say anything else. This in itself is odd; Blake could be expected at the very least to try to advance some sort of narrative which would ameliorate his actions. The town they live in- Sweet Haven- is predominantly inhabited by former military servicemen and women and their families. No one, including the judge and prosecutor, wants Blake to be guilty and would be more than willing to show leniency if given any creditable reason to do so. But Travis Blake refuses to cooperate.
In the end, the solution to the mystery when it is revealed, is surprising but satisfying. Winter's personal demons, however, are not so easily put to rest and the door is left open for further installments featuring this character.
This is a quick summary of the plot of When Christmas Comes; in the second part of this review I'll discuss my thoughts and feelings about this book.