“By midnight the snowfall would reach a foot, just shy of breaking Aspen’s one-day record set more than forty years before.”

From Trish Harnetiaux’s White Elephant.

Claudine Calhoun is a real estate agent, who with her architect husband, Henry, runs one of Aspen’s brilliant real estate businesses: Calhoun + Calhoun.  Despite some recent tough financial times, Claudine and Henry are able to run their company with their six employees (Rashida, Louisa, Natalie, Alice, John, and Jules).  However, their current financial struggle means that Claudine agrees to sell the Montague House, which was the first house that their company built and sold… and which holds a terrible secret for the couple.  Twenty years ago, a drunken Henry killed two people on the property and Claudine covered it up for him.  While planning the company holiday party, Claudine learns that the pop star Zara is coming to Aspen to look at a house because she has a fascination with a 1970’s murder involving several celebrities, so Claudine offers to show her Montague.  In an effort to make a good impression on the rich possible client, Claudine offers to host the work holiday party at Montague House to show all the entertainment possibilities it holds.  The party is staffed with caterers, all the employees are invited as well as people (Henry’s friends Kevin and Jerry, contractors Jack and Bobby, and wealthy Captain and Mrs. Tiggleman) that can hopefully help sell Zara on the house.  Things go well until they begin playing the annual white elephant gift exchange game and someone unwraps the murder weapon from their long-hidden crime. As the Calhouns try to figure out who knows their secret, the weather traps all the partygoers at the house in a masterfully orchestrated mission for revenge.

While this book is fairly short, it does not provide a simple, boring story. Harnetiaux creates characters that are constantly developing throughout the book. The mystery of White Elephant will keep readers riveted to the story from start to shocking end.