And this is a Deck the Hallmark podcast synopsis!

"Mystery on Mistletoe Lane" originally aired November 9th, 2023. And it went a little something like this...

Heidi is new to the town of New Hallow and is not nearly prepared for the cold of this new town. She meets a neighbor who says, “if you like history, you're gonna love this place.”

She runs out to her car to get her coffee stuff and the door closes and locks her out just long enough for snow to fall on her head and for her to see a sign that says MM.

She heads into work for her first day and she's told she's the first director of the historical society to opt to stay in that house in years. She bumps into the grumpy handyman, David. He used to be the director but is launching his new restoration business.

Her first order of business is creating a Christmas exhibit showcasing the history of New Hallow. She gets a call that one of the movers tripped and broke some old painting. With her kids coming into town soon, David agrees to come by and make sure the house is safe for kids.

They inspect the painting of mistletoe - on the back it has a mistletoe themed riddle and is signed by someone named JR. They look at the hole that was left by the painting and find a tiny reindeer figurine which has D3 written on its belly. David sticks around to help Heidi get all the boxes put away - they talk about the house and the history of it.

Her kids get home and her son inspects his dresser - it has a carving of JR on the outside and then inside and arrow leading to a Christmas tree. Inside the Christmas tree is a clue laying out that there's a bunch of other clues throughout the house! It's a CHRISTMAS SCAVENGER HUNT!

David was convinced that he used to have that same painting, so he goes to his basement and tracks it down and it has a different riddle on the back of it. The kids start doing the scavenger hunt and find another reindeer in the mouth of a giant nutcracker.

Heidi's first few days of work revolve around decorating for Christmas. David talks to his dad about what Heidi is finding and he starts being really weird about it. So David and Heidi begin to investigate who the family was that lived there, what happened to the mistletoe inn, and taking romantic horse rides together.

David's dad ends up coming into town to spend Christmas with David and they talk about why David didn't really get to celebrate Christmas a kid. His dad doesn't want to talk about it. But he does help the kids with a clue their stumped on.

After that, they decide to bring in their mom and David into the mix to help solve the scavenger hunt. The deputy councilman comes to see the exhibit and is not impressed. To help her feel better, she slow dances to Joy to the World with David.

They get back to the Mistletoe Manor and it finally comes out - David's dad was the son of the previous owner - the Mistletoe Manor! He says that after his sister passed away as a young girl, they stopped celebrating Christmas. His mom took him and they left his dad. He assumed his dad didn't want anything to do with him but he thinks this scavenger hunt is his dad's way of telling him something.

She goes to the meeting and pitches decorating the Mistletoe Inn again. Deputy Mayor isn't having it but the real mayor who is in the crowd is like you're a real b word - Heidi has our full support!

To celebrate, Heidi and David go ice skating and then spend time getting the house decorated. While that's happening, the kids get to the final clue but need Wallace's help solving it. He knows exactly where to go - this sleigh that his dad built has a secret scroll.

This time there's a note for Wallace and a copy of Twas the Night Before Christmas - encouraging him to keep the tradition of reading it and reminds him that he loves him always.

As he reads the story, the deed for the house falls out - the house stays in the family. David and Heidi find themselves under the mistletoe and they kiss reallly good ones.

And that my friends was "Mystery on Mistletoe Lane!"