Snow Laughing Matter

The eternally perky president of the Frostville Festival Committee who has organized this event for the past five years. Holly takes holiday cheer VERY seriously - perhaps too seriously. She's known for her elaborate decorations, her competitive spirit in every holiday contest, and her tendency to passive-aggressively judge anyone who doesn't share her enthusiasm. This year, she's been especially stressed because someone has been sabotaging festival events, and she's determined to find out who's been naughty.

The owner of Frost Hardware Store, the biggest business on Main Street. Nick is a practical, no-nonsense guy who thinks the town spends too much money on 'frivolous' holiday decorations. He's been vocal about cutting the festival budget and has made enemies on the committee. Despite his Scrooge-like reputation, he always shows up to community events, though some suspect it's only to network for his business. He's been in a bitter dispute with a neighboring business owner over parking spaces and snow removal.

The music teacher at Frostville Elementary and director of the community choir. Carol lives and breathes music, especially holiday carols. She's been feuding with another choir member over solo parts and has a reputation for being a perfectionist diva. Carol also runs a side business selling homemade holiday crafts online, which has been surprisingly lucrative. She's been secretive about her finances lately and was overheard arguing about money at last month's rehearsal.

Nick Frost's younger sister and the owner of 'Joy's Java,' the town's beloved coffee shop. Joy is warm, welcoming, and knows everyone's business because they all confide in her over lattes. She's been the reigning Snow Queen for three years running, which has made her some enemies. Joy recently discovered something shocking about her family history and has been acting strangely. She's also been seen having heated conversations with a mysterious out-of-towner.

No relation to Nick and Joy despite the name - Jack is a freelance photographer who moved to Frostville two years ago to 'escape the city.' He's charming, mysterious, and has been taking photos for the festival. Jack has been unusually interested in certain townspeople's pasts and has been asking a lot of probing questions. Some suspect he's not just a photographer but an investigative journalist working on an exposé. He's been seen reviewing old newspaper clippings at the library.

The ambitious young real estate agent who recently moved back to Frostville after making it big in the city. Eve has been trying to convince townspeople to sell their properties for a major development deal, which has made her unpopular with the 'keep Frostville small' crowd. She's polished, persuasive, and always impeccably dressed. Eve has a secret connection to one of the longtime residents that she's desperate to keep hidden. She was overheard threatening someone at last week's town council meeting.

The frugal accountant who does taxes for half the town and knows everyone's financial secrets. Noel is quiet, observant, and always seems to be calculating something. They've been acting nervous lately and were spotted shredding documents in their office after hours. Noel has been helping organize the festival finances but there are whispers about money going missing. They're also dealing with a personal crisis that could destroy their reputation if it got out.

Yes, that's really her name, and yes, she's heard all the jokes. Mary is the beloved elderly librarian who has lived in Frostville her entire life and knows all the town's history and secrets. She's sweet, grandmotherly, and brings cookies to every event - but don't let that fool you. Mary is sharp as a tack and has been blackmailing someone with information she discovered in old town records. She's also been mentoring a young person in town, though her motives may not be entirely pure.