When the former first lady of the United States suddenly dies, you know that her funeral is going to become a huge production with the crème de la crème of the film and music industry in attendance. Add to that all the heavyweight politicians and you know here is a disaster just waiting to happen. And happen it does. As the funeral begins, the church is hijacked and, after ejecting security staff and anyone not on the cover of a magazine in some country or other, the ones left behind are very high-profiled indeed.

Detective Michael Bennett is pulled in to the fray, much against his wishes. Bennett's wife is dying of cancer, his ten children are going through a very emotional time and although it is only days before Christmas he hasn't even bought a tree yet! Soon Bennett becomes the main negotiator to the man who has planned this scheme for a long time. He is racing around New York trying to bring this situation to an amicable and blood free conclusion. Can he do it?