On the first day of Christmas my true-love sent to me
A plot for a murder mys-tree.
On the second day of Christmas my true-love sent to me
Two eager sleuths in a plot for a murder mys-tree.
On the third day of Christmas…
Three bent cops, two eager sleuths, in a plot for a murder mys-tree.
On the fourth day of Christmas…
Four sudden deaths, three bent cops, two eager sleuths…
On the fifth day of Christmas my true-love sent to me
Five red herrings!

Right, let’s fast-forward to twelve before we all die of thirst.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true-love sent to me
Twelve likely suspects,
Eleven deadly motives,
Ten baffled boffins,
Nine bloodstained letters,
Eight unknown poisons,
Seven secret ciphers,
Six guns a-smoking,
Five red herrings!
Four sudden deaths,
Three bent cops,
Two eager sleuths,
In a plot for a murder mys-tree.

That’s my next novel sorted, then!