When a bearded, rotund man in a red Santa suit with an ID reading Kris Kringle falls from the sky in Central Park, Castle and Beckett are on the hunt to find the person who killed Santa. But everything isn't holiday cheer, as they discover St. Nick may have been more naughty than nice. Meanwhile, Castle and Beckett prepare for their first Christmas together.
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Complete story — includes the ending
When a bearded man in a red suit is found dead in the middle of Central Park, Castle and Beckett realize that they might just be investigating the murder of Santa Claus. As they dig deeper, they uncover a victim who was trying to make amends for a life of shady business deals that might have gotten him killed. Meanwhile, changes in everyone's personal lives spell the end for some Christmas traditions and the birth of new ones.