A man investigates the grisly crimes that occurred in a former insane asylum, unsettling the locals who all seem to have something to hide.

The abandoned home of Wilfred Butler, a wealthy but troubled man who committed suicide in 1987, has been willed to his grandson, Jeffrey. The house has sat in disarray since Wilfred's death, standing in the way of developers who want to turn the property into residential homes. Just before Christmas 2012, many years after Wilfred's death, Jeffrey and his lawyer appear in town to negotiate the sale of the property. But an Axe wielding maniac has set up residence in the house, and he doesn't take kindly to strangers.

After a death in the family, siblings Angelica and James Zacherly travel to the small town of East Willard on Christmas Eve to pay their respects. They stay at a homely bed and breakfast where they learn the legend of Black Peter, Santa Claus' vengeful brother. But when they find the lost journal of Jeffrey Butler, they discover the town has its own sordid history - one more rooted in reality.

It's Oscar's first day of working at Bradbury Asylum, where the helter skelter patients are killing each other - when the staff aren't trying to first. He reports to Dr. Isaac Cole who has taken a keen interest in Angelica Zacherly, survivor of the East Willard massacre. If the holidays weren't stressful enough, not one but two Santa-clad slashers have arrived on the scene with opposing motives. From padded walls to splattered doors, Oscar's about to learn that minimum wage can be murder.