In a Christmas Eve showdown from the bestselling masters of the American West, the legendary trio of Preacher, Audie, and Nighthawk team up to take on the not-so-jolly night raider Forkbeard.

'Tis the season for family and friends to get together—even for rugged mountain men like Preacher and his buddies. This year, they're planning to visit an old friend, Tall Dog, a half-Crow, half-Viking warrior who lives in the north woods of Canada. Tall Dog's wife is expecting a baby and everyone's looking forward to the blessed event. What they aren't looking forward to is a treacherous trek through the snow-covered woods—or the unsavory characters who roam there. Preacher figures they can't possibly be more dangerous than what he's seen in the wilds of the American frontier. But he's wrong.

These woods are haunted—by a devilish Dane known as Forkbeard.

He might have a beard like the legendary Saint Nicholas, but Forkbeard is the polar opposite of the jolly gift-giver. He's a deranged madman who raids villages with his merciless tribe of marauders to avenge his ancestors—or so he says. As far as Preacher can tell, the man is just a low-life thief who terrorizes innocent families. But there appears to be more to the story. According to legend, there's a treasure trove of Viking artifacts at stake, and Forkbeard will do anything to claim them.

This Christmas Eve, Preacher and his friends won't be opening presents. They'll be closing ranks on a crazed bearded killer—in the ultimate holiday showdown.