When Matthew explores the 'spiral' in his grandmother's garden (a strange structure built by his late grandfather) he discovers an entrance into the magical world of 'the Shadows' where he meets his new Shadow friends, Yorrick and Alice, and begins his great adventure.
It's Christmas break at the McDonald house, but silent nights--and days--are nowhere to be found. With the children's constant bickering, pretty packages and a sweet-smelling tree don't come close to filling the McDonald home with the true spirit of the first Christmas.
With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.
An allergy-ridden, eavesdropping sound engineer and his boisterous new roommate are thrust into a missing girl case when he discovers clues to her disappearance in his neighborhood recordings.