The way Jim Qwilleran sees it,

there's nothing worse than

being left high and dry. But

that's exactly where he's been

ever since a record-breaking

drought hit Moose County. He's bedraggled. Beleaguered. And,

following a rash of fires at local

historic mine sites, deeply

bewildered. Some blame the

blazes on bad weather

conditions, but Qwill's thinking arson. And when a mysterious

explosion is followed by a

blood-chilling murder, he starts

seriously praying for snow--and

answers. Good thing Koko can

smell trouble a mile away...

Pickax's favorite columnist,

James Qwilleran, is enjoying a

brief holiday in the nearby town

of Black Creek - but his two

Siamese, who prefer the

spaciousness of their home, beg to differ. The blissful tranquility

is soon interrupted by the

discovery of a body floating

down the creek. And a possible

motive for his murder is

suggested when several gold nuggets are found in his

possession. Might he have been

illegally prospecting for gold? If

so, it seems he wasn't the only

one in search of an easy fortune.

And his competitor is far more determined to strike it rich...

The good people of Moose

County are in a fever of

excitement. It's almost time for

the gala groundbreaking of the

Pickax bookstore - and the

town of Brrr is preparing for its bicentennial celebration. All the

festivities, however; are spoiled

by the discovery of a man's

body on James Qwilleran's

property. Could it be the work

of a killer who used the same MO in northern Michigan? To

solve the case, Qwill and his

feline pals, Koko and Yum Yum,

will have to prick up their ears

and determine who committed

this fowl deed.

A twenty-ninth installment of

the popular series finds Moose

County in an uproar over a

string of lucrative inheritances

and a bee sting-related death,

throughout which Polly departs for Paris, Koko the irrepressible

Siamese meets a piano tuner,

and Qwill writes a play.