Josie Waters is the enthusiastic new owner of the Oyster Cove Guesthouse -- a ramshackle Victorian mansion high on a hill above the breezy seaside town of Oyster Cove, Maine. Josie has a history in Oyster Cove, but she's not going to let anyone -- from her crazy friend Millie to her high school crush Mike -- stand in the way of making this venture a success. This is Josie's chance to prove to herself that she can take charge of her life after going through a divorce.

But then Josie's first guest -- a stuffy food critic -- is murdered before breakfast, and the town sheriff suspects Josie could be to blame. Thank goodness Nero and Marlowe -- the guesthouse's resident cats -- are also on the case. Little does Josie know, this isn't their first investigation . . . but can they find the clues to the real killer before another guest is targeted?

Following her cats' noses, it isn't long before Josie discovers that the critic ruffled more than a few feathers in his day. In fact, from the rule-obsessed local Building Inspector to the guesthouse's persnickety maid, there's not a person in Oyster Cove who doesn't have a secret to hide... could one of the locals be a cold-blooded killer in disguise? And with her beloved guesthouse's very future on the line, can Josie solve the case in time?