Minnesota librarian Kathleen Paulson has an encyclopedic knowledge of a lot of things, but she has no clue how her two cats have gained the powers of detection . . .

With a well-placed paw on a keyboard or a pointed stare, Kathleen's two cats, Hercules and Owen, have helped her solve cases in the past-so she has learned to trust their instincts. But she will need to rely on them more than ever when a twenty-year-old scandal leads to murder . . .

The arrival of the Janes brothers has the little town of Mayville Heights buzzing. Everyone of a certain age remembers when Victor had an affair with Leo's wife, who then died in a car accident. Now it seems the brothers are trying to reconcile, until Kathleen finds Leo dead.

The police have set their sights on Leo's son and Kathleen's good friend Simon, who doesn't have much of an alibi. To prove her friend's innocence, Kathleen will have to dig deep into the town's history-and into her sardine cracker supply, because Owen and Hercules don't work for free . . .