Scottish-born California transplant Lexy Campbell sails again when a body is found during her houseboat Halloween party

Now settled in her little houseboat, moored in the slough at the back of the Last Ditch Motel, Lexy Campbell wants nothing more than to build her counseling business, avoid her mother's phone calls and―who knows?―meet a nice guy. But when she throws a Halloween party for her motley crew of motel pals, the only single man is too old for her, too wrapped up in the case of beer chilling in the slough, and―oh, yes―too dead.

The smart choice is to leave it up to the cops to identify the body and catch the killer. Lexy and company make a different choice, and they're on the case before you could say "Tam O'Shanter," delving deep into the roots of this mystifying crime.