Holly Miller is delighted that her grandmother has finally left the Sugar Maple Inn to take a well-deserved vacation. It means that Holly's in charge, but running the inn might be more challenging than she realized. Wagtail's throwing a weekend-long murder mystery game to draw in tourists during the slow season, the inn has a full house, and a blizzard is on the way.

Trouble is unleashed the night the game begins, when the storm blows in and the lights go out. It gets worse the following morning when Holly's Jack Russell terrier, Trixie, discovers a body—one that's actually dead. Now Holly, her calico kitten Twinkletoes, and Trixie must play by the rules and find one dirty dog.