Monona Quinn and her husband Doug are taking a relaxing vacation in the northwoods of Wisconsin. Mo's enrolled in a writing workshop, and Doug's resolved to learn to fish. Naturally, it's the perfect time to solve another murder...

Pompous, self-important writer Fletcher Downs was supposed to be the writer-in-residence at the writing workshop; he was supposed to teach a classroom full of hopefuls how to write a great mystery—but he hadn't intended to teach by example. Now Fletcher's dead, and Mo (and the other students at the writing retreat) are faced with a real-life mystery. Who killed their teacher, and will the killer strike again?