National Network for Equitable Library Service

When art aficionado Leonard Anderson learns his wealthy patron, Luella Pryce, is to endow the local gallery on the Caribbean island of St. Napoli with her fabled art collection he is stunned. How could she? The Cartwrights, the most glorious of her paintings, had been practically promised to him! Desperate to keep them for himself, Leonard removes the Cartwrights from Luella's mansion for "cleaning," substituting clever forgeries in their stead. To erase evidence of fraud, he connives with his unscrupulous nephew to set fire to Luella's. Unfortunately, the old dear is in the house at the time and perishes along with her art. At the time, no one suspects Leonard, but before long, money woes force him to put the Cartwrights on the black market. On tiny St. Napoli, though, everybody knows everyone's business, so north to Canada he goes, arsonist nephew in tow, to a lovely retreat in Ontario cottage country, a mere stone's throw from the Pleasant Inn, where—he is certain—he can do business in secret. But alas … Dead bodies are the Pleasant's curse. The inn's curmudgeonly proprietor Trevor Rudley and his saintly wife Margaret once again hope the summer will pass with nothing more lethal than a sunburn and one too many gins. But when a dead body is found in their boathouse, they know the curse is not about to lift. At least not any time soon.