Hillside Manor is the perfect B&B for a few days of R&R. Okay, so it features the occasional corpse or two. But is a small (if growing) body count any reason for the state to yank Judith McMonigle Flynn's innkeeper's license?

Exhausted from being hassled by the state B&B association's meddling critics, Judith warily accepts an assignment manning an Oktoberfest booth in the mountain aerie of Little Bavaria. With reluctant cousin Renie in tow, she hopes to win some allies, solicit new guests, and keep her inn prosperous. The last thing she needs is another homicide to sully her reputation.

But before the beer begins flowing, Judith finds a body—right in the middle of an oompah band and a herd of German polka dancers. Before she can say lederhosen, the local police chief has her on the case.

Caught between a wurst and a hard place, Judith finally agrees, but only if Renie poses as the sleuth. . . .