At the start of fantasy author Donaldson's tense "and-then-there-was-none" whodunit, PI "Brew" Axbrewder is recovering from a gunshot wound when he learns that crime kingpin el Se?or has put a bounty on him. At the urging of his partner and sometimes lover Ginny Fistoulari, the two blow town for a temp job at Deerskin Lodge, providing security for "Murder on Cue," a mock murder junket for armchair detectives. The foul playfulness turns deadly serious as soon as a storm leaves the lodge snowbound: someone cuts the phone lines, hobbles all transportation out and pops one of the players.

Ex-alcoholic private investigator Mick 'Brew' Axbrewder is in trouble again - he's taken a bullet in the stomach, and someone wants to finish the job. His partner, Ginny Fistoulari, is determined to keep him safe, so she takes an 'easy' job, an assignment so straightforward it is practically a vacation.

Murder On Cue, Inc. run mystery camps, and their insurance company requires a security presence. The camp is being held at an isolated hunting lodge, and all Ginny and Brew have to do is show up, play along, and keep their real identities secret.